Conversation Partner Blog 2

Today was my second meeting with my conversation partner.  We spent most of our time discussing the differences between American and Brazilian holidays.  This was an interesting topic of conversation since I did not know much about how our celebrations differ from those of other countries.

            With Halloween coming up this weekend, I asked Carol if she had any plans and how Halloween is celebrated in Brazil.  She expressed that it is a much bigger holiday here and, while growing in popularity, mostly involves partying in Brazil.  Since Carol lives with her aunt’s family, she looks forward to the new experience of passing out candy to trick-or-treaters. 

Carol also told me about an upcoming presentation she has on the differences between Easter in Brazil and America.  She asked how I celebrate Easter, and I told her about how my family focuses on the bunnies and Easter eggs part of the holiday despite its roots in Christianity. 

Additionally, Carol asked me about my family’s Christmas traditions.  This sparked a conversation about how our school years differ.  In Brazil, the seasons are opposite of ours since this country is in the southern hemisphere.  As a result, they begin their school year in January instead of August and end in November only getting a few weeks off in July.  This way, the main holiday still occurs during the summer with a shorter break in the winter similar to Christmas break in the United States.  I am so used to the northern hemisphere school schedule that it was strange for me to think about having breaks at a different time of year.  I also think it would be weird to have Christmas during the summer as they do in Brazil.  Despite the fact that we do not get much of a true winter here in Texas, so much of the Christmas spirit in the United States is associated with the cold and snow.  For example, the majority of the secular songs we sing around the holidays are about snowmen, sleighs, and reindeers and Christmas lights help to brighten the dark winter nights.  Our traditions and celebrations would be completely different if we associated Christmas with summer rather than winter. 

Overall I am really enjoying my conversations with Carol.  I am always curious to hear about how things are different in Brazil and sometimes surprised to hear about things that are the same.  I also find it interesting to hear about Carol’s views and opinions of the United States and her time here.  I am happy to hear that she is enjoying her experience here despite the challenge of not knowing the language very well, which she expresses is her biggest struggle.  I look forward to continuing to learn about Carol’s culture and sharing with her my experiences as well.