Souvenir (read souvenir) is a masculine noun used to characterize the traditional or characteristic items that represent the culture and customs of a place.
Usually, souvenirs are sold at fairs that mainly attract tourists who visit other countries or territories of the same country. It is commonly called a party favor.
The word comes from French souvenir which means “memory”, as it is something that rescues the cultural memories that are related to the tourist destination from which the traveler came. It is also used in languages other than Portuguese, such as English.
Items sold as souvenirs vary a lot from place to place, precisely because they need to represent the local culture in some way.
In Brazil, each state and region has a representation of the local culture in the form of a souvernir. For example, the miniature rafts of Beira Mar in Fortaleza, the berimbaus used in the capoeira roda or the ribbons of Nossa Senhora do Bonfim in Salvador or the ceramic vases with Marajoara and Tapajônica paintings and the herbal scent baths at the Ver-O-Peso Market, in Bethlehem.
Souvenirs can also be of food origin, such as Swiss chocolates or the traditional Port wine from Portugal.