cariocas enjoy dressing up with a touch of flair so visitors should not be afraid of dressing up - over-dressing is certainly favored over under-dressing and bringing a gift for the host is always received well - if bringing flowers, purple should be avoided as the color is associated with funerals.

when attending  dining event, both verbal and physical greetings are worth becoming familiar with, as friends tend to greet each other in one of two ways - the first is known as the 'beijinho' (little kiss), while the the other is the 'abraco,' (hug).

as for the physical greetings, men will typically shake each other's hand while patting their friend on the back in an embrace, a gesture commonly known as the aforementioned  'abraco', while women tend to greet using the 'beijinho', where they will softly brush the other person's cheek with their own on each side of the face.