As Brazilian Independence Day approaches on the 7th of September, event organizer Raquel Muniz celebrates Brazilian culture and the Brazilian community in Ireland...
The number of Brazilians living in Ireland has been continuously increasing over the last ten years I have been living here. The Brazilian Embassy estimates that around 70,000 Brazilians now live on the island, and many more plan to come. These people come with their culture, traditions and dreams.
Pre-pandemic, you could attend a Brazilian event or activity almost every day of the week in Dublin. The number of activities and attendees at them has been steadily growing since I arrived. Some of the biggest names in Brazilian music have also come to perform in Ireland. Nowadays, as social life has moved outdoors you can see capoeira being played in the parks, music performed on the streets, futsal on the beach and dancing along the quays.
From walking the streets of Dublin alone you know there is a big Brazilian community, as you will hear a lot of Portuguese being spoken and I would be confident that at this stage most Irish people in Dublin have met a Brazilian person. We are very grateful for the opportunities in Ireland, and of course there are challenges to face along the way. Different reasons have brought us here - language, education, better lifestyle, travel, family, job opportunities - but the excitement we share, I believe, is the same! Many people have settled here over the years and integrated into Irish society, including myself. My Irish husband and I just had our first child, named Cian, and this really makes me feel at home here.
Many businesses have been created both serving the Brazilian community and the general population. You can eat Brazilian food, buy ingredients and avail of so many services such as dentists, hairdressers, psychologists, nutritionists and many more. Organisations have been growing, such as a Brazilian mothers association, football supporters clubs, religious groups and many more. These help us to deal with homesickness as well as support us as we find our feet in Ireland.
I am an event organizer and through Real Events we provide a space for and showcase Brazilian music, dance, food, art and traditions. This gives me great satisfaction, as though we're so far from Brazil, we can enjoy and create awareness about our culture.
We host two big events annually that coincide with major festivities in Brazil: Carnaval in February and Festa Junina in June. There is great excitement in the community around these events and people travel from around the island to join the fun. Since 2012, we have also hosted Brazil Day. All of these events unite the community, celebrate our culture and give others a chance to experience it.
This year we’ll be doing an online production about the Brazilian community to tie in with Brazilian Independence Day on the 7th of September.
As the community continues to grow, expect to see more Brazilian culture around town and be sure to join in and experience it. We love when people show an interest about our country and culture.
Find out more about the Brazilian Independence Day celebrations in Ireland here.
