The Festa

Birthday parties are a BIG deal here.  If a child has a party outside of school, it includes a rented space, appetizers, cake, a candy table, servers providing beverages and restocking the appetizers, professionally supplied decorations and "toys" such as a trampoline and big inflatable jump house or slide and probably a balão surpresa, which is similar to a piñata.  And that is a standard out-of-school party.  It only goes up from there.

In school parties are a big deal too.  I spent over US$60 on food, and I didn't buy a big cake, just cupcakes.  Following local custom, we provided appetizers, sweets and cupcakes, pop and juice, along with table service and a party favor.  Since the party was in D's classroom, we didn't need to worry about decorations.  When the party is in the "party house" you have to decorate too (usually professionally done, complete with a balloon arch.)

There is a definite order to the event as well.  First a picture of the birthday boy with all the boys, then all the girls, then everyone together, with the candle on his cake lit, then singing "Parabéns pra Você" literally "Congratulations to You."  Blow out the candle, pass out the food and drinks, play, talk, laugh, maybe eat a little, and after that all the kids line up and give the birthday kid a hug and a present.  The gifts typically equate to something like a hot wheels car or a puzzle, nothing incredibly expensive, but a gift from each classmate is, nonetheless, exciting when you are 7.

I explained to D's teacher that this type of party is not anything like a celebration in a US school, with only store bought cupcakes, maybe a singing of "Happy Birthday" and on with the rest of the day.   She thought that was a shame.  I thought how excited D was in preschool in the US to present his bday treats and have it be his special day.  Only this was enough to excite him.  Now he is spoiled for life, I'm afraid.  But how lucky, he got to celebrate 2 birthdays here with grand Brazilian-style parties at school.  Lucky Boy.

These are the little boxes of food we brought, all traditional party foods. On the left, 3 little truffle-like sweets, a cupcake and on the right 2 breaded fried hotdog pieces (think corndog) and in front 2 little meat filled pastries.  I tied each box up with a green ribbon and slipped a sheet of stickers with each one.  Party in a box. We also brought drinks, and though it is typical, I couldn't bring myself to serve Coca-Cola to 7 year olds, so we stuck with lime kool-aid, grape pop and Sprite.



While M likes Brazilian party food, D typically only eats the sweets. On his own birthday I think he took a few bites of the cupcake but that was it.  He had a blast, though, and I am so glad, considering this is his last Brazilian birthday.




D and his classmates, singing "Parabéns."



The class enjoying birthday treats