Brazilian carnivals
The Brazilian Carnival is celebrated every year during the four days before Lent before Easter. The fast, which begins on the first Wednesday of the pre-Easter Lent, is seen by Christians around the world as a forty-day period of repentance and abstinence. This is a time to renounce worldly pleasures such as meat, alcohol, and chocolate. It represents the time Jesus spent in the desert, suffering terribly.
The Importance of Carnival in Brazil
Today, fasting before Easter is a religious discipline and a time of communication with God. It concludes with the last week of solemn calm and concludes with the celebration of Easter, the day when Jesus is said to have ascended into heaven. The abundance and celebration associated with the Brazilian Carnival can be seen as the last big party before the six-week long sacrifice. This was perhaps not what the Church had in mind when it was first created, but nonetheless, it has evolved into what it is today – a crazy insane event of gigantic proportions.
So when is Easter?
Brazilian Carnival dates are entirely dependent on the Church’s calendar. The dates are fixed based on the date set by the Church for Easter, Pre-Easter Lent, and the first Wednesday of Pre-Easter Lent. The current date of Easter is determined by the month and therefore changes every year. It always falls between March 22 and April 25. Historically, Easter must be the first Sunday after the full moon following the spring equinox. Since astronauts could not predict the exact dates of all future full moons, the Nicene Council decided in 325 BC to devise a formula that would calculate approximate lunar dates. This would allow the church to create a calendar for all the years to come and avoid confusion on the matter. The formula has always remained the same except for one minor change in AD 1583. Based on the Church’s Tables, the full moon is called the Easter Month and usually deviates by 2-3 days from the actual full moon. After all, the date of Easter is set to be the first Sunday after the Easter full moon, and the Brazilian Carnival takes its dates from this formula.
The Rio Carnival
The Rio Carnival, popularly known as the Greatest Show on Earth, is the most celebrated event of the Brazilian Carnival. It’s a catch-up event with erotic parades, hip-shaking music, glamorous dancers, extravagant costumes, and lots of parties. At the center of the Rio Carnival, twelve of the most talented Samba Schools There is the great Samba Parade, where the Samba Parade longs for the honor of its Championship. Each school chooses a theme and creates an eighty-minute performance surrounding it. Everything is made from scratch – infectious music, incomparable Samba choreography and stunning (almost unbelievable) costumes. The parades take place in the large Sambodromo, a concrete structure built especially for Carnival. Consisting of a square with stands on both sides, the Sambodromo is divided into zones and each zone has different ticket types. From VIP tickets to free seating in the stands, Rio Carnival is accessible to everyone. Rio Carnival presents some of the most glamorous parties known. The most luxurious is the Magic Ball, which attracts many local and international celebrities. Rio’s Scala Night club also hosts six thematic balls, which are very popular during the festival. There are also lively and unique street parties, street parades that are free to anyone who wants to have a good time with locals or cariocas. Rio Carnival has much more to offer. Take a tour around the city and see the different communities. Take a break at beautiful beaches and experience the local culture. Join the children’s Samba parade where many local children flock to the Sambodromo and support their performance in front of enthusiastic fans. Finally, find out why Rio is the most gay-tolerant city in the world. Join all alternative lifestyles – gays, lesbians, transvestites and others with unparalleled tastes. Without a doubt, they will add the most energy to this incomparable fantasy!
Carnival in Recife-Olinda
Recife and Olinda festivals are extremely popular during the Brazilian Carnival. Olinda Carnival takes place in the old streets of the city. It is open to anyone from five to eighty who wants to dance, parade, perform and sing. In Recife, podiums on which bands and dancers perform are set up all over the city.
Brazilian Carnival in Salvador, Bahia
At the Bahia Carnival, 200 samba troupes perform throughout the city for 7 days non-stop partying, celebrating and frenzy. The biggest attractions are the Blocos, which have the Trio Eletricos – huge catwalks running down the city streets. Famous bands and musicians dance and join the frenzy, performing in the company of enthusiastic fans who follow.
Sao Paulo Carnival
Known as the most economical alternative to the Rio Carnival, the Rio Carnival in Sao Paulo is a joyous frenzy of Samba music and dance. The parade takes place in the Sao Paulo Sambodromo, which can host 30,000 people and is televised all over Brazil. The best Samba schools compete against each other, and after the parade, the streets are filled with crazy partygoers hungry to celebrate.
The Florianopolis Carnival
Carnival in Brazil extends to the pristine beaches of Florianopolis, where you can experience a calmer version of the celebration. This carnival, which is mostly held on beaches and streets, is more comfortable and economical than other options. If you have a style that likes to dance and sing on the beach in your swimsuit, head to Florianopolis for the Brazilian Carnival.
Other Brazilian Carnivals
Carnivals in other parts of the country are also lively, although Rio, Salvador and Recife-Olinda attract larger crowds and better performances. The Porto Seguro carnival begins with a beauty show and for a week, the Blocos with Trio Eletricos march on the roads with famous bands performing on them. Fortaleza Carnival is filled with culture and art, with extraordinary acrobatics and mind-blowing stunts. Buzios Carnival is exuberant and fun as it is the friendliest of its kind, and Porto de Galinhas is a beach carnival similar to its Recife version.
