Brazil is known for many things like football, Christ the Redeemer, exciting places etc but it is specifically known for its awesome carnival celebrations. Carnival is famed in many parts of the world, but Brazil is usually known for the most cheerful and mind blowing carnival celebrations. The carnival celebration introduced in the Catholic countries of Europe as a party before the coming of Lent – the forty days Christ spent in the forest. It was common for the celebrations to end on Ash Wednesday when people then respected the period of abstinence for forty day.
How carnival was introduced?
The term ‘carnival’ is originated from the Latin word ‘carne levare’, meaning ‘to remove meat’, as eating meat would have been banned at the time of Lent. These days carnival is not seen as a religious celebration but more of a street party with lots of music and dancing. The annual carnival celebrations start between the Saturday and the Tuesday that precede Ash Wednesday.
Carnival celebrations vary throughout the world and there are regional differences in Brazil too. The most famous Brazilian carnivals are held in Rio de Janeiro and Salvador. In fact, the Guinness Book of Records claims that biggest street party in the world is the Salvador carnival.
Carnival Styles
Carnival is celebrated in a collection of styles all over Brazil. Olinda, a small colonial town close to Recife, closes all its streets to traffic and musicians playing their local music, the frevo, turn the entire town into a amusement. Carnival in Bahia introduced the trio elétricos – trucks with musicians playing loud music that move along the city streets followed by revelers who sing and dance. Other cities have now developed their own trios elétricos. Blocos are the street carnivals when live bands march along the streets playing sambas or marchas followed by hundreds of revelers. They are probably part of the initial customs of carnival, going back over a century.
Carnival Joy
