When are the carnivals in Rio de Janeiro. carnival in brazil

May 28, 2012 Brazil is rightfully considered a country of carnivals, in many of its cities their own carnivals are held, but one of the most famous and most spectacular in the world is, of course, the carnival in .

This grand event takes place in the month of February, and how exactly, we will learn from this article.

Brazilian carnival (Carnaval do Brasil)- an annual festival that takes place in many cities 40 days before Easter, marking the beginning of Lent. During Lent, Roman Catholics abstain from all bodily pleasures. That is why the Brazilian carnival, as an act of farewell to pleasures, takes place on the eve of Lent.

There are several versions of the origin of the Brazilian carnival. According to one of them, it is based on the "Funny Day" brought by the Portuguese in the 17th century - a holiday accompanied by songs and dances, when it was customary to fool each other in all sorts of ways, douse yourself with water, throw around raw eggs and beans. Soon, black slaves brought to Brazil from Africa joined this fun, bringing colorful customs from their homeland. By the 20th century, the Brazilian carnival absorbed elements of the carnivals of Italy and France. It was then that masks, fantastic costumes and characters came to the Brazilian holiday. Regional variations of the carnival also appeared.

In 1928, the first samba dance school arose in Rio, and since then the tradition of carnival parades of samba schools has spread to other cities. The largest parades of samba schools are just the carnival in Rio, as well as the carnival in Sao Paulo. In these cities, there are special sambadromes, where the performances of samba schools actually take place, the entrance for spectators is paid there (but all street processions, of course, are free).

However, the tradition of street carnivals, in which anyone who wishes can participate, has not disappeared even today. It has survived mainly in the northeast of Brazil, in the cities of Salvador, Recife and Olinda. Hundreds of thousands of people take to the streets to walk the roads of the city together, dance, sing, party and have fun. In these cities, parades are held not only to the rhythms of samba, for example, in Recife and Olinda - to the rhythms of maracatu, afosha and freva.

The Brazilian Carnival is the largest folk festival in the country and the most famous holiday in Brazil. At the time of its holding, life in the country completely freezes, the holiday is celebrated day and night, 50% of the annual beer consumption falls on this period and 70% of tourists come to Brazil at this time.

takes place once a year in the month of February (the height of the Brazilian summer). The holiday begins on the Saturday preceding Great Lent and continues for 4 days and 4 nights until Ash Wednesday (Quarta-feira de cinzas).

This festival is organized with the participation of the Ministry of Tourism and the League of Samba Schools, and its conduct is broadcast on almost all TV channels.

The carnival begins with a symbolic transfer of the keys to Rio de Janeiro by the city mayor to the "king of the carnival", who becomes the full owner of the city for the duration of the holiday.

The main feature of the carnival in Rio de Janeiro is that it is not an impromptu procession with dances and songs, but a well-rehearsed theatrical procession-competition of samba schools, in which up to 4,000 people from each school participate at the same time.

Each samba school prepares very carefully for this holiday for a whole year, everything is thought out to the smallest detail, the theme of the performance is chosen, music and choreography are prepared, unique costumes are created and moving platforms are designed.

Forty members of the jury will evaluate each item: the cohesion of the team, the rhythm of the drums and their consistency with the dance and singing, and, of course, the overall impression.

One of the most important persons during the procession of the school is the flag-bearer, who heads the car, and the assessment also largely depends on her performance.

Every day, more than two million people take part in the carnival on the streets of the city, but the main carnival procession takes place at the Sambadrome, a special 700-meter street designed for carnival, with stands and boxes designed for 90,000 spectators. The parade of samba schools at the sambadrome starts in the evening at 21 and can last for 10 hours.

The winning school of last year's carnival is the first to pass through the Sambadrome, and then the rest of the schools go on the list. First, the name of the school is carried, then its employees and celebrities in carnival costumes go, followed by thousands of dancers and musicians, as well as brightly decorated platforms on wheels, near which elite dancers "passistas" dance.

The demonstrations of samba schools will end with the Parade of Champions, which will be determined by a competent jury. Based on the results of the carnival, a school is selected - the winner, which is awarded a cash prize.

