There are several aspects of Carnival that make up the overall experience. Here in the United States we have Mardi Gras, where you will see floats parading down the street and throwing Mardi Gras Beads, Moon Pies, and many other fun trinkets that people carry home with them. Carnival in Rio has some things that are alike and some things that are different. Our topic this week that is related to Carnival in Rio de Janeiro will be Blocos.


Some say that Blocos can start as early as November and go all the way through Carnival. Wait, we are still not exactly clear on what a Bloco is.  Ok, so a Bloco is simply the groups of people and street bands that get together and celebrate on a particular day. The word Bloco includes pretty much everything used in the celebration. Grand stands, people, and the bands are all included when someone speaks of a Bloco.


Common ordinary people are the life of Blocos and many Blocos started out by a few friends simply deciding to go out and celebrate together. It is common to hear of Blocos that started out as a few friends drinking and celebrating, turn into a crowd of thousands over time. Being the popular expression of the free Rio de Janeiro Carnival, most Blocos do contain a group of people with similar interests or beliefs, Samba dancers  and a marching street band. Members of the Bloco can show up in costume, regular clothes, bathing suits or anything else they can imagine!!


Blocos definitely have their share of observers, however they really encourage participation. Be sure to grab a cool costume or mask and jump right in. There is really no excuse not to because there are street vendors there selling costumes and mask for those that forgot to bring one. The sizes of Blocos vary greatly. They can range from a very small crowd all the way up to about 2,000,000 people, which is an estimate of how many people show up for Cordão do Bola Preta. It is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, Bloco around.


Whether you plan your trip for carnival season or end up an accidental tourist who walks into the middle of a Bloco, it is best to just join in and let the flow take you for as long as you can stand it. Who knows, maybe one day you and a Krewe of your friends will start a Bloco to express your beliefs and similarities in celebration of Carnival.