Carnival in Brazil: Everything You Need To Know About This ...

What is Carnival and Why do Brazilians Celebrate it? ... Carnival is an annual Catholic festival that occurs leading up to Lent. Like Mardi Gras ... CategoriesCultureLanguageLearningPimsleurMethodandProgramsTheScienceofLanguageTravelBlogHome/Culture/CarnivalinBrazil:EverythingYouNeedToKnowAboutThisWildCulturalEventBrazilianCarnivalinaNutshell:YourGuideToTheIconicCulturalCelebrationWhatdoMardiGras,Venetianmasks,andmassiveparadeshaveincommon?Carnival.Thisbig,colorfulfestivalenchantspeopleincountriesallovertheworldandiscelebratedinthemostdiverseways.AndnowhereisCarnivalmorekeenlyandwidelycelebratedthaninBrazil.Fromthenorthofthecountrytothesouth,CarnivalisBrazil’sbiggestpartyoftheyear.It’saholidayfromwork—atimetoenjoymusic,dance,andpartyfordays. Here’severythingyouneedtoknowaboutCarnivalinBrazil,includingthebestwaystoenjoyitasavisitortoBrazil.WhatisCarnivalandWhydoBraziliansCelebrateit?CarnivalisanannualCatholicfestivalthatoccursleadinguptoLent.LikeMardiGrasandotherCarnivalsfromaroundtheworld,it’sabigcelebrationofthefoodandpleasuresthatonehastogiveupduringLent. InBrazil,theCarnivalisareallybigdealandtheyplanthefestivitiesformonthsinadvance.BecausethecelebrationshappenduringFebruaryandMarch,whichisduringBrazil’ssummer,theambianceisperfectformassiveparties.ThereisevenacommonsayinginBrazilthat,“theyearstartsonlyafterCarnival”referringtothenumberofpeoplethattaketheirholidaysbetweenNewYear’sandCarnival,whichitselfisanationalholiday. You’llseeitwhenyouvisit:duringthistime,thebeachesareusuallypacked,andsoarethebars.Somestoresjustdon’topenoronlyhavereducedhours.Theentirecountryseemstoslowdown,gettingreadyforthemagicmomentabouttocome. WhenisCarnival?CarnivalcelebratestheperiodleadinguptoLent,endingontheTuesdaybeforeAshWednesday.TheofficialdatesofCarnivalvaryfromyeartoyear,likeEaster.Generally,though,ittakesplaceinFebruaryorearlyMarch. In2021,becauseofCovid,CarnivalhasbeenpostponedinsomecitieslikeRioandSalvadoruntilJuly.Soifyouhappentobetravelingthisyear,beextracarefultocheckdates. WhatWillISeeifIGotoCarnival?Carnivaltypicallyinvolveslotsofparadesandstreetpartiesfullofpeoplewithelaboratecostumesandmasks.You’llseepeopleindulginginfoodanddrinkthatanticipatesthefastingthatwillcomewithLent.ButtherearetwomainwaystoexperienceCarnivalinBrazil:inthestadiumoronthestreets.Sambodromos(“Sambadromes”)Theescolasdasamba(“sambaschools”)inRiodeJaneiroandSaoPauloareprobablythemostwell-knownaspectsofCarnival,andtheseattracttouristsfromaroundtheglobe. Inbothcities,outstandingparadesareheldinSambadromes,whichareessentiallyentirearenasbuiltespeciallyforthesemassiveparades.Forfournights,varioussambaschoolsperformwithwell-decoratedfloatsandthousandsofdancerswearingelaboratecostumes.Theseareaccompaniedbymusiciansplayinglivelydrumsections.Andtheyhappenallnightlong. Toenjoytheparty,youcaneitherfollowtheparadeorjustenjoytheviewfromthestands(thebestticketsareusuallysoldsoon,soifyouwantaseat,makesureyoubuyitinadvance).Besidesthebeautyoftheseparades,theyarealsousuallyculturalrepresentations.Theseescolasoftenusecostumes,bigfloats,andoriginalsambasongs,toexplorehistoryandevenoffersocialcritiquesofvarioussubjectssuchaspolitics,socialinequality,oreventheenvironment.StreetCarnivalThebeautyofBrazilianCarnivalgoeswaybeyondtheSambadrome. Allacrossthecountry,streetpartiesorganizedbyspecificgroupscalledBlocos(“blocks”,asin“blockparties”)offeravarietyofoptionsforcelebrating—notonlywithsambabutwithanumberofdifferentmusicgenres.YoumightheartraditionalBrazilianCarnivalmarchingsongsmixedinwithreggae,MPB,axé,andfrevo(theselasttwogenresareafusionoftypicalBrazilianrhythmstogetherwithAfricaninfluences).You’lloftenseeaspecialtruckequippedwithspeakersandastagethatcarriesabandthatleadstheparty.These“trioselétricos“travelthroughoutthestreets,entertainingpeoplewithliveconcerts.Theyareespeciallypopularinthenortheastregion,instatessuchasBahiaandPernambuco. ParticularlyinPernambuco,theparadesalsotraditionallyfeaturegiantdancingdollsrepresentingdifferentfamouscharactersorotherfiguresfromfolklegends. Ifyouaremoreintopartyinginthestreetanddancingfordaysonend,thestreetCarnivalscenemightbethebestchoiceforyou. WheretoGofortheBestBrazilianCarnivalExperience?ThereareexcitingCarnivaleventsthroughoutBrazilfromNorthtoSouth.Andwhileyou’llfindthatmusic,dancing,andmagnificentcostumesarestaplesofCarnivalthroughoutthecountry,thecelebrationreallylooksdifferentdependingonwhereyouare. CarnivalinRiodeJaneiroRiohasoneofthebest-knownCarnivalsinthecountry. It’smassive,andthecityturnsintoonehugeparty.Itcangetreallywildandcanalsobeoverwhelmingforsomepeople. Ifyou’relookingforanon-stopparty,Rioisagoodchoice.Ifyouwantsomethingalittlelessintense,youmaypreferanothercity.SãoPaulo’sCarnivalLikeRio,SãoPaulo’sCarnivalishuge.ItmaybelessfamousoutsideofBrazil,butit’sjustasgood.Bepreparedfordaysfullofextravaganceanddecadence.WhileSãoPaulo’sCarnivalismagnificentbyanymeasure,it’snotacoastalcity.Ifyou’relookingtotakeabreakfromdancingwithrestfulmomentsatthebeach,thisisn’tthecityforyou.InsteadheadtoRio,Salvador,orRecife.RecifeandOlindaRecifeisthecapitalofPernambuco,astateinthenortheastregion.Olinda,alsoinPernambuco,isasmallcityknownforitswell-preservedcolonialarchitecture. Bothcitieshaveaworld-classCarnivalandareknownforhavingperhapsalittlelessemphasisonthemassivesambaschoolsandmoreonthestreetcarnivalaspect.BothfeatureendlesslivemusicandarealittlemorefriendlyandwarmthanbothRioandSãoPaulo. ManyBraziliansactuallyconsiderthesethebestCarnivalcelebrationsinthecountry. SalvadordeBahiaSalvadoisthecapitalofBahia,anothernortheasternstate.Thisisthesecond-largestCarnivalintheworld,afterRio,andtheythrowthelargeststreetparty.ManyactuallycallthisBrazil’s“real”carnivalbecauseitisamoretraditionalcelebration.Hereyouwon’tfindthelargeparades,justmiles,andmilesofstreetparties.TheysaythatinRio,youwatchtheparades;inSalvador,youaretheparade. IntheNorthernStatesandtheAmazonIntheNorthernstates,likeAmazonas,atraditionalcelebrationcalledCarnaboimixeselementsfromCarnivalandindigenousfolktraditions