Brazil Independence Day
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- 1808Portuguese royal court flees to Brazil — Rio becomes capital of the empire
- 1822Dom Pedro I declares independence on the banks of the Ipiranga River
- 1889Proclamation of the Republic replaces the empire
Why Brazil celebrates 7 September
On 7 September 1822, Crown Prince Dom Pedro I stood on the banks of the Ipiranga River in São Paulo state and shouted the "Grito do Ipiranga" — "Independence or death!" — declaring Brazil's separation from Portugal. The moment marked the birth of the Empire of Brazil and is commemorated every year as Dia da Independência.
Brazil's path to independence was shaped by the unusual circumstance of having its colonial rulers living on its soil. When Napoleon invaded Portugal in 1807, the entire Portuguese royal court fled to Rio de Janeiro — effectively making Brazil the centre of a global empire. When the court returned to Lisbon in 1821, Dom Pedro refused to follow and instead allied himself with the Brazilian independence movement.
Independence Day is marked by large military parades in Brasília and Rio de Janeiro, attended by the president and armed forces. State capitals across the enormous country hold their own ceremonies. Fireworks, concerts and civic gatherings fill the evening.
Brazil's independence came without the violent revolution of Spanish-speaking neighbours — it was largely a negotiated separation within the royal family. This peaceful transition is sometimes cited as shaping Brazil's political culture and its tradition of finding compromise over conflict.
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The Brazilian flag features a green field with a large yellow diamond, inside which is a blue celestial globe with 27 stars representing the states and the Federal District, crossed by a white band reading "Ordem e Progresso" — Order and Progress. The green and yellow colours represent the houses of Braganza and Habsburg — the royal dynasties that shaped independent Brazil.
Brazilian food reflects the country's enormous diversity — Indigenous, Portuguese, African, Italian, Japanese and German traditions have all shaped a cuisine that varies dramatically from north to south.
What to eat
What to drink
Brazil culture
Brazil's culture is a vibrant fusion of Indigenous, African and European traditions. Samba, carnival, capoeira and football are the country's most visible exports, but literature, architecture and visual art are equally rich.