Your favorite brazilian curiosities are back!
Nobel Prize for Children’s Literature
Brazil has won the Hans Christian Andersen Award, thought of as the “Nobel Prize for Children’s Literature”, three times: In 1982 and 2000 with authors Lygia Bojunga and Ana Maria Machado respectively, and in 2014 with the illustrator Roger Mello.
“Salvadoran” and “Soteropolitan”
In addition to “Salvadoran”, another word used to refer to people born in Salvador is “Soteropolitan”. The term comes from the Greek form, so they say, of the word Saviour, which is Soteropolis. Perhaps it’s just easier to refer to everyone as “Baianos”?
Where did “brigadeiros” get their name?
The roots of Brazil’s cherished chocolate delicacy can be traced back to the 1940s, when Brigadier Eduardo Gomes ran for president. Some parties dispute the true origins of the brigadeiro, but what is taken as read is that the sweet was created at that time to help promote Gomes’s campaign, and so adopted the candidate’s title.
Now that’s some bread!
The CEPAM bakery in São Paulo’s Vila Prudente neighbourhood is thought to be the largest bakery in Latin America. Founded in 1968, the name of the bakery comes from the school where the four founders studied (Colégio Estadual Professor Américo de Moura).
Recife, the old girl
Recife, the capital of the State of Pernambuco, is Brazil’s oldest capital city, established in 1537, just 37 years after the discovery of Brazil.
Natural tanning only
Brazil was the first country in the world to abolish the use of tanning beds!
God is, in fact, Brazilian
They say that if people say it, it must be true. If this is indeed the case, God not only exists but is ever-present in the daily lives of Brazilians: “My God”, “God help you/us”, “For God’s sake”, “Thank God”, “God forgive me”, “Be with God”, and many other such expressions are commonplace in everyday speak in Brazil.
Called ID comes from Minas
Miner Nélio Nicolai is credited as the creator of an extremely useful piece of technological apparatus: Telephones with caller ID. Ever wondered what life would be like without this wonderful invention?
From Heavy Metal singer to professor
Brazil’s Heavy Metal scene has never been one of particular note, but a few successful names have managed to break through over the years, such as Sepultura and Sarcófago. Interestingly though, the vocalist of Sarcófago, who was a singer with Sepultura for a short time, also graduated in economics, before completing a master’s degree and a PhD! Today he is a statistics professor and academic coordinator at UFMG University. Somewhat noteworthy, wouldn’t you say?