.Groupssuchasthebois-bumbáCaprichosoandGarantidocreateinteractiveplaysandperformancesbasedonfolkloreandlegends.Theytellstoriesthroughdanceandmusic,creatingamysticalandvibrantambiance.IntheSouthernStatesInthesouth,youcanfindsomeverydifferenttraditions,includingfestivalsofrockmusicandevenaZombieWalk. That’sright:inCuritiba,duringCarnivalSunday,ithasbecomeatraditionfortensofthousandsofpeopletodressaszombiesandpartyaroundthecity.Thisincludesentirefamiliesandtheirpets. Together,thesezombiesmovethroughthestreetsinatypeoflivingdeadparadethatembraceseveryone—especiallythosewhoarelookingforanalternativetothetraditionalCarnivalcelebration.TheBestCarnivalTipsforNewbiesCarnival—Youdon’twanttomissthissparklingBrazilianevent.Photoby:AlbertoBrazilonPixabayInterestedinattending?Brazilwouldlovetohaveyou. Usethesetipstomakeittheexperienceofalifetime. Choosewhattodoaheadoftime.Therearetonsofevents,butalsotonsofpeople.Choosetheblocosandtheescolasdasambayouwanttoattendaheadoftimesotheydon’tsellout.Ifyouhavetobuytickets,buyearlyfromalegitimatevendor. Stayhydrated.CarnivaltakesplaceinBrazil’ssummer…anditcangethot!Sure,enjoyacaipirinhaortwo,butalsomakesuretodrinklotsofwater. Sunscreenisamust.Alongthesamelines,makesureyouprotectyourskinfromthesun.Youwouldn’twanttomissoutonthefunbecauseyougotlobsterredonyourfirstday!Evenoncloudydays,makesureyou’reprotectingyourself. Chooseclothesthatarecomfortableandcangetdirty.YoumightfeellikedressinguporeventryoutsomeBrazilianstreetfashiontonotlooklikeatourist.Butmakesureyoucanwasheverythingyou’rewearingandthatyou’renotwearinganythingexpensive…Carnivalcanruinclothes.Andmakesureyouroutfitiscomfortable—especiallyyourshoes.Getcreativewithcostumes.Carnivalisatimetogoabitwildandhavefundressingup.ThinkHalloween,butfunratherthanscary.Don’tbeafraidtoaccessorize,wearbrightcolors,orusetoomuchglitter. Staysafe.Brazilhasabitofareputationforbeingunsafe,andIthinksomeofthatisexaggerated…butsomeisn’t.Staysafebygoingingroups,nottakingvaluableitemswithyou,andnotkeepingyourphoneandmoneyinyourpocket.Youcankeepyourphoneinafannypack,orapouchthathangsaroundyourneck.Avoidwalkingthroughthestreetsatnight—instead,takeataxiorUber. CarnivalistheGreatBrazilianExperienceAsyoucansee,CarnivalinBraziliswaymorethansamba! Ineachregion,youcanfindadiversityofrhythms,dance,friendlypeople,andavarietyofculturalelementsthatyou’llenjoytotheirfullest.Brazilianslovetopartyandcelebrate,andCarnivalisalsoaboutthat.Butinadditiontothefunelements,CarnivalisalsoaboutreflectingonBrazil’shistory,culture,andevencritiquingsomeaspectsofitssociety. It’saveryrichexperience.AndwhileyoucangetbyinEnglish,learningBrazilianPortuguesewillmakeitanevenricherexperience. IfyouevergetthechancetoexplorethewondersofaBrazilianCarnival,don’thesitate:grabyourflashiestcostume,getreadytodance,anddon’tmissathing.LearnSpanishwithMollyhttps://youtu.be/IF6Nmd-jImsCategoriesCulture(183)LanguageLearning(201)PimsleurMethodandPrograms(27)TheScienceofLanguage(37)Travel(106)FilterAsia 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