New Year's

Apart from the Carnival, New Year’s Celebration is also a major part of the festivities in Rio. Most famous among them is the celebration on the Copacabana beach which attracts millions of tourists every year. A major part of this event is the eye catching fireworks display. The display which goes around for about thirty minutes is an absolute delight to watch. Hotels, houses and the whole city are lit up with decorations and various shows, concerts and other entertainment activities are organized to celebrate the event. People throng the streets and enjoy the fireworks. Popping a bottle of chilled Champagne as the clocks strikes at midnight is considered to be lucky.

Rio Carnival

The world famous Rio de Janeiro Carnival has a history of over two centuries old. Rooted in both pagan and religious festivals, the carnival is celebrated during the four days previous to the beginning of Lent. The Rio Carnival has always been the main attraction amongst tourists. Despite all the carnivals that take place in Brazil, it is Rio that is known as the Carnival capital of the world. The festival starts on a Saturday, 40 days before Easter ends on a Fat Tuesday, after which Easter starts on Wednesday. The festival is celebrated in the month of February which is one of the hottest months in Rio.

The Rio Carnival, as we know it today, was born in an attempt to make the festivities more ‘’civilised’’ in the manner of European carnivals. Masks and rich costumes were introduced by the higher classes who paraded them up and down the city streets in their open carriages. The carnival also resembles parties with drinks, food and music that carries on throughout the day and into the early hours of the morning. People come out on to the streets and dance and sing, and all this finally concludes in what is known as the Samba Parade. People participating in the Samba parade are dressed in bright attires and Samba dancers perform the world famous Latin dance forms.

The samba originated from the blend of street music and African slave songs, and today its irresistible beats and rhythms have transformed it into the main dance of the Rio Carnival, and it is an inextricable part of the local identity.

Today the Carnival is the most popular and largest festival in the country, with four days of music and dance, taking place in the streets, as well as several costume gala balls held at the main hotels in the city.

The Samba Schools’ Parade (Desfile das Escolas de Samba) is the high point of the Carnival in Rio, and takes place in the Sambadrome’s Prof.

The Darcy Riveiro runway takes place during February 22nd and 23rd nights. The show starts at 9 in the evening, lasting until the small hours of the following day. Six special group samba schools perform each night, having up to 80 minutes to march down the runway. The winner of the Samba Parade is elected on Wednesday and the Winners Parade is held on Saturday, February 28th. It includes the six special group schools that made the best score, the winner of the access group, and other special attractions.

The Samba Schools’ rehearsals may also be attended, after paying a small fee (never exceeding the R$ 15). These often turn into parties and this is usually a good way to enjoy some samba music and a magnificent show.

Headquarters addresses and rehearsal hours, as well as those for the actual Parade, are listed below:

• February 22, 2009 (Sunday)

IMPÉRIO SERRANO

www.imperioserrano.com

Venue: Barracks nº7 - Cidade do Samba –

Parade: 9 pm

Theme: Lendas das Sereias, Mistérios do Mar (Leyends of the Sirens and the Mysteries of the Sea)

Rehearsal: Saturdays, at 10.30 pm

Address: Avenida Ministro Edgard Romero 114, Madureira.

GRANDE RIO

www.academicosdogranderio.com.br

Venue: Barracks nº 4 - Cidade do Samba -

Parade: from 10.05 to 10.20 pm

Theme: Voilá, Caxias! Para Sempre Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité. Merci Beaucoup, Brésil! Não tem de quê! (Voilá Caxias! Forever Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité. Merci beaucoup Brésil! Don't mention it!)

Rehersal: Saturdays, at 10 pm

Address: Rua Wallace Soares 5 and 6, Duque de Caxias (out of Rio city, in metropolitan area of Rio).

VILA ISABEL

www.gresunidosdevilaisabel.com.br

Venue: Barracks nº 5 - Cidade do Samba –

Parade: from 11.10 to 11.40 pm

Theme: Neste Palco da Folia, é Minha Vila que Anuncia: Theatro Municipal, a Centenária Maravilha (On this revelry stage, my Vila announces: the Municipal Theatre a centenarian wonder)

Rehersal: Saturdays, at 10 pm

Address: Boulevard 28 de Setembro 382, Vila Isabel.

MOCIDADE INDEPENDENTE DE PADRE MIGUEL

www.mocidadeindependente.com.br

Venue: Barracks nº 10 - Cidade do Samba -

Parade: from 12.15 to 1 am

Theme: Mocidade Apresenta: Clube Literário - Machado de Assis e Guimarães Rosa... Estrelas em Poesia (Mocidade presents: Literary Club - Machado de Assis and Guimarães Rosa... Stars in poetry!)

Rehersal: Saturdays, at 10 pm

Address: Rua Coronel Tamarindo 38, Padre Miguel.

BEIJA-FLOR

www.beija-flor.com.br

Venue: Barracão Nº 11 - Cidade do Samba -

Parade: from 1.20 to 2.20 am

Theme: No Chuveiro da Alegria quem banha o corpo, lava a alma na folia (In the shower of Joy, who washes the body, bathes the soul in revelry)

Rehersal: Thursdays, at 9 pm

Address: Rua Professor Wallace Paes Leme, 1025, Nilópolis.

