Introducing the Brazilian Carnaval to you..

Carnaval in brazil is just one among the million of the most beautiful relfection of the diverse culture in Brazil. Carnaval is one of the biggest national annual event held in which every individual irrespective of social class or ethnic background participates. Here is a brief origin of this worldwide famous event!

Origins of Carnaval

Originated in Roman bacchanalia or in the ancient Egyptian festival of Isis, Carnaval , when introduced in Brazil by the portuguese, acquired African rythms and Indigenes costumes.

Carnavals were started by the Romans and Greek to mark the rites of spring. The church then incorporated the rite as a period of thanksgiving in its calender. The nations of Europe, especially France, Spain, and Portugal, gave thanks by throwing parties, wearing masks, and dancing in the streets. All three colonizing powers carried the tradition with them to the New World, but in Brazil it landed with a difference. The Portuguese had a taste for abandoned merriment, they brought the entrudo, a prank where merry-makers throw water, flour, face powder, and many other things at each other's faces.

In 1840, the Italian wife of a Rio de Janeiro hotel owner changed the Carnaval celebration forever by sending out invitations, hiring musicians, importing streamers and confetti, and giving a lavish masked ball.In a few years the masked ball became the fashion and the wild pranks played on the streets disappeared.

Each city in Brazil celebrates its own unique Carnaval.

Useful Portugues Carnaval Words

Cordões
	(literally "laces" in Portuguese) were introduced in Rio de Janeiro, which consisted of groups of people that would walk on the streets playing music and dancing. The cordões were ancestors of the modern samba's school.

Blocos
	The blocos (blocks), another name for the cordões, are some of the current representations of the popular Brazilian Carnaval. They are formed by people who dress in costumes according to certain themes, or to celebrate the Carnaval in specific ways.

Rei Momo
	During the Carnaval, a fat man is elected to represent the role of Rei Momo, the "king" of Carnaval, whose rule is one of fun instead of that of everyday authorities.

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