The famous carnival it is considered to be Rio de Janeiro’s main event and it takes place during the peak of the summer when Cariocas are at their very best. The festivities that take place during the carnival attract thousands of people from all over the globe. The carnival lasts for 4 days, starting on Saturday and ending on Tuesday. The roots of the carnival are somewhat uncertain but most of the people agree with the fact that it started as a pagan celebration in ancient Greece or Rome.
Carnival balls were imported from Italy to Rio de Janeiro at the end of the 19th century and they shined during the 1930-1950 period, with famous balls at the Municipal Theater and at the Copacabana Palace. The well-known samba parade took off in the 1930s at the Praca Onze and later on at the Av. Presidente Vargas. The samba found its stable home in 1984 at the Sambodrome, a structure in the center of Rio de Janeiro. In the present, the samba parade is broadcasted to a lot of countries and in all of the Brazilian states.
Other interesting attractions include the street carnival festivities which are free and a lot of fun. A “don’t miss” is the Banda de Ipanema which was founded in 1964 and in the present it is considered to be a significant part of the cultural heritage attracting more than 15,000 people each and every year. This euphoric event where people gather around and start dancing, singing and partying is the result of very long months of hard work. The Mangueira Carnival Ball is the perfect opportunity to experience the atmosphere and the music of one of the most popular traditional schools – Mangueira without having to visit its rehearsal space. This group is very complex as it has drummers, samba dancers, the flag bearer and her escort. One of the most famous nights at the Rio de Janeiro carnival is the gay costume ball as it gathers a truly exotic collection of costumes. It is a remarkable flamboyant crowd with hundreds of queens and their admirers.
We will continue this article by sharing three golden rules regarding the Rio de Janeiro carnival:
- It is highly advisable to avoid reserving tables right near the dance floor as you will be spending the entire night telling people to stop dancing on your table and go away;
- Also we recommend not bringing a lot of things with you because the more things you have, the more you will have to worry about. If you want to take pictures, we recommend using disposable cameras;
- The very first thing any carnival participant must do once he/she passes the door is to buy dozens of tickets for drinks. If however you don’ connect with words, try the bottom up sign as it is universally understood.
All things considered, the Rio de Janeiro carnival is one of the biggest parties in the world where people gather around to dance, have fun and enjoy one another’s company.