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.
Posts Tagged ‘rio’
Blocos during Carnival in Rio de Janeiro
Tuesday, December 27th, 2011Carnival 2012 – Let’s Explore Rio de Janeiro
Wednesday, December 14th, 2011Rio de Janeiro or Rio as a lot of people know it, will be the subject of upcoming blog entries as we explore the world seeking out all of the variations of Mardi Gras, Carnival, or Carnaval. We are sure to find many more names for this type of celebration as we go. Our first stop on this virtual tour of 2012 celebrations is Rio de Janeiro.
Rio de Janeiro is the second largest city of Brazil and is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro. It garners the title of 6th largest city in the Americas by having a population of approximately 6 million people. Located in Brazil on the coast of the South Atlantic Ocean, Rio de Janeiro is a hub of culture for Brazil and considered by many as Brazil’s primary tourist attraction. Receiving the most visits of any South American city, it is the home to many attractions such as the Corcovado and Sugarloaf mountains. However, the attraction we are going to learn about in upcoming posts is the 2012 season of Carnival or Carnaval and its history.
There are a lot of similarities between Carnaval and Mardi Gras. There are many distinctions as well that Carnival boasts. We will explore the how the streets of the favelas have an outpouring of support for the Blocos and Bandas that many people say is really the life of Carnival. Rio Carnival is a 4 day celebration that starts on Saturday and ends on Fat Tuesday. The many Blocos and Bandas during this time of year make it one of the biggest events around.
What about the parading and throws? Are there bulk Carnaval beads thrown throughout the parades? Are Carnival throws a huge part of the celebrations or are they more focused on artistically expressing themselves through Carnival masks, dress and music, such as Samba? We will soon find out as we travel (virtual) to Rio de Janeiro to learn all about Carnival 2012 or Carnaval 2012. However you know it, we are sure you will be excited to learn all about their traditions.