|
Carnival is Rio's main event. It happens at the peak of summer, when Cariocas are at their best. The festivities attract thousands of people from all corners of the world. Carnaval, as spelled in Portuguese, is a 4-day celebration. It starts on Saturday and ends on Fat Tuesday (Mardi-Gras). Dates change every year.
Carnival 2009
happens from
Feb 21- Feb 24, 2009 |
Carnival follies haven't a precise time to take place. They usually happen just before Lent, the 40-day period preceding the Easter holiday. The Catholic Easter date was established by the Niceia's Council in the year 325 A.D. The key to calculate the right time for it is the equinox, the day when the sun passes the Equator, up to the North, and the first spring day. It is also the first Sunday during or after the year's first full moon.
Carnival activities around Brazil normally take place from the Friday prior to Ash Wednesday and continue up to and including Ash Wednesday itself. In some cities the celebrations will spill over through the entire week and include the following weekend. Most Brazilian offices and business will close for the week of Carnival in much the same way companies in many parts of the world close between Christmas and the New Year.
2009 Feb 21 22 23 24 Feb/28
2010 Feb 13 14 15 16 Feb/20
Samba

The Samba Schools
Almost all of the music played during Rio Carnival is samba. It is a uniquely Brazilian music originating from Rio and a dance form that was invented by the poor Afro-Brazilians.
The word samba comes from the Angolan world semba referring to a type of ritual music. The word had a variety of meanings to the African slaves brought to Brazil during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. It meant to pray or invoke the spirits of the ancestors and the gods of the African Pantheon. As a noun, it could mean a complaint, a cry, or something like "the blues".
The samba schools are vital elements of Rio Carnival. They are social clubs representing a particular neighborhood, usually a working class community of the slums (favelas). They have a samba hall to entertain and practice their samba and a separate production unit to make their costumes and floats for their Rio Carnival Parade.
The samba schools entertain the community through samba nights and create a pageant for the Samba Parade. They have to pick themes, write music and lyrics, make costumes and floats and practice all year around to succeed in the Parade.
|