Cordão do Boitatá (at Praça XV, in downtown Rio)

There are several ways of celebrating Carnival in Rio, if you are lucky enough to be there on February 13th, when the festival begins.

You can be in the audience of the huge parade of Escolas de Samba - at the Sambódromo (built specifically for the yearly event) -, you can attend some indoor ball, or you can participate in one of the hundred street manifestations that happen all around town. These blocos, as they are called, are semi-spontaneous, normally include a group of percussionists and may be thematic.

Their names can be really inspired:

• “O Negócio tá feio e o teu nome tá no meio” (Things are getting ugly  and your name was mentioned)
• “Meu amor, vou logo ali” (My love, I am going next door – and I won’t come back before the party is over, it should add)
• “Butano na Bureta” (Butane in the Burette, inspired by [sexual] chemistry)
• “Xupa mas não baba” (Suck but don’t drool – no comments about this one)
• “Lavou tá limpo” (If you wash, it will be clean again)
• “Parei de beber, não de mentir” (I stopped drinking, not lying)
• “Simpatia é quase Amor” (Liking is almost Love).

Check here for the complete list, in case you are in town to celebrate.

Bloco da Bola Preta