- This week, hundreds and thousands of people are flooding the streets of Brazil to celebrate Carnival with lavish costumes, floats, dances, and music.
- Carnival dates back to the 18th century and signifies the beginning of Lent, or the 40 days leading up to Easter.
- This year's festivities will run from February 21 to 29. These are the most dazzling images from Brazil's 2020 carnival.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
The wildest party of the year kicked off in Brazil this week, and the photos are absolutely stunning.
Thousands have gathered in Sambadromes to watch dancers perform a mix of African and Brazilian moves, while others have been partying at all hours in the streets, adorning lavish costumes with sparkles and feathers.
Here are the most dazzling photos from Brazil's 2020 Carnival, and a look into one of the most colorful celebrations of the year.
Carnival in Brazil dates back to the early 18th century. For Catholics, it signifies the beginning of a 40-day period known as Lent.
Source: Business Insider
At the heart of Carnival lies the Sambadrome, a large stadium where thousands gather to watch performers dance the traditional samba.
Source: Visit Brazil
Samba is a blend of African and Brazilian moves and is rooted in the South American slave trade. The dance originated when slaves from Angola and West Africa shared their love of music and dance with Brazilian locals.
Source: Rio Carnival
In Rio de Janeiro, performers from the top 13 samba schools display their moves during a multi-day parade, and the audience determines a winner.
Source: Business Insider, Rio Carnival
Samba schools often include large floats in their performances.
Source: Business Insider
These floats are brightly decorated, massive structures that samba dancers perform.
Source: Business Insider
Floats and costumes are such an important part of the parade that some schools spend millions of dollars on them.
Source: Business Insider
The Sambadrome parade is an explosive mix of dance and culture that dates back to 1932.
Source: Business Insider
During the parade, women in different samba schools dress in lavish costumes and display themselves as "Carnival princesses."
Source: USA Today
Each samba school also has a "Queen of Percussion," who performs non-stop to the rhythm of parade drummers.
Source: Business Insider
Samba schools have specific color schemes that they use to decorate their costumes and floats.
Source: Rio Carnival
The parade processions begin with a "comissão de frente," which is a performance by a small group from each school that reveals the school's costumes and colors.
Source: Business Insider
Some samba costumes include animal themes, while others incorporate references to Brazilian culture and history.
Source: Business Insider
Makeup plays a big role in dressing up for carnival, and members of samba schools often paint their faces together.
Some even paint themselves to resemble members of the animal kingdom.
Source: Business Insider
In Rio, some samba schools date back to the 1930s and 40s, while others were more recently established in the 1990s.
Source: Rio Carnival
These members of the Unidos da Tijuca samba school dressed up in the same costume adorned with glittering lights.
But Sambadromes aren't the only places for celebration during Carnival. People also party in the streets, often forming wild dance circles around each other.
Street parties, also known as Blocos, attract hundreds of people to dance, drink, and listen to music together.
Source: Rio Carnival
During street parties, you can find people performing Frevo dances, a type of movement that involves leaping in the air and twirling colorful umbrellas.
Source: Huffington Post
Street parties are meant to be a free celebration of carnival, where all people are welcome to gather in celebrations across the country.
Source: Visit Brazil
Dancers often perform wearing huge headdresses and costumes, but it doesn't stop them from missing a beat.
Brazil's Carnival has deep roots in African culture. Feathers, for instance, were used in African costumes as a symbol of rebirth, and wearing tribal masks have become an important part of today's celebrations.
Source: Rio Carnival
In Paraty, a city outside of Rio, people celebrate Carnival with the "Bloco da Lama," or mud festival. Here, party-goers dunk themselves in mud and dance before going to Carnival parades.
Source: Africa News
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