Learn about the history of Rio Carnival

Carnival festivities in Brazil date back to 1723 with the Portuguese immigrants from the islands of Açores, Madeira and Cabo Verde introducing the Entrudo. HistoryofCarnival CarnivaloriginallywasaGreekspringfestival-Didyouknow?Accordingtosome,thecarnivalwasoriginallyaGreekspringfestivalinhonorofthegodofwine,Dionysus.TheRomansadoptedthesametraditionwithafeastinhonorofBacchus,theRomangodofwine,andSaturnalia.Onthisdaymasterandslavesexchangedclothesamidstadayfullofdrunkenrevelry.TheRomanCatholicChurchlatermodifiedthefeastofSaturnaliaintoafestivalprecedingthebeginningofLent.However,whatevolvedisamasscelebrationofindulgencesinmusic,dance,food,anddrink,somethingwhichtheChurchdidnothaveinmind.AWetandUnrulyBeginningCarnivalfestivitiesinBrazildatebackto1723withthePortugueseimmigrantsfromtheislandsofAçores,MadeiraandCaboVerdeintroducingtheEntrudo.Peoplewentoutontothestreetssoakingeachotherwithbucketsofwaterandthrewmudandfood,whichoftenendedupinstreetbrawlsandriots.Theconceptskeptchangingthroughoutthe1800swithmoreorganizedparadeslikethegrandessociedadesorgreatsocietieswheretheEmperorjoinedinthecelebrationswithagroupofaristocratsthatparadedinmaskswithluxuriouscostumesandmusic.Duringthe1840s,masqueradecarnivalballssettopolkasandwaltzesbecamepopular.Adecadelater,streetparadeswithhorsedrawnfloatsandmilitarybandswerethecenteroffocusofthecarnival.Towardstheendofthecentury,thecarnivalbecameaworkingclassfestivitywherepeopleworecostumesandjoinedtheparadeaccompaniedbymusiciansplayingstringinstrumentsandflutes.Carnivalwasalsousedduringtheyearsofmilitarycensorshiptoexpresspoliticaldissatisfaction.  TheSambaSchoolswoulduseironyandsarcasmtoexpresstheirdispleasurewiththegovernmentandthepeople’sdesireforfreedom.BuyHEREyourCarnivalTicketsAfro-BrazilianMagicNonecanbemoremusicallygiftedthantheAfricans,whopassedonthepulsatingrhythmsofthesambatotheBraziliansduringthedaysofslavery.Thesambaisaneclecticmixofmusic,song,anddancestylesthatAfro-BraziliansbroughtwiththemtotheimpoverishedslumssurroundingRioaftertheabolitionofslaveryin1888.Itwasn’tuntil1917thatthesambabecameanintegralpartoftheRioCarnival.Today,SambaisatruecomponentofBrazil’sculturalheritage. Fromthepoorestslumstotherichesthaciendas,sambaspreadquicklythroughthecity. Eventoday,sambaissungintheghettoshackaswellasthehigh-classmansionsandtrulybringstheBrazilianpeopletogetherregardlessofeconomicclass. sambaliesattheheartoftheCariocaculture.EmergingSambaSchoolsThefirstescolasdesambaorsambaschooltobeformedwasMangueira,in1928.Soonthemesongs,elaboratecostumes,andfloatsbecamethemainattractionoftheRioCarnival.ManyotherteamsfromdifferentcommunitiesintheRioneighborhoodfollowedMangueira’sfootstepsandformedsambaschoolstotakepartintheCarnival.ThesambaparadesoonbecamethemostpopulareventinRiowiththeorganizersbeingforcedtosetatimelimitforeachteamin1971.ThestreetsofRioremainedthemainstagefortheCarnivaluntil1984,whentheSambadrome,builtbyworldfamousarchitect,OscarNiemeyer,begantostealthethunder.Manyofthecurrentsambaschoolshavetheirrootsintheoriginalschoolsofthe20’sand30’s. Eachschoolhashaditssuccessandfailuresastheyearsandthecompetitionshavegoneon. Someofthebest-knownsambaschoolsareUnidosdaTijuca,BeijaFlor,Salgueiro,Mangueira,MocidadeandPortela.BuyHEREyourCarnivalTickets It'sCarnivalTime EnjoyspecialsdealsforRioCarnival2022 BALL CopacabanaPalaceMagicBall TICKET BookYourRioCarnivalTickets2022 COSTUMES BuyYourCostumeForthe2022 HaveQuestions?Ourexpertsareheretohelpyou! ChatOnline +5521972864719 +18669306020 +13057225447 E-mail