Below is information about the dates of the carnival in Rio de Janeiro for the coming years:

In 2014 - March 1-4

In 2015 - February 14-17

In 2016 - February 6-9

In 2017 - February 25-28

In 2018 - February 10-13

In 2019 - March 2-5

In 2020 - February 22-25

Carnival is the main Brazilian holiday of the year, an enchanting spectacle, a festival where there are no guests, but everyone is the host. This is a huge performance where every spectator is a participant. Every year, the carnival attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists, involving them in its whirlwind.

Origin and timing of the carnival

The carnival dates back to the Portuguese festival "entrudo", which was celebrated at the end of winter. The holiday was rooted in pagan times and was an analogue of Russian Shrovetide. Entrudo marked the arrival of spring and was the last opportunity to have fun before Lent. Participants poured water on each other, showered them with flour, pelted them with rotten eggs and tomatoes, symbolically demonstrating wealth and abundance.

The grandiose festivities of the beginning of March 1808, when King João VI of Portugal came to Brazil to escape from Napoleon's troops, are considered the first carnival. The ten-day holiday was accompanied by theatrical performances, fireworks, costume processions, in which royal jesters and courtiers took part. By the end of the 19th century, the carnival gained immense popularity and a truly national character.

The timing of the carnival is tied to the church calendar. Carnival is held from Saturday to Tuesday and lasts 4 days. To determine the date of Carnival Sunday, count back 7 weeks from Easter. Since the date of Easter is floating and falls on the first autumn (for the Southern Hemisphere) full moon, the timing of the carnival changes every year.

Carnival dates:

• In 2016 - from 6 to 9 February
• In 2017 - from 25 to 28 February
• In 2018 - from 10 to 13 February
• In 2019 - from 2 to 5 March
• In 2020 - from 22 to 25 February

How is the carnival

Carnival festivities include samba dancers, street processions and festivities. The first samba school appeared in Rio de Janeiro in 1928, from here the schools spread throughout Brazil. The incendiary dance absorbed elements of Brazilian, Portuguese, Italian traditions, African dance rituals. Samba is one of the two national passions of Brazilians. Every Brazilian is fanatically devoted to his football club and his samba school all his life.

Carnivals are held in all cities of Brazil, and the most famous of them are in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Salvador, Recife, Fortaleza. The Salvadoran festival is famous for its "Trio Electrico" - huge, lavishly decorated trucks from which singers and musicians perform. The sound at these concerts is deafening. But the most popular and spectacular is the carnival in Rio. It is visited by up to a million tourists - a third of all who come to the city in a year.

The celebration in the unofficial capital of Brazil begins with the solemn transfer of power for the duration of the festivities by the mayor of the city to the Carnival King, elected from the inhabitants of Rio. Business and political life stops for four days. The streets of the cities are filled with people in fantastic costumes and headdresses. Music is heard everywhere, which the locals enthusiastically accompany on pots and pans, competitions and impromptu concerts are held. The fun does not stop for a moment and lasts around the clock.

Samba school competitions in Rio

The most important part of the carnival is the competition of samba dancers. Each school exposes from 2 to 5 thousand participants. Preparations for the carnival last all year. The best designers create sketches of costumes, and the best tailors sew them, the best choreographers invent new dance figures and teach them to future participants, and the best composers compose melodies to which the school will pass along the Sambadrome.

The Sambadrome is the widest street equipped for the procession of samba schools, along which stands are placed, accommodating up to 70,000 spectators. Tickets cost up to one and a half thousand dollars. The price includes everything that the viewer may need, up to SPA treatments. The carnival defile is broadcast live from the balcony above the Sambadrome.

The culmination of the festival is the passage of processions of the best samba schools. The parade is led by the queen of the school, who sits on a decorated wagon, surrounded by the best dancers. Followed by samba teachers, famous dancers, artists, athletes. Huge dolls rise above the column, and students of the school are moving around the defile, dancing. The dancers don’t bother themselves with clothes, but the spectacle of beautiful half-naked bodies cannot shock or offend anyone. In Brazil, there is a real cult of physical beauty, and only the best of the best are taken to samba schools.

