Discover the World of Famous and Friendly Cariocas

The local residents of Rio de Janeiro are referred to as “The Carioca”. Known for their warmth and friendliness, the Cariocas are a happy people and a lot of fun to interact with. Whether meeting them on the beach or at a local bar their “joie de vivre” is quite infectious.

The Name

When the Portuguese settled in and around Rio, they built houses that the native Tupi indigenous people called karai oca, which meant “white house”. It was not long until the Portuguese began referring to themselves as Cariocas. This name has lasted hundreds of years and still refers to the local people today.

A recipe for a typical carioca day

Take a Sunday on a sunny day, crowded beach, add sunscreen to avoid burns, drink mate leão to cool down, water, or coconut water to hydrate, and do not forget the biscoito globo to stave off hunger. Enjoy lunch in one of the restaurants or bars near the beach. Later, catch a game of either Flamengo, Vasco, Botafogo, or Fluminense at Maracanã or Engenhão in the late afternoon and end with a cold beer in Baixo Gávea.

The Carioca Attitude

Aside from business meetings, time is very flexible. Being a half-hour late for a meeting is perfectly acceptable. Cariocas are extremely friendly. Do not be surprised to find you have a new best friend after a few minutes of conversation at the bar. However, if a Carioca says, “I will meet you tomorrow at the beach,” do not be surprised if he or she does not show up. Cariocas are very physical; men and women will greet each other with kisses on the cheeks, and there is a lot of hugging and friendly back slaps.

Carioca Passions

The Cariocas love the beach, sports, and partying. Do not be surprised to see them combine all three at once. A large gathering of Cariocas will hit the beach with a soccer ball and some beer and make an afternoon of it. Do not be afraid to join in the fun as the more, the merrier. Other favorite sports are foot volley, surfing, and Capoeira. They also enjoy a night of dancing and drinking at the local clubs and bars.

Curiosity

Did you know that Walt Disney was inspired by Cariocas to create one of his characters? José Carioca, aka Zé Carioca, was created in 1943 to star in the movie "Saludos Amigos" as a Brazilian parrot (based on one spotted by Walt Disney during his trip to Brazil) and friend of Donald Duck. Making use of the "Good Neighbor Policy" during the events of World War II, Zé Carioca was created to represent the Brazilian people's nature: friendly, always in a good mood, embodying the happiness of the Cariocas. Since after the end of the Second World War until 1949, American movies could not be shown in the occupied Europe, including Disney cartoons, Walt Disney needed to find a new market to compensate for this, therefore he focused on the South American market and used Zé Carioca to help its promotion.