Ordem e Progresso

What do Brazilian capital buildings, favela back alleys, clothing, futebol team uniforms, police uniforms, the daily paper, your canga and your flip-flops have in common? Not purpose. Well, perhaps in one sense. They all include, whether explicitly or squeezed in for a bit of nationalistic detail, the glorious green-yellow-blue rectangle that is the Brazilian flag.

The Brazilian flag is treated with a level of common adoration elsewhere nonexistent. I never knew what flag pride was until I came to Brazil. Reminders of national location are as constant as blinks. Whereas use of the American flag — which certainly serves as a pride-inducing image in the states — is strictly regulated, the Brazilian flag serves as a versatile decoration that appears virtually everywhere.

It’s on the Havaianas, in graffiti, on busses, bras, jiu jitsu uniforms, congas (the beach-goers’ handy, multipurpose slabs of material), and even the sungas (Brazilian Speedos) and thong bikinis. Sure, the Brazilian flag flies proudly above various buildings, but it also hangs majestically from the DJ tables at the clubs and is sported by highly-protected drug dealers. Talk about accessibility.