Parabéns, Rio!
This past Saturday, March 1st, marked the 443rd birthday of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and festivities around the city marked the event, including a six meter-long birthday cake at the train station to the Christ the Redeemer monument and a free bossa nova concert on the beach in Ipanema. (To watch video footage of the concert, click here)
Rio de Janeiro was founded in 1565 by Portuguese settlers, who managed to defeat French explorers and indigenous groups in order to establish the city.
Rio de Janeiro was also the capital of Brazil for nearly 200 years, from 1763 to 1960.
As for a quick language tip: birthday is aniversário in Portuguese, but many people say “congratulations” (parabéns) as a way of saying “Happy Birthday,” instead of the literal “Feliz aniversário.”
2 Comments
Hi Rachel, there’s a joke going around among Brazilians living in the US that someone wanted to congratulate an american for some achivement and said Happy Birthday!
BTW, deixa, deixa? Means Can I, please?
Very interesting to read all these things from your point of view.
bj tchau,
Isabella
I wonder the meaning of the Brazilian word/term “Niver”? Is this the same as “birthday”, or is it a specific birthday, or rite of passage. Does it have a religious meaning?
thanks
–Steve