The Brazilian Carnival

During the countdown to WorldSkills São Paulo 2015, we'll present and show a little bit of Brazilian culture and customs. In this article, you'll learn more about one of the most traditionally holidays and festivals in Brazil: Carnival.

As in the other parts of the world, the Brazilian Carnival occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. The celebration has its origins in Portugal, where it began in the fifteenth century. During the colonization of Brazil, the Portuguese people brought the celebration with them, especially after the Portuguese Royal Family moved to Brazil, in 1808. At this stage, the city of Rio de Janeiro started to have his own celebration, mainly an aristocratic celebration, but slowly, the lower classes of society started to take ownership of Carnival. The early records of "Carnival de Rua" (Street Carnival) parties are in Rio de Janeiro.

Nowadays, you have plenty of options to enjoy the Carnival in Brazil. From the streets of Salvador and Recife, to the Escola de Samba parades in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Every city has its own characteristics and culture.

In Salvador, thousands of fans gather together behind Trios Elétricos, large trucks with big sound systems, to sing and dance with famous Brazilian singers and bands. If in Recife, be sure to watch the street carnival go through the historic downtown area of Olinda and see the groups of Frevo, the local musical style.

Every year, the Samba schools of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo gather in each city for the yearly Carnival parade. Each school have more than 3,000 people spread in several wings. Usually they have one hour to do the parade, and a jury must assign marks to different elements of the parade: front commission, allegorical floats and props, progression and harmony, plot theme, drumming section etc. The best voted school is declared the winner. It is a beautiful "battle" of colours, forms and sounds.

Now that you know a little bit more about Carnival, be sure to see this live. Choose your favourite destination and enjoy the party!