The procession of one school stretches for half a kilometer, and the passage lasts about an hour. The procession itself is united by some theme, an idea that is announced before the carnival. Usually it is nature, music, sports, sometimes politics.

The parade of samba schools lasts from 21-00 to 5-6 in the morning.
The first two days are reserved for beginner schools, the second - for elite ones.

Parade participants are evaluated by a special jury. The skill of the dancers, the beauty of the costumes, artistic and musical design are taken into account. On Wednesday, the jury announces the winners, and a few days later the victors are honored, after which they hold demonstration performances.

Festivities

In all cities and towns of the country, mass celebrations and street processions are held, uniting all Brazilians and visitors, without exception, who are lucky enough to be in Brazil during the carnival. Spontaneously appear improvised concert venues, own samba competitions and own parades.

Traditionally, carnival processions take three forms. This is, firstly, “kordau”, a rope, when the procession participants are built in a line or single file and, dancing, pass through the streets. Then a street, also known as a carnival block, when they line up in a rectangle. And, finally, "ranshu", a theatrical procession in a column, whose participants demonstrate elements of African magical rites.

Competitions are organized everywhere, their kings and queens are chosen, stages and street cafes are being built. If these days a guest of Brazil happened to be in a very small town or village, he will fully feel the festive atmosphere of the carnival there. Even if you have tickets for the best places of the Sambadrome, be sure to go down from the podium and go away from the main streets. The real folk carnival fun, the very soul of Brazil is there.

The carnival taking place in Brazil is striking in its scale. Every year, hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world come to the South American country to watch the performances of artists and dancers, as well as to become participants in a grand event. No wonder so many people are looking for information about the date of Carnival in Brazil in 2019. In addition, the organizers promise that next year the event will become even more spectacular and larger. Entertainment for every taste, processions of samba school participants, incendiary music and incessant dancing - this is only a small part of the Brazilian Carnival.

When will it pass

Traditionally, the Brazilian Carnival takes place on the eve of Lent. This is the last opportunity to enjoy earthly pleasures before giving up meat dishes and carnal pleasure for a long period. In this regard, the event is organized 40 days before Easter.

Note! The dates for the 4-day carnival in Brazil in 2019 are already known. It will take place from 2 to 5 March 2019.

The national holiday begins on Friday and continues until the so-called "Ash" Wednesday. Tourists from all over the world can expect a parade of samba schools, as well as a rich entertainment program. The carnival takes place throughout the country, but the celebration is gaining the largest scale in the capital - Rio de Janeiro. Although you can also have fun in Sao Paulo, Salvador, Fortaleza, Recife and other Brazilian cities.

The main events are held in the Brazilian capital at the Sambadrome. This is the name of a special street where annual parades and competitions between students of samba schools are held. The main feature of the Sambadrome is the stands in several tiers, located along the street. They can accommodate 70 thousand spectators.

History

The prototype of the Brazilian carnival was the Portuguese carnival. When the Portuguese landed on the coast of Brazil, they brought with them various traditions, including the tradition of organizing folk festivals before fasting, during which they sprinkled each other with flour and cereals, threw rotten eggs and arranged other entertainments. These traditions became the basis of the world holiday. Later, European notes were added to the Portuguese "base", in particular Italian traditions.

Initially, the carnival originated in Rio de Janeiro, but quickly spread to other cities. The Brazilian carnival began to acquire its modern look in the 30s of the last century. In 1928, the first school of samba was created - an incendiary dance in which European, African and Brazilian motifs intertwined. Later, samba schools became the main participants in the festive celebration. Now there are annual competitions between them. Becoming a winner at the celebration is the most prestigious award, so the students have been preparing for this important event for a whole year.

Every year the scope of the celebration grows. For example, in 2018, 6 million people took part in the celebration. 1.5 million tourists came from all over the world.

Celebration traditions and features

The main participants of the carnival are half-naked samba dancers. They have bright and unusual costumes, the main attribute of which is a headdress with feathers. Also, participants use rhinestones, sparkles and other decorations to decorate their bodies. The brighter the better.

