Learn all about Carnival in Brazil
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| Hello, and welcome to the Culture Class- Holidays in Brazil Series at PortuguesePod101.com. In this series, we’re exploring the traditions behind holidays and observances in Brazil. I’m Becky, and you're listening to Season 1, Lesson 3 - Carnival. |
| In this lesson you’ll learn about the most famous Brazilian holiday internationally. It’s Carnival or carnaval in Portuguese. |
| When talking about Brazil people associate Mardi Gras with samba or Rio, but there is actually much more to Carnival than that. |
| Now, before we get into more detail, I've got a question for you- |
| Do you know which samba school or escolas de samba in Rio de Janeiro has the largest number of titles? |
| If you don't already know, you’ll find out a bit later, so keep listening! |
| Like many Brazilian traditions, Carnival came to Brazil with the Portuguese people. It’s called by the name of Shrovetide or entrudo, which is the custom of playing during the carnival period. Later, it was followed by the dance carnivals and street carnivals. In the early twentieth century, the samba schools began to evolve, and in recent decades, some cities have built their samba stadiums or sambódromos, exclusively for Carnival. |
| Although the Rio Carnival or Carnaval do Rio is the most well known carnival worldwide, there are other famous ones too. These include the Carnivals in São Paulo, Salvador, Ouro Preto, and Olinda. In addition, the carnivals in the cities of Recife, Fortaleza, Manaus and Florianopolis are also well known in the country. |
| In Rio and São Paulo, the main attraction is the parade of the samba schools of the city. In Salvador, thousands of revelers follow the sound of axe music from the electric trios. In Recife and Olinda, the performance style and rhythm is the frevo and the maracatu. |
| Each city has its unique Carnival aspects. But the agenda is the same: have fun and dance a lot! In Portuguese, this is se divertir e dançar muito! |
| If you want to go to the great Brazilian carnivals, you need to reserve your hotels at least one year in advance. But there are small carnivals that you can enjoy in almost every city. In most cities, Brazilian people go out on to the streets and watch the parades of the samba schools, and also dance, enjoy, play with the carnival foam with friends and generally have a good time! |
| Carnival is usually in the middle of February. Although some schools begin the semester before Carnival, to most students, it also marks the true end of summer vacation. |
| Now it's time to answer our quiz question- |
| Do you know which samba school or escola de samba in Rio de Janeiro has the largest number of titles? |
| The name of the school that won the most titles is called Portela. It has had 20 titles in its 89-year history. It’s known as "The Majesty of Samba" or in Portuguese, A Majestade do Samba. It’s one of the founding schools of the Rio Carnival. |
| How was this lesson? Did you learn anything interesting? |
| Do you have a famous party similar to Brazil’s Carnival in your country? |
| Leave your comments in the PortuguesePod101.com page! |
| And I'll see you in the next lesson! |
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