Cultural Aspects of Northeast Brazil Explained

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The cultural aspects of the Northeast Region are well known for their strong and distinctive cultural aspect.

The Northeast Region of Brazil consists of the states of Alagoas, Bahia, Ceará, Maranhão, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte and Sergipe.

mapa da Região Nordeste do Brasil — The Northeast Region of Brazil

Its total area is 1,561,177km², similar to the area of Mongolia. The region has 3,338 km of beaches, with Bahia having the longest coastline, at 938 km, and Piauí having the shortest, at 60 km.

Due to its different physical characteristics, the region has been divided by the IBGE into four sub-regions: Meio Norte, Caatinga, Agreste and Zona da Mata.

It has a great cultural plurality, with diverse elements, so we will discuss some of the elements that make up the region’s culture.

Cultural aspects of the Northeast

The cultural manifestations and aspects of the Northeast region include dances and festivals such as bumba meu boi, maracatu, caboclinhos, carnival, ciranda, coco, terno de zabumba, marujada, reisado, frevo, cavalhada and capoeira.

Religious events include the festival of Iemanjá and the washing of the Bonfim steps.

Cordel literature is another strong element of northeastern culture.

Northeastern handicrafts include lace work, clay dolls, tiles and ceramics, traditional straw bags, clay dolls, etc. ….

Typical dishes include: carne de sol, fish, seafood, buchada de bode, sarapatel, acarajé, vatapá, cururu, feijão-verde, canjica, arroz-doce, bolo de fubá cozido, bolo de massa de mandioca, broa de milho verde, pamonha, cocada, tapioca, pé de moleque, among many others.

Literatura de Cordel08:45

Candomblé08:25

Afoxê04:03

Candomblé05:26

Maracatú02:10

Frevo01:57

Dança de Coco02:06

Reisado01:30

Capoeira - Origem05:45

Bumba meu Boi02:44

Carnaval em Pernambuco01:00

– Carnival

Carnival is the most famous popular event in the northeast, especially in Salvador, Olinda and Recife. The June festivals in Caruaru (PE) and Campina Grande (PB) are also noteworthy. Bumba meu boi is a traditional festival in all the north-eastern states.

– Bumba meu Boi

Bumba meu Boi is a festival that presents a small drama. The owner of the ox, a white man, witnesses a black man stealing his animal to feed his pregnant wife, who is hungry for ox tongue. They kill the ox, but then have to resurrect it.

– Capoeira

Capoeira was brought to Brazil by African slaves from the Northeast and is considered to be both a martial art and a dance. It quickly gained a following in the northeastern states of Bahia and Pernambuco.

The instrument used in capoeira performances is the berimbau, which consists of a bow, a cut gourd, a caxixi (a basket of seeds), a stick and a dobrão (coin).

– Reisado

Reisado is a cultural manifestation brought by the Portuguese colonisers. It’s a popular spectacle of the Christmas and King’s Day celebrations, whose stage is the public square, the street. In the northeast, from the 24th of December, the different reisados, each neighbourhood with its own, come out to sing and dance.

Participants in the reisados believe they are the descendants of the Three Wise Men who came from the East to visit the baby Jesus in Bethlehem.

– Coconut Dance

Coco is a style of dance widely practiced in the states of Alagoas, Paraíba, Pernambuco and Rio Grande do Norte.

The dance is an expression of the release of the popular soul, of the most suffering people of the Brazilian Northeast; it was also the favourite dance of the cangaceiros; Lampião and other cangaceiros danced in their hours of rest and distraction.

– Frevo

Frevo originated in Capoeira, as the capoeirista dances Frevo in front of the cordões, the music bands, performing steps similar to those of Capoeira. It is a dance of collective hallucination, from the carnival of Pernambuco, and is practiced in halls and in the streets.

– Terno de Zabumba

Terno de Zabumba is a typical musical ensemble from the Northeast that always brightens up festivals. The Terno de Zabumba plays both secular and religious roles. They play “salvas” during prayers and novenas. They are also known as Terno de Música, Esquenta Mulher, Cabaçal and Banda de Couro.

– Maracatu

Maracatu originated in Recife (PE), in the north-east of Brazil. It originated during the processions in honour of Our Lady of the Rosary of the Blacks, who beat the xangô (candomblé) all year round. Maracatu is a simple procession, originally very religious in nature, but now a mixture of primitive music and theatre.

– Marujada

Marujada is a very old folk dance. It is a dramatisation of the Portuguese struggles, the tragedy of the maritime conquest.

– Quilombo

Quilombo is a traditional folk dance from Alagoas with a purely Brazilian theme that recalls the times of colonial Brazil. It dramatises the escape of slaves who sought a safe haven in the Serra da Barriga and formed the Quilombo dos Palmares.

– Candomblé

Candomblé is a cult of African origin brought to colonial Brazil by black slaves. In Bahia this cult is called candomblé, in Pernambuco xangô, in Maranhão tambor de menina. Nowadays, candomblé has changed a lot in some regions due to the influence of white people.

– Afoxê

Afoxê is the participation of the sacred in the profane. It’s a religious obligation that members of the Candomblé (of Jeje-Nagô origin) must fulfil. It’s a branch of candomblé suitable for carnival. It begins with a despatch to Exu so that he doesn’t interrupt the carnival festivities, giving him palm oil farofa with olive oil.

– Iemanjá Festival

The Iemanjá Festival in the northeast is in honour of the Queen of the Sea. The biggest Iemanjá festival takes place in Bahia, in Rio Vermelho, on 2 February. All the people who have an “obligation” to the Queen of the Sea go to the beach. This cultural event brings together all the Candomblés of Bahia. They bring flowers and gifts, especially mirrors, combs, jewellery and perfumes.

Bonfim washing

– Lavagem do Bonfim is one of the biggest popular religious festivals in Bahia. It is held on a Thursday in January. Thousands of pilgrims arrive at the sanctuary of Senhor do Bonfim in Bahia. Senhor do Bonfim is the African Oxalá, and there are also Catholic promises to “wash churches”. The faithful wash the steps of the church with water and flowers.

– Cordel literature

Cordel literature is one of the cultural manifestations of the Northeast. It consists of small books of stories, written in prose or verse, with a wide variety of themes: challenges, stories related to religion, rites or ceremonies.

– Northeastern handicrafts

Another cultural element of great importance in the Northeast is handicrafts. The variety of handicrafts in the region is immense, including woven hammocks, lace, sieves, leather products, ceramics, wood, among others.

– Northeast Cuisine

The northeastern cuisine is very diverse and is characterised by strong spices and hot dishes.

The typical dishes of the Northeast are: carne de sol, buchada de bode, sarapatel, acarajé, vatapá, cururu, feijão verde, canjica, tapioca, fish, seafood, etc. The fruits ciriguela, umbu, buriti, cajá and macaúba are also common.

Cultural and Religious Aspects of the Northeast Region

Written by Willy Sievert

Editor of Bahia.ws since its founding in 2009. Based in Salvador, he travels frequently across the Northeast and all of Brazil to keep the guides up to date. Learn more about Willy Sievert →

Published on 26/04/2013 · Updated on 03/07/2025