Carnival in Brazil

By Beth Klemick

The origins of Carnival (Carnaval, as it's spelled in Portuguese) are not well known, but have been thought to have originated as a pagan celebration in ancient Rome or Greece. From there Carnival was imported from Italy in nineteenth century to Rio, where the golden age and height of Carnival took place from there from the 1930-1950s. I was fortunate to have traveled to Brazil, but as my luck would have it I missed Carnival by a couple of days. During my Brazilian travels and encounters, the collective consensus of tourists and natives was that Carnival in Bahia (Salvador) was the place to be. Rio de Janeiro is the most famous destination for Carnival with its legendary samba parade and fancy balls, and although Carnival in Bahia does not display the grandeur of floats and fancy costumes, it gives natives and tourists alike the opportunity to be there on the streets dancing the samba until they drop! Carnival in Brazil starts on Thursday, February 23rd, and it runs through Tuesday, February 28th.