Hammocks are part and parcel of Brazilians’ lives. According to popular belief they were invented by the Indians of Brazil for the primary purpose of sleeping. They are hand woven in the northeastern Brazilian state of Ceara, where nearly 50% of the population has never slept in a bed, and always uses a hammock. A Garden Hammock offer multiple advantages like protection from crawling creatures and wet surfaces, saving space, and easy to store, besides offering tremendous comfort for rest and relaxation. Brazilian hammocks are very tightly woven out of 100% cotton fibre and the edges have a beautiful crocheted fringe. The bright colours and this style of adornment make them some of the most beautiful hammocks available in the world today. The art of making hammocks is passed on from one generation to the next and it provides employment to a huge chunk of the population in the state of Ceara. Though it is not unusual to find machine made hammocks, hand made ones can be recognized from a distance due to their outstanding beauty.
A Brazilian hammock is comfortable as a chair as well. The regular hammocks are without spreader bars, and the patterns used allow air ventilation from below even though the weave is tighter than hammocks made in other places. They are considered to be more appropriate for cooler climates and offer far more security for sleeping than the net varieties. However, it is not unusual to find hammocks made in Brazil with other features including spreader bars, net weaves instead of the thick tight traditional Brazilian weave. The stamp of Brazil comes from the crocheted edges that make each hammock seem to be a work of art. Brazilian hammocks are also bigger in size than other hammocks offering greater comfort. Traditionally Brazilians used to lie diagonally in hammocks and that gave more room for sleeping as the hammock spread out even more. It is for this reason that Brazilian hammocks are considered to be the best sleeping hammocks. They can easily qualify as family hammocks due to their large size.
The story of Brazilian hammocks begins at birth and goes on till the end of life. According to ancient Brazilian custom, a newborn baby was placed in a hammock and used one for the rest of his life. When he died, he was buried in his own hammock.
Brazilian hammocks are generally available in retail outlets selling travel gear and home accessories, and in plenty at various websites that offer them in all shapes, designs and colours. The advantages of ordering online are numerous, as the exact design can be seen in pictures before ordering, the shades can be selected along with the size specifications, and above all, many sites offer free shipping services in certain parts of the world.
An interesting name for Brazilian hammocks is the banana hammock or hamacas. They are strong and durable and can be used in verandahs and patios, indoors to substitute as a bed, for treks and camps, and can be conveniently rolled for travel purposes. They can be bought for single use or double and family use.
A Brazilian hammock is easily the most comfortable and relaxing all the garden furniture and is the best way I know of spending a relaxing day in the back garden.
