Fred and I arrived on Saturday the 24th, which for Brazilians is the big day to celebrate Christmas. They have a big dinner around 10pm, and then everyone opens gifts at midnight. In Brazil, Santa, known here as Papa Noel, arrives on the night of the 24th. The kids wait to hear a bell, which tells them Santa has arrived. They run frantically around the house looking for Santa, while the parents bring the gifts out. It's somewhat different in Brazil, because the gift part isn't as elaborate as it is in the US. I remember as a kid coming down the stairs to 100 presents- games, clothes, animals sometimes, a new stereo, a new car, but here the kids receive a few nice gifts- a new pair of shoes, new clothes, maybe a board game, but nothing as extravagant as I remember as a child. For the adults, Secret Santa is a very common way to exchange gifts. Every family member shops for one person. This year I coincidentally pulled Fred's name from the basket, which was nice, because I had an idea of what to get him. After the Secret Santa, more gifts are exchanged, because everyone ends up buying gifts for everyone in the end. Christmas Eve is a night of food, family, and lots of joking around. Fred, his cousins, and his brother-in-law constantly pick on one another, which provides humor for the rest of us.
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