The main traditions of the celebration include the following:

1. Transfer of the "keys" of the city to the king of the carnival. The opening of the celebration is marked by the handing over of the "keys" to the city by the mayor to the king of the holiday. The most obese person (weighing at least 110 kg) is usually chosen for his role.
2. Performances of dance schools. Usually from 2 to 5 thousand people speak from each educational institution. Each school strives to surprise the audience with performances and costumes in order to become a winner.
3. Parade of festive platforms. They settle on large trucks, which then drive through the streets of the city. Bright scenery and performances of artists (dancers, magicians, singers) are an integral part of them.
4. Festivities. The whole city is immersed in an unusual atmosphere. Not only on the main street of the city, but also on small alleys, people have fun with all their hearts. Cheerful music plays everywhere, people dance, sing and laugh.

If you want to go to the carnival in Brazil, here are some simple tips to help you get the most out of your trip:

1. Book your accommodation months in advance. It will be impossible to find a place in a hotel or hotel during the holiday due to the large influx of tourists.
2. Please note that during the period of the carnival, prices for housing, food and entertainment increase significantly, so there is more money with you.
3. At parades and festivities, be careful, as money and personal items are often stolen.
4. It is advisable to book accommodation near the Sambadrome. Or choose a hotel with a transfer. This will save you time and effort.
5. If you plan to get to the parade by public transport, go early so as not to jostle among the tourists.

The Brazilian carnival can leave a lot of positive and vivid emotions in your memory. In 2019, even more incendiary music and dances, unusual scenery and bright costumes, impressive performances by artists await tourists.

Video from carnival in Rio in 2018:

Every year in Brazil there is the brightest and most impressive holiday, covering the whole country - carnival. It was originally a food festival and lasted until Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the period of Lent before Easter. The Brazilian Carnival in Rio draws hundreds of thousands of tourists from around the globe to the city, where they can enjoy the pulsing sounds of the samba as well as take part in the carnival procession.

Carnival history

The word "carnival" comes from the Latin language, and according to some sources, from the Portuguese phrase "carnevale", which can be translated as "farewell to meat." It is this phrase that refers to the carnival as a celebration before a period of abstinence from alcohol, meat and pleasures. Carnival celebrations in Rio begin the week before. In the Roman Catholic Church, this is the first day of Lent. On this day, in accordance with ancient custom, the sign of the cross is applied to the forehead of believers with consecrated ashes.

Portuguese settlers had their own traditions of celebrating before Lent - "Entrudo" (derived from the Portuguese carnival, a holiday that has been celebrated in Portugal since the 15th century). It was very noisy fun, accompanied by pouring water, sprinkling with chalk and flour. The noise interfered with the townspeople, and the celebration was forbidden by decree of the king. But he moved to the homes of the rich people of the city.

In 1840, the very first carnival took place in Rio, and European polka and waltz dances took center stage at the celebration. African slaves brought to Brazil by the Portuguese gave life to the first samba rhythms. As a result, the Brazilian Carnival combined a European festival with African rhythms, music and dance.

Samba - the heart of the carnival

At the beginning of the 20th century, samba sounded at the carnival, which is considered traditional Brazilian music, which is the product of a mutual love for the music of former colonists and former slaves. Samba music in street parades contributed to the emergence of samba schools in Rio de Janeiro. In the early 1920s, the first samba schools were established in the city. Today, pupils of these schools are in the heart of carnival celebrations. In the southeastern cities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, huge organized parades are led by samba schools.

The name of the oldest and most famous samba school founded in 1928 is Mangueira. This educational institution promises to present an exciting show in Rio at the 2018 Carnival in one of the Scala nightclubs. The best samba schools such as Salgueiro, Mocidade, GrandeRio and BeijaFlor usually follow the example of Mangueira.

Sambódromo Stadium

Whereas in the 19th century the inhabitants of Rio districts took part in carnival parades with groups of people led by samba dancers, accompanied by drummers and other musicians, from the middle of the 20th century carnival became a competing arena for samba schools. Street parades became more and more dynamic with the advent of samba schools, which subsequently led to the need to build a stadium. The spirit of competition required a powerful arena for the presentation of dances, and soon, in 1984, the Sambodromo (Sambadrome) was built. This is a product of the design work of a famous architect. The grandiose structure, consisting of three floors, has a length of a little less than a kilometer and is designed for 70,000 spectators. Since then, the stadium has been constantly modified, embodying the new ideas of numerous immigrants.

