A to Z of Must-Do Travel Experiences – C for ‘Carnaval of Brazil’
{ Tags: Brazil Carnival, Carnaval, Rio de Janeiro, Samba Parade \ Jun2 }
Forty days before Easter each year, the residents of Brazil enter into a wild celebration over a period of four days, to bid farewell to the pleasures of the flesh, as they enter into the season of Lent. The most prolific of this celebrations is the one in Rio de Janeiro, for which all other Carnavals are benchmarked against.
During the festivities, the town literally stops for a week or so, and it is during this period that Brazil receives 70% of its annual tourism population. All day and all night, people are dancing, singing and partying in streets, bars and clubs. It is not only a good time to party away, but also to experience the true culture and spirit of the Brazilian people.
The highlight of the festivities is the Samba Parade, a competition between the Rio samba schools, held in the Sambodromo, which was specially built for the event. Each school picks a theme, and designs elaborate floats and costumes, to which they play and dance to the samba, as they parade down the street.
The parade is broadcast live to several countries, but nothing quite beats the feeling of being there in person, and the parade should be attended at least once in your lifetime.