Carnival, Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, Lent The Carnival of Brazil ( Portuguese : Carnaval do Brasil , IPA: [kaʁnaˈvaw] ) is an annual festival held the Friday afternoon before Ash Wednesday at noon, which marks the beginning of Lent , the forty-day period before Easter. Information on Rio de Janeiro Carnival 2025 — official events, carnival dates, blocos, samba schools, parade ticket packages to the Sambadrome and guide. Mardi Gras, also known as Carnival, is a festive season that occurs before the start of Lent. The celebration typically involves public parades, street parties, and costumes. Brazil is one of the countries that celebrates Mardi Gras, and the festivities there are some of the most elaborate and well-known in the world. In many areas, however, Mardi Gras has evolved into a week-long festival. Mardi Gras 2025 will fall on Tuesday, March 4. Brazil’s weeklong Carnival festivities feature a vibrant amalgam of The festival season varies from city to city; Mardis Gras often refers to the last day of Shrovetide (or Fastelavn or Carnival), thus being synonymous with Shrove Tuesday. [4] Some traditions, such as the one in New Orleans , Louisiana, consider Mardi Gras to stretch the entire period from Twelfth Night (the last night of Christmas which begins The History of Brazil’s Carnival. Mardi Gras is thought to have originated from a Greek spring festival that was held each year to honour Dionysus, or as he was known by the Romans, Bacchus, the god of wine and good times. The spring festival was later modified by the Roman Catholic Church to become an event that marked the beginning of Lent. How To Celebrate Carnival In Brazil. Being the most famous holiday in Brazil, Carnival draws over a million tourists every year (1.5 million flocked to Rio de Janeiro alone for Carnival in 2019; Salvador around 800k). So, if you plan to visit any of the more popular destinations, you’ll definitely want to start planning in advance! Mardi Gras is more of a party atmosphere, where people drink and party in the streets. Carnival in Brazil is more of a cultural event, where people dress up in costumes and dance in the streets. During the carnival season, Brazil is most popular place to visit. The festival takes place 51 days before Easter and 45 days before Ash Wednesday Numerous countries with a Christian heritage also host pre-Lenten festivals. Belgium. Belgium's best-known Mardi Gras celebration dates back to the 14th century in the Carnival of Binche, which features the Gilles, a group of about 1,000 men who dress up in linen suits traditionally designed with the colors of the Belgian flag. Brazil Les Gilles de Binche celebrating Mardi Gras in Binche, Belgium. Mark Renders/Stringer/Getty Images 4. Binche, Belgium. Celebrated south of Brussels in Belgium’s Hainaut province from March 2-4, the Carnival of Binche centers on the area’s unique folklore. You may have seen its concluding March of the Gilles, which takes place on Mardi Gras. However, as the festival evolved in Brazil, it began to incorporate elements from African and Indigenous cultures, creating a unique and diverse celebration. During the colonial period, the Portuguese brought with them the tradition of Entrudo, a chaotic and playful festival where people would throw water, mud, and food at each other. Canada’s oldest winter festival, first held in Quebec City in 1894, was developed by Quebec Daily Telegraph owner Frank Carrel as a way to “brighten up dark winter days and attract tourists Up coming dates for Carnival in Brazil (Friday-Wednesday) are: 2025: 28 February-5 March; 2026: 13-18-February; 2027: 5-10 February; 2028: 25 February-1 March; 2029: 9-14 February; 2030: 1-6 March; Rio de Janeiro is the most famous and the largest of Brazil’s carnival celebrations. It’s the main festivity in Brazil which earned the distinction of being “The Greatest Show on Earth.” The Rio Carnival starts on Friday until Tuesday or just a day shy of Ash Wednesday, a significant Catholic tradition which signal the start of Lent. Generally speaking, Carnival is held in February or March; the exact dates are announced a few years in advance. Although Carnival is always on a Friday, the celebrations go on until Tuesday, which is Mardi Gras! There are also pre-parties and after-parties, so the whole Carnival period usually lasts for a couple of weeks altogether. Experience the Magic! Come to Celebrate Rio Carnival 2025 with us. The festival is set to take place from February 28th to March 8th 2025 in the Marvelous City of Rio de Janeiro. With all the excitement surrounding the city, the Sambadrome during Rio Carnival will play host to the biggest party on the planet! Imperatriz - Ismar Ingber | Riotur Sao Paulo Mardi Gras is one of the biggest and most popular carnivals in Brazil. It is held every year on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, which is the start of Lent. The carnival attracts people from all over Brazil and the world, and is a huge street party with music, dancing and costumes. The festival of nacarra begins the day before Lent, which is 40 days before Easter. It is critical to “Carnival in Brazil and Mardi Gras in New Orleans are very different, but deep down they have the same essence,” Andreza Trivillan, a native Brazilian travel blogger who has visited Louisiana The Carnival in Rio de Janeiro (Portuguese: Carnaval do Rio de Janeiro) is a festival held every year before Lent; it is considered the biggest celebration of Carnival in the world, with two million people per day on the streets. The first Carnival festival in Rio occurred in 1723. [1] [2] Shrove Tuesday is celebrated in many different forms the world over, from Pancake Day in the UK to Carnival in Brazil and huge Mardi Gras celebrations in the US and beyond. Literally translating from the French as Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras is the first day before lent (a period of fasting for 40 days and []
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