The present study allow us to delineate, as shown on demonstrative chart, how a vehicle of printed communication, the daily newspaper, creates a cultural environment in wich people, wanting or not, are immersed in an exarcerbated consumerism. Resulting then in a "cultural mosaic" characterized by its fragmentation, by its eventual association, by its heterogeneity. It's evident in our research that the greatest space taken by materials of Christmas images are related to publicity with a total of more than 76 %. In second journalism with 9,77 %; in third instruction with 9,63 % and lastly entertainment with 4,42 %. With this sample, considering the high percentage of transmited images of publicity, advertisement, commercials, we noticed again, that the contemprary industrial and technological society is also called 'mass society of consumerism'. As everything in it is produced in large quantity, its social structure 'prepare' us , also mentally, to be compelled to consume the incredible volume of goods that are presented to us. And it is to the means of mass comunication and commercial propaganda that compels this important and sophisticated worl of 'preparation'. However, the Brazilian population , in terms of buying power, have dealt lately with a disastrous reality, the working mass support themselves with extrimily low salaries, that are hardly enough to cover the basic needs of survival. The middel class, always inexpressive as far as the numbers are concerned, finds itself, beside this, in a fast process of impoverishment. The upper classes, wich are favored by better salaries and income, besides representing a small percentage in our demographic numbers, find themselves still concentrated mostly in the Center-South part of the country. In terms of Brazil it could be translated as follow: the whole country will be influenced to live and think according to the ideology of the upper classes.

O presente estudo permite delinear conforme quadro demonstrativo, como o veículo de comunicação impresso, o jornal diário, cria um ambiente cultural no qual as pessoas são mergulhadas, quer queiram quer não, dentro de um consumismo exacerbado. Resultando daí numa "cultura de mosaico", caracterizada pelo fragmentário, pelo associacionismo eventual, pela heterogeneidade. Na nossa pesquisa fica evidente que o maior espaço ocupado pelas matérias das imagens natalinas são relacionadas a publicidade com um total de mais de 76%. Em segundo o jornalismo com 9,77%; em terceiro instrução com 9,63% e por último diversão com 4,42%. Com essa amostra, considerando o alto percentual de veiculação de imagens publicitárias/propagandas comerciais, constatamos mais uma vez, que a sociedade industrial e tecnológica contemporânea é chamada também de "sociedade de massa e de consumo". Como tudo nela é produzido em grande quantidade, sua estrutura social nos "prepara", também mentalmente, para que sejamos compelidos a consumir o incrível volume de bens que nos são apresentados. E é aos meios de comunicação de massa e à propaganda comercial que compete esse importante e sofisticado trabalho de "preparação". Acontece, porém, que a população brasileira, em termos de poder aquisitivo, tem convivido ultimamente com uma desastrosa realidade, a massa trabalhadora vive de salários tão mínimos que mal sustentam suas necessidades básicas de sobrevivência. A classe média, desde sempre percentualmente inexpressiva, se encontra, além disso, em processo cada vez mais rápido de empobrecimento. E as camadas mais altas, favorecidas por melhores salários e rendas, além de representarem uma porcentagem ínfima em nossos índices demográficos, encontram-se ainda concentradas sobretudo no eixo Centro-Sul do país. Em termos de Brasil isso poderá ser traduzido assim: o país todo passará a ser influenciado de modo a viver e pensar segundo a ideologia das camadas mais altas da população.

The present study allow us to delineate, as shown on demonstrative chart, how a vehicle of printed communication, the daily newspaper, creates a cultural environment in wich people, wanting or not, are immersed in an exarcerbated consumerism. Resulting then in a "cultural mosaic" characterized by its fragmentation, by its eventual association, by its heterogeneity.

It's evident in our research that the greatest space taken by materials of Christmas images are related to publicity with a total of more than 76 %. In second journalism with 9,77 %; in third instruction with 9,63 % and lastly entertainment with 4,42 %.

With this sample, considering the high percentage of transmited images of publicity, advertisement, commercials, we noticed again, that the contemprary industrial and technological society is also called 'mass society of consumerism'. As everything in it is produced in large quantity, its social structure 'prepare' us , also mentally, to be compelled to consume the incredible volume of goods that are presented to us. And it is to the means of mass comunication and commercial propaganda that compels this important and sophisticated worl of 'preparation'.

However, the Brazilian population , in terms of buying power, have dealt lately with a disastrous reality, the working mass support themselves with extrimily low salaries, that are hardly enough to cover the basic needs of survival. The middel class, always inexpressive as far as the numbers are concerned, finds itself, beside this, in a fast process of impoverishment. The upper classes, wich are favored by better salaries and income, besides representing a small percentage in our demographic numbers, find themselves still concentrated mostly in the Center-South part of the country.

