Faith and Pride

At this time 186 years ago, Brazil's independence from Portugal had already been declared. It was about 4:30pm when Dom Pedro shouted the motto "Independência ou Morte!" (Independence or Death!)

Museu Paulista, in Sâo Paulo, is Brazil's monument to Independence, a place you can't miss if you want to be at the site of The Shout and view an awesome art and history collection.

Marian Blazes, About.com Guide to South American Food, joined in the celebrations with a roundup of great Brazilian recipes.

From the civic parades in Brasília today comes this photo of a child. When I saw him, I thought of "A Pátria" ("The Motherland"), a poem by Olavo Bilac (1865-1918) that my parents' generation knew by heart. Bilac is the patron of the Brazilian Army's military service, one of the causes which he supported (he was also an abolitionist).

Bilac's poem is often rejected in face of Brazil's harsh realities, and its exclamatory style belongs to another era. But its praise of the country's natural wonders in alexandrine verse is a cultural icon, and it carries the genuine sentiment which makes so many Brazilians (and those who love Brazil) work hard to help it overcome its maladies, preserve its natural treasures and thrive. So here goes, exclamation point and all, the poem's first line - my motto for the Sete de Setembro:

"Ama, com fé e orgulho, a terra em que nasceste!"

(Love, with faith and pride, the land where you were born!)

Photo: Independence Day 2008 at Esplanada dos Ministérios, Brasília. Wilson Dias/Agência Brasil.