Visiting the Northeast I did a lot of kissing people on both cheeks. Not really kissing, but cheek to cheek air kissing, they also did a lot of sniffing. Well sniffing of my son. As we said by to people, they’d grab his arm and sniff it. Seriously, people he met on the airplane did this. Heck, I understand, I sniff my kid all the time because he’s so baby yummy. However, I learned of a new custom while we were visiting. In fact, my husband hadn’t heard of this, and he lived in the Northeast.
See someone told me that moms or those that really love a baby, will sniff its penis.
Yes, you read me right, they sniff the penis. I confirmed this as a normal thing, and not viewed as weird. Yeah strangers are not gonna be ripping off your kid’s diaper, but kind of like how I like to nuzzle my childs hair and smell his sweetness… well yeah you get the idea.
Just thought I would share, never ever heard of this in Sao Paulo… but heck, I was spending a lot more time with real Brazilians the last few weeks than ever before.
I just couldn’t think of an appropriate photo for this post.
O Jeito Brasileiro 
I’ve never heard of this before. Its definitely NOT a normal question or culturally acceptable.
dude, my little brothers both went to Brazil on their missions and they both came home with this sniffing habit. It still makes me laugh. (Although, that penis thing is weird. Weird.)
This sounds like a classic joke on an unadvised gringo… 😉
This is the most ridiculous thing I ever heard.
No, not a Brazilian thing what so ever!!! Someone was making a very bad taste joke on you guys.
Sorry you had to go thru this.
Ray
Unfortunately, this is true of people in the northeast of Brasil – very strange, but true. Many of my friends in the northeast have confirmed this and they think is common among all Brazilians. However, this is not common in the south of Brasil (i.e., São Paulo or Rio).
This sounds very normal on my college campus. It’s the first thing you do to someone when you meet them.
Barf
Hahaha yeah someone played an awesome, yet cruel and perverted joke.
my ex-husband would sniff our son’s penis all the time when he was a baby and his family is from Ceará, although he is Carioca, so this is not unheard of.
Thanks for confirming. I think it’s definitely not a Paulista or Carioca thing, thus why everyone seems to think it was a joke. But this is definitely one of those times when others confirmed it
Besides being the most repulsive thing I ever heard, it must be a very regional disgusting habit.
My personal assistant here in the US is from Salvador, Bahia, and also never ever heard of such absurd, not only Sao Paulo or Rio, most of Brazil never heard of this pathetic and senseless habit.
Living in the northeast I can say I’ve never heard of it. I know they like to pierce a newborn’s ear, which where I come from is considered a mark of low breeding, but here its a Catholic thing.
Pernmabucogypsy : piercing a newborn’s ear is not a catholic thing. baby girls get pierced to look feminine.
Anna, they also pierce baby boys ears. That’s what confused me.
where did u see that? i have never seen one my entire life.
I find it weird too, but I find it ridiculous to pierce any baby’s ears when they are a BABY. Cutting and putting holes in your baby is stupid and so totally superficial.
But the smelling thing – while yeah it seems perverted isn’t that like a totally instinctual thing? Like, recognizing your family by their scents? I mean, c’mon! Who doesn’t love to smell a good penis??
😉
In Recife, the bosses son had it done and also neighbours did it with their son. I find it weird!