UNIDOS DA TIJUCA

www.unidosdatijuca.com.br

Venue: Barracks n° 12 - Cidade do Samba -

Parade: from 2.25 to 3.40 am

Theme: Tijuca 2009: Uma odisséia sobre o espaço (Tijuca 2009: A Space Odyssey)

Rehersal: Saturdays, at 10 pm

Address: Avenida Francisco Bicalho 47, Clube dos Portuários .

• February 23, 2009 (Monday)

PORTO DA PEDRA

www.gresuportodapedra.com.br

Venue: Barracks nº 6 - Cidade do Samba -

Parade: 9 pm

Theme: Não me proíbam criar, pois preciso curiar! Sou o país do futuro e tenho muito a inventar (Don't forbid me to create, for I need to curiate! I am the country of the future and I have a lot to invent!)

Rehersal: Fridays, at 10 pm

Address: Avenida Lúcio Tomé Seteira 290, Neves, São Gonçalo.

SALGUEIRO

www.salgueiro.com.br

Venue: Barracks nº 8 - Cidade do Samba –

Parade: from 10.05 to 10.20 pm

Theme: Tambor

Rehersal: Saturdays, at 10 pm

Address: Rua Silva Teles, 104 Andaraí..

IMPERATRIZ LEOPOLDINENSE

www.imperatrizleopoldinense.com.br

Venue: Barracks nº 14 - Cidade do Samba –

Parade: from 11.10 to 11.40

Theme: Imperatriz... só quer mostrar que faz Samba também! (Imperatriz…It just wants to show that it makes Samba too!)

Rehersal: Saturdays, at 5 pm and Sundays, at 8 pm

Address: Rua Prof. Lacê 235, Ramos.

PORTELA

www.gresportela.com

Venue: Barracks nº 1 - Cidade do Samba -

Parade: from 00.15 to 1 am

Theme: E por falar em amor, onde anda você? (By talking about love, where have you been?)

Rehersal: Wednesdays, at 8 pm and Fridays, at 10 pm

Address: Rua Clara Nunes 81, Madureira.

ESTAÇÃO PRIMEIRA DE MANGUEIRA

www.mangueira.com.br

Venue: Barracks nº 13 - Cidade do Samba

Parade: from 1.20 to 2.20 am

Theme: A Mangueira apresenta Os Brasis do Brasil, mostrando a formação do povo brasileiro (Mangueira brings the Brazils of Brazil showing the formation of Brazilian people)

Rehersal: Saturdays, at 10 pm

Address: Rua Visconde de Niterói 1072, Mangueira.

UNIDOS DO VIRADOURO

www.unidosdoviradouro.com.br

Venue: Barracks nº 2 - Cidade do Samba -

Parade: from 2.25 to 3.40 am

Theme: Vira-Bahia, pura energia! (Vira-Bahia, pure energy!)

Rehersal: Saturdays, at 10 pm

Address: Avenida do Contorno 16, Barreto, Niterói.

Sambadrome: Passarela Prof Darcy Ribeiro - Av. Marquês de Sapucaí - Cidade Nova (the parade begins at Avenida Presidente Vargas, near Praça Onze, and ends in Rua Frei Caneca). Gates are opened at 5 in the afternoon.

The Cidade do Samba (Samba City), located in the Docklands, gathers together the costumes workshops and float production centers of the largest Samba Schools in Brazil. Here, visitors may watch real floats being put together and costumes prepared while listening to the beat of samba music. It is open from Tuesday to Saturdays, between 10a.m and 5p.m. Tickets cost R$ 10.

Rio Circuit

Rio Circuit is a cycling tournament whose starting point is in Niteroi while the finishing point is in Rio. The path of the tournaments extends through coasts, mountains and country sides that lie between Niteroi and Rio.

June Bonfire Festivals / Festas Juninas

Festas Juninas is a festival traditionally celebrated in honour of Saint John. Generally this festival is celebrated during the winter season in Brazil and in summer in Europe. The story behind this celebration goes that the Saint John’s mother Elizabeth wanted to announce the arrival of her son. So she lit a fire and erected a pole with a doll placed on the top to announce his birth. Today this festival is celebrated in honour of three saint’s St. John, St. Anthony, and St. Peter who were born during the month of June. The festival is celebrated in churches, schools, city squares by lighting bonfires, playing games, dancing and singing.

Brazil's Independence Day

Brazil’s Independence Day which falls on September 7 is a public holiday for all nationals. Rio natives celebrate their independence with lot of excitement and joy. Thousands of people come out on the streets to celebrate out their freedom from Portugal. There are various kinds of embellishments all around like balloons, streamers and banners decorating every nook and corner. There are parades in schools and the Brazilian flag is hoisted in all public and government organizations with great pride. In the evening there are fireworks displays in the city square which are worth watching.

Umbanda - Festival of the Goddess of the Sea

On 31st December, every year people gather at the Copacabana beach to honour the sea goddess Iemanjá. Iemanjá is also the goddess of Carnal pleasures and it’s the duty of her devotees to satiate her craving with the celebrations of dancing, smoking and trance. In the evening devotees present their offerings in the form of champagne, perfumes and flowers on rafts floating in the sea.

Christmas

Like the traditional Christmas celebrations even in Rio, the Christmas tree is decorated with various embellishments. Some times instead of conventional pine tree, tropical trees are used for decorations. Prayers are held in churches on Christmas Eve and celebrations and fireworks are on full swing till advent of New Year. Along with the song, dance and music, many visitors land up at the Ipanema beach to view the world’s largest floating Christmas tree, gliding on the lagoa.