Rio Carnival 2012: Media & Press: Thirsty Swagman
Rio Carnival 2012
"Let's dance the night away to the samba, the lights and the sounds of carnival"
Carnival, or Carnaval in Portuguese, is celebrated just before Lent in most Catholic countries including Brazil; however Rio de Janeiro has long been considered the World's Carnival Capital.
The carnival parade is filled with thousands of people and floats from various samba schools. A samba school can either be an actual school or just groups of locals that want to attend the carnival parade.
Each of these "compete" with rival schools, trying to make the most extravagant costumes and best floats of the event. There is a strict order that each school follows, including a mandatory wing of at least 100-strong female-only marchers that accompany the various floats during the procession.
Rio Carnival attracts up to 2 million people per day, partying in the streets to the uniquely Brazilian samba music. Foreign visitors alone make up around half a million visitor.
While the first festivals of Rio date back to 1723, carnival in its current form can traced back to the Portuguese who brought the celebrations of carnival to Brazil around 1850.
Today, Rio Carnival is one of the biggest events on earth - most people have heard of it, and it is broadcast live around the world every year.
Rio Carnival 2012 begins on Friday February 17th 2012 and ends February 21st 2012.
- Rio Carnival 2012 (80 kb)
