Back to Rio – It’s Carnival Time!

Friday, 24 February 2017, marks the opening day of Carnival season in Rio de Janeiro, and the pre-Lent anything-goes bash ends on Fat Tuesday, February 28.  The dates are scheduled every year in the week leading up to Lent and coincide with the Mardi Gras in the U.S.

Porta Bandeira leading in a Samba School
during the Rio Carnival

The word carnival comes from the Portuguese ‘carne vale’ interpreted as ‘farewell to meat,’ referring to Carnival being the ultimate celebration before a period of abstinence from meat, alcohol, and pleasure begins.

The annual Carnaval (in Portuguese) is expected to attract millions of tourists to the biggest party in the country—and perhaps the world. 

Traditionally the Carnival begins with the mayor symbolically passing the keys to the city to the Carnival king.  The country shuts down for the rollicking event as costumed revelers take to the street for the party.

The highlight of the festivities is the many parades that feature elite “special group” Samba schools who will compete through Sunday and Monday.  As many as 3,000 dancers could be performing at one time dressed in over-the-top costumes.

The elaborate handmade costumes are the key to the parades and are designed to reflect the theme of each school.  The cost of the costumes can range from $100-$10,000 depending on the popularity of the school.  Although just about anything goes, total nudity is not allowed even though you will see nearly naked Samba dancers on display during the parades.  (And sometimes it is hard to tell where the costume ends and the body paint begins!)

Elaborate float in the Sambadrone 

The extravagant floats sponsored by the Samba schools are as intricately designed as the costumes.  Being selected to ride on a float is a great honor and responsibility as a person can gain or lose points for the schools in the Samba competition. 

The center of attraction is the Sambadrone in downtown Rio where the Samba Parade has been held since 1984.  Each school is allowed 80 minutes to perform down the strip at the Sambadrone. 

Here a Porta Bandeira, elegantly costumed female Samba dancer carrying a flag, and her male counterpart, a Mestre Sala, lead in the school’s elaborate float topped with beautiful women in tiny costumes, flanked by other costumed members of the school, ‘alas’ or sections, with each section in a different costume to enhance the theme of the school—all in hopes of gaining points from the judges.

However you don’t have to be in a Samba school or in the parades to wear a costume.  Tourists join locals, or Cariocas, along the parade route and at the hundreds of street parties.

Carnival in Brazil dates back to 1723 when Portuguese immigrants from the islands introduced Entrudo, a ritual of soaking each other with buckets of water and throwing mud and food.  It evolved over the years to grand parades for masked aristocrats to costumed commoners joining in the fun.

It wasn’t until 1917, that the Samba became an integral part of Carnival, and today it is the Samba schools that are at the heart of the party with bronzed samba dancers and pulsating music.

Although this video is from 2013, it gives you a great overview of the stunning pageantry and performances of a Rio Carnival parade.