Carnival in Rio de Janeiro - Brazil (Rio Carnival)

The tradition of organizing festive processions with reincarnations of participants, cheerful dancing and feasting originates in the Greek bacchanalia and Roman saturnalia In pre-Christian Europe, celebrations called Maslenitsa, with songs and dances, were held at the end of winter Over time, they were replaced by festivals that are held on the eve of Lent The mummers participating in them walk or ride in decorated chariots - analogues of a mobile stage The oldest and most famous theatrical procession is the Venetian Carnival, which acquired official status in 1262 The festival in Brazil is no less popular and fun The tradition of organizing street parades came to Latin America in the 19th century from Portugal, where it was customary on days of celebration to pour water on each other, sprinkle flour on each other and throw rotten eggs The Brazilians complemented the festive procession with fiery Sambo dances, colorful costumes and masks All sectors of the country's economy are involved in organizing large-scale Rio Carnival events Throughout the year, sambo schools prepare for the grand dance procession, choosing the theme of the performances, the design of the costumes and the mobile platform In the last week of February, 40 days before Easter, the carnival in Rio de Janeiro begins Rio Carnival kicked off with a costume ball from 1840, which took place in one of the city's hotels, and European-style street parades with decorative floats and a military band After more than 10 years, the carnival participants were joined by “ze-pereira” - columns of loud drummers At the beginning of the twentieth century At the carnival, samba appeared - African and Latin American music, and the marcha - a march song - began to set the fiery rhythm to the movements of the dancers Another tradition of the carnival is the bright costumes of the dancers, decorated with feathers - a symbol of victory over circumstances The colorful outfits, despite their splendor, make the participants uncomfortable The weight of one suit, decorated with stones, feathers, sparkles and other decor, varies between 5-80 kg Sambo dancers take part in more than 200 balls and competitions of the festival, riding on “kaross” - platforms in the form of sphinxes, pirate ships, fire-breathing dragons and the heads of the Gorgon medusa A strict jury evaluates performances on a 10-point scale During the show of the program at the Sambodrome, which lasts from 65 to 80 minutes, the dancers must reveal the chosen theme: the Ice Age, “Mother Africa,” the history of cinema, etc The jury evaluates the makeup, costumes, platform design and, of course, the skill of the dancers 14 First League teams representing various sambo schools compete for victory Rio Carnival begins with the symbolic handing over of the key to Rio de Janeiro to "King Momo" by its mayor For all 5 days of the grandiose holiday, the appointed head becomes the sovereign owner of the city, can issue any decrees and repeal previously adopted laws King Momo, the personification of the ancient Greek god of ridicule and reproach, is chosen from the city's local residents who weigh 110 kg or more His duties include presence at the Samba School parade and other events At the Sambadrome there are spectators - tourists and local residents, who are given a week of vacation in honor of the carnival Brazilian football, pop and film stars take part in Rio Carnival In honor of the holiday, costumed gay pride parades, balls and parties are held, in which world celebrities take part The grandiose event ends with a parade of the 6 best teams of the First League - a dance spectacle accompanied by music and fireworks Rehearsals in sambo schools for next year's performances begin immediately after the end of the carnival Brazilians, like Cubans, Argentines and other peoples of Latin America and Africa, consider themselves the happiest on the planet They are cheerful and joyful not only on holidays, but also on weekdays, because “La Vida Es Un Carnaval” (“Life is a carnival”)