In terms of Brazil it could be translated as follow: the whole country will be influenced to live and think according to the ideology of the upper classes.

These are exactly the classes most influenced by the global culture, also because they live in urban regions wich are most developed, where there is a concentration of multinationals, also due to their higher buying power, have a better condition to purchase cultural products. That is the reason for their ideology to be more impregnated with North American elements, that are passed on to the remainder of the country.

This "ideological identification" between the middle and upper classes of the emerging countries, interests mostly the exporter of cultural models. The products they produce becomes desired for consumption. The more similar to them, the more is felt and even believed that ehat is convenient for them will also be for Brazil. The means of communication know very well how to stress this point, specially on holidays, changing the characteristics of the event because of the consumption of industrialized materials, almost always of low quality, trying to reach the lower economical and intellectual classes.

The means of transportations were transformed in instruments of conformity of the masses to the economic system and the politic regime that interests the dominant social segments.

In this line of thought I question: Who are true users of the printed press? Are those frequent readers of a daily newspaper? Or are the businessmen, owners and sponsors of this communication vehicles?

I am almost sure this question will be hovering us!

The Christmas images were condensed basically to a quantitative and qualitative level in advertisement generating a need for consumption that is at the same time usefull to look up anthropological studies, as sais by Néstor Garcia Canclini "... the meaning of the rituals and the irrationality of the consumers...". "How to tell apart the spending ways that contribute to the reproduction of a society, from those that dissipate and desintegrate?. Is the waste of money in popular consumption a self sabotage of the poor, simple sample of their incapacity of organizing themselves to progress?"

It is true, as said by Beatriz Sarlo, that every shopping center is senn as "a space with no qualities, an interplanetary flight to Cacharrel, Stefhanel, Fiorucci, Kenzo, Guess and Mc Donald's".

Francis Vanoye says that "in a mass of culture, the individual will be more or less educated according to his retaining and memorization ability and his capacity of establishing ties, connections, sybthesis among an avalanche of information fragments that bombards him."

The subliminal messages explore the human capacity to receive influences without having conscience of the fact.

Once more mentioning Canclini, who finds a key to answer these questions about hte frequency this sumptuous, costly spendings motivated by the printed media, wich associates to rituals and celebrations because through them "the society searches to organize itself rationally". Through the rituals , say Mary Douglas and Baron Isherwood, "the groups select and establish - due to collective agreements - the bearings that direct their lives. The media knows this very well."

Marques de Melo, with no doubt explicits in his works about global identities the consequences of the mutations of the cultural processes in the contemporary society "... the speed in wich the process of globalization flows, does not leave any other alternative to the national cultures but integrating themselves to the global scene. It is a process that has as an agent the world citizen, acting as a consumer in the cultural market and making itself banal through the messages that the media (massive or segmented) disseminates routinely. The folklore acts as an element of mediation/decodification/adaptation in the communitarian field".

Considering that this research will still be under development, for the fzct of the object of study being negligible and actual, I leav two questions in study:

a) How can this question related to rituals by the printed media, be treated (or distreated) with no clear use of the industrialized consumption proposal?

b) How can we expand the consumption directing support to the non industrialized literature and arts?

This research proves quantitatively this process of redemption or fragmentation of the Northeast culture, through the methodology elaborate by the pilot-project, we were able to diagnose that the way of celebrating the Cristmas seazon are mostly related to the spirit of consumption for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. We can't let apart, the effort of redemption of the Northeast culture in some segments, as well those habits that were not pulverized yet. Later in this essay we will verify this observations.

RECORD OF IDENTIFICATION OF THE NEWSPAPER OF COMMÉRCIO - Recife- PE- BRAZIL

Denomination: NEWSPAPER OF COMMÉRCIO

Dates of the Foundation: 3 of April of 1919 Company-publisher: Company

Newspaper of Commércio Daily Periodicity

Circulation: Daily: 48.586 Dominical:: 87.780 area in that circulates:

Northeast area

Notebooks: Newspapers: 2.th fair - Computer science

It's evident in our research that the greatest space taken by materials of Christmas images are related to publicity with a total of more than 76 %. In second journalism with 9,77 %; in third instruction with 9,63 % and lastly entertainment with 4,42 %.

With this sample, considering the high percentage of transmited images of publicity, advertisement, commercials, we noticed again, that the contemprary industrial and technological society is also called 'mass society of consumption'.

J.U. 1. This year Christmas will be on December 28th. You pay only in 60 days and, on the 28th, you'll be a candidate to win 4 Gols of Gooooal Promotion (Advertisement from a construction goods store. Jornal do Commércio, 22/12/96).

