While most of us would know the Rio de Janeiro Carnival as the Carnival of dancing, singing and partying, this is not the only reason owing to its reputation as worlds biggest and the most famous carnival. Undoubtedly, the Rio carnival is the most happening and jubilant one with all its dancing Parades, loud singing, drums tunes, extravagant Balls, masquerades, concerts, music, lavish dressings, fine delicacies and what not but there is a whole history behind this auspicious event.
Many people around the world, book cheap flights to Rio de Janeiro months before the Carnival is due. Every year more than 500,000 foreigners are estimated as becoming a part of this famous carnival. Although the Rio carnival is celebrated in almost all parts of Brazil, Rio de Janeiro marks its distinction by hosting the biggest festivity for this event and is hence known as ‘the carnival capital of the world’. The Rio de Janeiro carnival is not only considered as the grandest carnival ever celebrated anywhere in the world, but it is often regarded as a benchmark for comparing and analyzing the strength and popularity of other carnivals in and outside Africa.
The Rio Carnival is a wild celebration, initiating in the month of February, 40 days before Easter, and extending for four days; it generally starts on Saturday and ends on Tuesday after which the Ash Wednesday heaves upon the human Soule preventing is from all pleasures of the flesh. As the native tradition and part of the Rio Carnival, the natives are supposed to abstain from any kind of sexual or other bodily pleasures. Those who book tickets to Brazil for attending the Rio de Janeiro carnival not only get to enjoy the extravagance and excitement being showered upon everyone at that time, but this rather cultural and traditional event gives a deep insight of the Brazilian Culture to the foreigners and for the Brazilian natives, it is held in high esteem and unparalleled value.
Once the idea of expressing jubilance in the form of mass celebrations or carnivals was brought to Brazil by the Portuguese in 1850’s, the Brazilian natives pressed upon their home government to let them hold such events on a regular basis as an expression of their culture. During this struggle, the black slaves took an active part against the struggle for legalizing this carnival and even today they make a huge chunk of the audience that gathers for this mass celebration, along with masses from the slum back community. For the poor and dejected, the Rio carnival is more of a symbol of freedom and achievement which is today celebrated with rather glittering glamour and fascinating strength.
There are a number of important segments of the entire event and they virtually serve as the highlights of the carnival. A number of extravagant parties are arranged before, between and even towards the end of the carnival for celebrating their freedom at a peak before their abstaining time begins. These parties are usually arranged by street bands. Each region has its own street band that then, on the event of the carnival, joins the Sambas dressed in various disguises, after marching along a predetermined route. Some of the most famous Carnival bands include the Suva co do Cristo and Banda de Ipanema.
The biggest highlight of the Rio de Janeiro carnival which grabs the most attention each year is none other than the Samba Parades in the Samabodormo. It would not be unfair to accredit these parades with making the Rio carnival something as famous as it is. The Parades are a ravishing display and a heart throbbing competition between the Rio Samba schools. The underlined days, when the competition begins and is the most intense, are Sunday and Monday. If you’re fortunate enough try not to miss this part but if you do miss it, at least join the Samba Parades on any other day that the competitions take place at. There are 5 parades of the Sambodromo out of which the parade belonging to the samba school of the Special group is “THE” parades to watch. Other less significant ones include the Champion Parade and others.
Another glaring feature of the Rio de Janeiro Carnival is the Carnival Balls. The city of Rio de Janeiro hosts a number of Carnival balls. As the tradition goes, Balls are a show of extreme lavishness with men and women dressed in the most pompous and glittering costumes. However, wearing costumes is not a compulsion for all balls with an exception of a few, but they would surely assist you in getting into the mood and hence enjoy the festival with its true spirit.
This time when you plan to visit Rio de Janeiro, you got to be a part of the Rio de Janeiro Carnival for the very simple reason that it is the most glamorously famous and the largest festival celebrated on the face of this planet, hitherto.
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