Monday, June 13, 2011

Celebrating Birthdays Brazilian Style

The Candy Table

I went to a Brazilian child's birthday party yesterday. These parties seriously put the little backyard parties from my youth to shame! No picnic table with cake and presents at this party.

What you have to understand is that children's parties are a thing here. People spend upwards of R$2,000. No, I'm not saying middle and upper class people, I'm say people! It is expected to at least have the cake table. The cake table must be extremely full of decorations. We're talking stuffed animals on mini spinning ferris wheels, lights, cameras, action, and even a cake. At very rich parties, the all the table decorations will be made of candy and everything edible.

There's also the balloons, food, drinks, and beer. Yes, beers. I think most parents have the understanding that if they have to deal with the sugar induced madness of a Brazilian kid's birthday party, they deserve a little alcohol.

Yesterday's party was no different. There was beer for the parents and a table of sugar for the kids. There was also a huge climbing maze tube thing, a climbing wall, a kid's dance club, a trampoline, a mini soccer field (aka. a room with fake grass and a ball), and a video game room. All this and food galore.

You see, yesterday's party was at a Casa de Festa (party house for kids). You pay so much per head, pick your food options, and everything is done for you. Very convenient, very popular, and very costly.

I will say though, my kids had a BLAST! I too enjoyed myself and ate enough to satisfy my caloric needs for about 4 days. It was a parade of yummy fried treats! Breaded shrimp, fried and breaded salted meat, little balls of fried cheese, and much more.

Honestly, it's hard thing to live up to. My poor boys are stuck with the American Mom who is used to a couple of ordered pizzas, ice cream cake, and some games of tag. Talk about culture shock.


8 comments:

  1. Too expensive. On the other way I would never ever give a party without enough food for my guests. Conclusion: I kill myself in the kitchen (I actually love that, being a kitchen slave) to provide good meals to adutls and kids - so that I do not have to pay a fortune to a catering. I generally find that too little food is provided during Dutch parties - but then also other nationalities think that about the Dutch as well.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Take away the kids, keep the trampoline, the climbing wall and the beer. Now that's a party.
    Humn, perhaps the spinning ferris wheel could serve a purpose (only joking, I'm Catholic).

    ReplyDelete
  3. life in rio?!?!??!
    IT SOUNDS GOOD TO ME!
    !
    I can0t wait to read more about your days!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. This is definitely the upside of the cultural shock ;)

    Ray

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sounds like the kid's birthday party was better than my High School Graduation party. I'm gonna go feel bad for myself now, tchau!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love those parties!!! enjoy :)
    I hope people celebrated like that all over the world!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh man I love children's parties. And it's funny how people see them as a big event. My grandmother always take a purse to grab some extra candies and salgadinhos. And have you noticed how more and more adults in Rio throw their birthday's parties with a children's party theme? I'm lucky I have a cousin who is still a baby..lots of bolinhas de queijo, mini pizzas and jujubas coming my way!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Your post inspired one by use. My friend, Thais, wrote it - and I've asked her to link (give a trackback?) to you.

    Cheers!

    ReplyDelete

/>