J.U. 2. Low Prices Christmas. (advertisement from a photographic goods store. Jornal do Commércio 23/12/96).

J.U. 3. Routes for the end of the year. An year ending not to forget. Try to get rid of the routine and give yourself a big present, for you and your family: a Christmas and New Year's trip. Begin 1997 with a brand new soul, descovering a new world. A.S.B.T.R Passagens e Turismo offers you a Christmas dinner in Orlando and, in Brazil, a New Year's evening in the ecological paradise of Fernando de Noronha. (Jornal do Commércio, 19/1296)

If we analyse TABLES 1, 2 and 3, and the graphs above, we will observe the predominance of advertisement matters, in second place the journalism, entertainment in third, and lastly, instruction presented in an almost insignificant way in this sample. We can estimate a strong tendency in relation to the consumption of products due to their religious function of Christmas celebration. The Jornal do Commércio is a traditional vehicle of divulgation in the region and among others of its category it performs a good persuasion power due to its credibility and also marketing promotions when readers can get the most variable gifts, as Jornal do Commércio subscriptions, trips, show tickets, t-shirts, caps, Christmas baskets, CD players, interviews, etc. All of this makes people tune in the news.

The traditional liturgy of Christimas celebrations, continues strongly called out in this seazon, mainly because of the religious/catholic spirit of the celebrations for the birth of Jesus Christ, however parallel festivities that has nothing to do with the holiday were not let apart, revaluing Christmas celebrations at the same time that the tradition of festivities are being innovated. Being religious in the Northeast, is great value, it strengthens more the cultural identity in the Region

The reconstitution of Nativity scenes in real size made in ceramic, handcrafts made in a comunity located in the interior of Pernambuco, which is called Tracunhaém, is a proof of the use of Christmas characters (cribs, The Wise Men, Joseph and Mary, Baby Jesus), are related not only to the religion but also the valuing of the Northeast art. However, other private institutions make use of lights imported from China, figures of Santa Claus, sleds, snow and angels as Christmas symbols in Northeast where it is not compatible with economic and cultural characteristics of the majority of the population.

The Christmas symbols found in the market of consumption as shopping malls, do not characterize the region. It is almost impossible to say where we are, Paris, New York, São Paulo or even Petrolina (city with a fast growing economic development, located in the arid lands of Pernambuco, 780 km far form the State capital).

It is true the Christmas is a seazon of fellowship and fraternization among the families.

We can notice imported trade marks, phrases in English "Merry Christmas", "40 % off", "For Sale".

Much red and golden, snow, Christmas trees, coloured wrap papers, sleds and chocolate walking sticks, ornaments from the most different places, Korea, New York, Paris...

We can not distinguish the place we are when we enter a shopping center.

Mattélart, refering to the process of linving called third world says:

"... yet more important is the fact of São Paulo, under a social point of view, is farther from Recife than Madrid. And, in the State of São Paulo, the Paulista Avenue and the labour city of Osasco make part of different socioeconomical plans, not only in social disparities, but also differences of dynamic and culture segments[...]."

The stimulus to cunsumption through the habit of giving presents, and organizing the houses are a way of dye stores and decoration furnitures shops, warehouses, run fantastic tempting promotions, with the intention of stimulate the population to organize their homes painting the doors during Christmas time, getting prepared for Christmas celebrations. This kind of advertising was published by the newspaper with great emphasis for the begining of the year, such at the end of Christmas, we noticed also that these promotions had a great lengh, untill the end of our research.

Getting well dressed and with new clothes. The advertisements are very appellative and the paying term is too long.

Eating some food as panettones, chestnuts, walnuts, turkey, forgetting the real Northeast dinner that is turkey stuffed with farofa of its visceras, fruit cake and the famous and traditional Souza Leão cake. Dried fruits of the region also make part of the Christmas dinner in the Northeast. Advertisements and divulgation of recipies are the most variable as possible, on a page the supermarket with the most selling power in the Northeast offers promotions of imported foods and unknown taste from the majority of its clients, while others propagate region foods and also recipies to prepare the meals. It is an incredible mix of likes and tastes.

Today imported foods are eaten from Europe, Danish cookies, Italian panettones, dried fruits from France.

I ask myself where the grapes from the arid lands of the State are so tasty, and the mammees, pines, mangos, and guavas from the old days. That fresh fruit salad and the traditional sidra.

