The Carnival of Brazil is an annual Brazilian festival held between the Friday afternoon before Ash Wednesday and Ash Wednesday at noon, which marks the beginning of Lent, the forty-day period before Easter. During Lent, Roman Catholics and some other Christians traditionally abstained from the consumption of meat and poultry, hence the term "carnival", from carnelevare, "to remove (literally, "raise") meat."
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| Rio’s Carnival is registered on the Guiness Book as the biggest carnival in the world. |
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| Although that Carnival is Brazil’s most important festival the biggest celebrations are held in Sao Paulo, Salvador, Recife, Olinda and Manaus. |
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| Held in the Sambodromo, the schools are judged on their elaborate floats, costumes, dancing and music. This is a very important competition and some schools spent over 4 million dollars on outfits and preparations. |
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| There are more than 2 million people on the streets every day during the carnival in Rio. |
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| It is not a secret that Brazilian people love beer but during the carnival this love is even bigger: 10 million liters of beer are consumed every year in Salvador only during the event. |
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| The carnival in Brazil is always held 40 days before Easter. |
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| One of the greatest things about Carnival is that those taking part in the Samba Parade are often from the local communities such as the favelas (slums). They practice and make their costumes and floats all year. Each area has their own samba school and they compete against their local rivals in the carnival. |
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| Its origins can be traced back to the 18th century. Introduced by Portuguese immigrants to Brazil and called the Entrudo, it was celebrated by lively crowds who threw lime-scented water at each another. It was mainly enjoyed by working people, whose costumes would mock the clothes and mannerisms of the rich. |
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| Carnival begins on the Friday when the mayor of Rio hands over the keys to the city to King Momo, a mythical figure who is said to lead the festivities. The tradition goes back to 1933. |
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| There are no less than 587 street parties – or “blocos” – held in the city from mid-January to mid-February, which typically involve bands, costumes and revelers going wild. The largest, called the Cordão Da Bola Preta (Big Cord of the Black Ball) takes place in the city center on Saturday and draws about one million people. |
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