Rio de Janiero has many iconic symbols – but THE EVENT of the city is the yearly Carnival. The historical roots run deep, tracing back to ancient Greece and Rome as well as Portugal – and its evolution has gone through many permutations . Here is a brief history:
GREECE/ROME ; The Carnival’s origins can be traced back to Greece, where festivities were held to honor Dionysus, the god of wine. The Romans adopted this tradition, and the Portuguese brought it to Brazil in the 16th and 17th centuries.
PORTUGAL The Portuguese brought the Entrudo tradition to Brazil, which was a celebration held on the Tuesday before Lent. Entrudo is a Portuguese carnival that celebrates the end of winter and the start of spring. It begins on January 6, Epiphany, and continues through Fat Sunday and Carnival Tuesday. Entrudo events include:
- Compadres and Comadres: Young men and women confront each other on two Thursdays before Fat Sunday
- Straw dolls: Made from old clothing, these dolls poke fun at the opposite sex
- Caretos de Podence: A group of boys run through the streets of Podence on Carnival Sunday and Shrove Tuesday, shouting and jumping
The Catholic influence of the festivity is seen through the expression “Carne Vale,” the origin of the word Carnival, which means ‘farewell to meat.” This refers to Catholic practice of abstaining from eating meat during a 40-period after Ash Wednesday until Easter.
BRAZil: Brazilians added Samba music and dance, themed costumes, and street performances. Samba was introduced in 1917, with Afro-Brazilian and Pardos (triracial descendants of Europeans, Native Americans and Africans). Before the samba, waltzes and polkas were the main dance forms.
What fun! So colourful and packed with people! We never saw the Carnival, but must have been memorable! Happy Thanksgiving! Parker