King Momo

The grand celebration of the carnival begins with the transfer of the symbolic keys to the city to the "owner" of the holiday, the fattest man who was chosen from all the applicants (weight no less than 110 kg). Four days lasts his power in the city. His duties include being constantly at the Sambodrome, attending balls and competitions, and there are more than two hundred of them. And one more duty of the "owner" of the carnival - he must dance all the time.

Sambadrome during the holiday turns into a world with fabulous pictures, including fire-breathing dragons, pirate ships, underwater kingdoms. Chinese wise men and Roman legionnaires, Neanderthals and even Gorgons are taking part in the solemn sambo parade. For three nights, rows of platforms with half-naked mulattos dancing on them pass, swim, and pass in front of an enthusiastic audience.

spirit of carnival

Basically, the origin of the Brazilian carnival is "pretending". Almost a week of carnival is boundless holidays. Only on these few days of the year is it "allowed" to pretend to be someone. The poor may wear expensive suits, the rich may mingle with the crowd of ordinary people. Most of the population dresses in colorful outfits and takes to the streets. By the way, in honor of the enchanting holiday, a tulip variety was named - "carnival de Rio", which, in terms of the diversity of the petals, is comparable to the outfits at carnival processions. The clothing options are truly endless!

Men can wear women's clothes, girls at the carnival in Rio de Janeiro are practically not dressed. Everything that can be called clothing is a set of sequins and feathers. Carnival is a legitimate opportunity to allow yourself to forget everyday problems and escape into a fantasy world.

Samba schools

The Official Samba Parade is a carnival competition that brings together the best of the samba schools in Rio de Janeiro. What is a samba school? We can say that this is an association of people who practice samba throughout the year, honing the dance to perfection. Each school has from 3 to 5 thousand people. Most of them will participate in the procession and represent their school, and, of course, strive to be among the top six schools. It is these schools that will participate in the final part of the holiday.

In 1933, the first samba parade competitions took place. The purpose of the parade is to give samba schools the opportunity to showcase all their talents. They need to choose their theme for the carnival and write a song that perfectly reflects this theme. The school is represented by a flag bearer, a master of ceremonies and a group of drummers. The time of the competitions for the "major league" is booked for Sunday and Monday.

There is also a "second league". The schools in this league put on a performance on Tuesday evening. The parades take place at the Sambadrome stadium in the central suburb of Santo Cristo. At the Rio Carnival 2018, which will take place from 10 to 10, passionate samba dancers, in their fantastic and, as always, provocative costumes, will make everyone present join the celebration.

Samba Parade at Sambodromo

The parade at the Sambadrome is what the participants of one or another samba school have achieved during the months of preparation. This is a theatrical performance on a pre-selected topic. Colorful show: defile of samba schools, accompanied by music and singing. Each school has its own flag and color. Each school has its own fans who like to attend rehearsals throughout the year, and "cheer" for their school at the carnival, supporting it during the performance no less recklessly than at a football match.

In 2017, more than 70 samba schools took part in the Carnival, which took place from February 25 to 28. The jury evaluates the performance of schools in many ways. This is the cohesion of the team, the disclosure of the topic, the correspondence of the choreography to this topic, and the ability to meet the time allotted for the performance (from 65 to 80 minutes). The prize for the winning samba school at the carnival is about 1 million US dollars. There is something to fight for!

street parades

Street parades in the cities of Brazil are a familiar phenomenon. They are arranged not only during the carnival festivities in Rio de Janeiro and other cities of Brazil, they start in November. Tourists can join dancing groups or parties. It is worth noting that you need to be careful. Parties are not only fun. Relatively safe festivities are usually in the South zone and the city center, where cariocas (the self-name of the inhabitants of Rio) walk. These merry fellows consider themselves the happiest people on the planet.

But the merit of the carnival is that during the fireworks of passions that rages at the carnival, all negativity and complexes are burned. People get a huge charge of vivacity and fun, and hence happiness!