"...Studies register not only the ascension, that is made in a fast way, of the medium class that earns an expressive remuneration and has cosmopolitan likes, but also the explosion of developed efforts by companies men in the sense of reducing the differences between signs and dreams, and between products and markets" (Mattélart, 1994)

Well, inside this gastronomical display Christmas has a collective dimension, It has never lost its characteristic of family strengthening. The Christmas dinner, althoug diversified has been preserved. The Midnight Mass is still redeemed the catholic spirit of fellowship among the humankind. There are still religious celebrations with rituals of the seazon, shows downtown with artists of the region, poets, composers trying to redeem the Brazilian Northeast culture.

Regional referrences are in some moments consistent. Traditional families, do not want to be exposured to the avalanche of global information, keeping their religious habits, gastronomical, and harmonious however not always they are safe from the information mass that grant the modern status, while the low profit population and also those who live in the periphery assimilate in a faster way the industrialized products, so their local identity becomes confused for researchers.

We noticed that territoriality (global, national, regional and local) is very unlike. Tourism is well advertised, with irresistible possibilities to spend Christmas in New York, Disney or even a Cruise

The State of Pernambuco is charcaterized by its bad income distribution, traditional families and emerging society in the economic, social and politic fields. These distinct characteristics, influence regional scene. There are likes and offers for all kind of enterteinment. Local celebrations and also tours to other countries, as the region buying power is very diversified.

In relation to temporality the present remains with an effort of warning in relation to the perspective of redemption of the past in the Christmas celebrations. The yearning for the past is always present. We can register the articles published concerning the memories of Christmas in old times, chronicles from regional journalists who abort the valuing of fraternization and help to the need, the messages from catholic groups and charity institutions. The words from D. Hélder Câmara to the region and the invitation to participate of The Midnight Mass, celebrated with pelople who practice charity and fraternity, enhancing the spirit of Christmas. All of this makes us notice the existing link among past, present and future during Christmas celebrations.

3.1 Environment

The local environment, functional, limits, classes, comunities, people, work in the most different places.

The lower classes gather in public squares, cultural centers, downtown, beaches, city courts. Lower profit population and people who are not involved in the spirit of Christmas as well, get together in these places, for tradition or even for comercial pourpose.

Traditional families, rich get together in their relative houses, "buffets", clubs and hotels. These spaces are well delimited and restrict to those with social conditions to frequent and gather with the intention of rejoice at relatives, politics and friends.

We noticed quantitatively as the table showed previously.

Government institutions wich work with culture, try to redeem the celebrating cerimonies of the birth of Jesus Christ, in a distinctive environment of the Northeast region of the country.

The function of press media is to popularize' this ceremony not differing the public areas from the private areas where the access is able to everybody, these would be supermarkets, movies, folklore presentations, shopping centers, squares beaches, play grounds, promoting as much to lower classes as upper classes an effective participation, providing security, and well-being during the celebrations, however the main evident and quantitative worry is the image of efective buying, habit that characterize the emerging societies in the beggining of the third milenium.

The most evident part of this quantitative result is the distribution of public and private images in the environment and participation of social agents in a way that privacy is invaded by fabulous promotions of entertainment, as fantastic tour packages in stallments untill the next Christmas; in the clothing department the promotions are irresistible for being more ellegant; in the cuisine the buying of industrialized and imported food wich the taste is not so good. In relation to the propagated media through TV enterteiners who come to spend Christmas with you, in other words: they will be performing in a stage, as local artist, or in the TV for suer, we can not think in a Christmas without Roberto Carlos, Xuxa, Angélica, Renato Aragão and many others global artists ( I make a reference to artists who work at Globo TV Network ). In this way we noticed the joint of public and private spaces.

Once more, the Cristians (people spread over the five continents) celebrate the Advent and the Christmas.

A few of them remembers that in this seazon of happines, choirs, liturgical acts of testemony, rituals of faith we are celabrating during Christmas 'the birth of Christ'.

Gestures and procedings of reconciliation, tolerancehumility and forgiveness were never so necessary as they are now in these preceding days of the enigmatic and for many others scaring third milennium. Instead of demonstrations of thankfulness for the received altarage, I assure that through the register of analysis of Media Images of Christmas, circulated in the press of Recife (Jornal do Commércio), we can draw an outlook of the New Cultural Brazilian Identity that is under construction.

The references that present us the reality that have diversifying faces of a culture, where past, present and furtue are still conected. As well the territoriality an temporality, where a culture of mosaic may be found, we notice a plurality of habits from the same territory, but very diversified, making obvious a multiplicity of the means of communications influencing the behavior of the audience served. The limitations of messages exchange and objectives of discuss between public and private, grant a high consumption of world wide products as a way of developing people standard and behavior according to the businessmen interests.

Refering to the public we noticed that public institutions try to redeem culture and habits from the Northeast Region, when by expositions, folklore festivals and Christmas plays they show characteristics from our Region.