Colors of Rio de Janeiro - traditions, festivals, mentality and lifestyle

Local residents are very smiling, cheerful and friendly people. They are very responsive and are always ready to help, so foreigners will literally feel in Rio like at home. The city is home to immigrants from different countries and this is the reason why visitors here are very friendly to newcomers. However, this is also the reason for a taboo for the local people – all talks about race are banned. Any manifestation of neglect concerning this topic can be viewed as racist behavior.

Local people are fond of various holidays and always organize them according to highest standards - the famous Carnival in Rio attracts tourists from all countries of the world. During such festivals and celebrations visitors have fun along with the locals. Sometimes it's hard to understand that there are foreigners in a command of people and several persons are completely unfamiliar – everyone talks and has fun like old good comrades. The famous Carnival in Rio was organized in 1835 for the first time. Then it was nothing but a small ball, where the locals danced and had fun in the colorful costumes and masks. Several years later the celebration already attracted several professional musical groups. A huge drum has always been considered the most important musical instrument and the symbol of the holiday.

Steadily the number of cultural events associated with the carnival increased. First colorful carts, which visitors can see nowadays during the modern holiday, appeared in 1855. The performance of samba schools is considered the culmination of the modern carnival. This is colorful dance show, the preparation to which lasts the whole year. Luxury costumes and elegance of dancers simply fascinate spectators. Each year as little as a hundred of schools of samba participate in this amazing holiday. The carnival in Rio is an important global event, so there is no wonder why organizers of the festival try to make it as attractive for travelers as possible. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

There is no such a person in the world who has never heard about the Brazilian Carnival. The mad energy of the musical rhythms, the incendiary movements of the dancers, the bright feathers, the shine of the rhinestones, the half-naked exotic beauties - the whirlwind of emotions that grabs any action that falls on it. This event is comparable only with the eruption of a volcano or a thousand-mile salute. Many tourists go to Rio-de-Janeiro when all the streets are transformed beyond recognition here. The Carnival in Rio-de-Janeiro takes place once a year, in February, at the height of the Brazilian summer. It opens a week before Easter, on Saturday, and lasts until the next Wednesday, called "ashy". For all these 4 days, the mayor of Rio-de-Janeiro passes all the rights to administer the city to the Carnival King. In parallel, the neighboring cities of San Paulo, Recife, Salvador, Fortaleza are also covered by a wave of fun and music.

The Brazilian beer festival is the most grandiose event of its kind outside the European continent. Annually, from October 1 to October 20, Santa Catarina hosts almost 2 million tourists. Traditional entertainment is a beer marathon, during which the participants of the competition run a mile and a half, drinking every 300 meters on a large mug of beer. Absorption of the foamy drink is accompanied by a mandatory "Prosit!", a joint swing and a traditional Teutonic roar. Oktoberfest is celebrated in this state, not by chance - thanks to the large number of people from the Rhine, Isar, and Elbe, it has long been called "Brazilian Germany". The city is visited by painted cisterns, from which local beer is sold - by the way, is not worse than German beer. And that was, from what to drink, at each corner are traded mugs, German in appearance, Brazilian in origin and varied in form and size.

New Year in Rio-de-Janeiro passes at the height of summer. All the streets, restaurants, cafes, shops and other establishments are decorated with colorful illumination, lights, and garlands. Local people start preparation for Christmas and New Year holidays in October, so the front view is preserved until the middle of January. Brazilian people celebrate New year at home, restaurants or clubs. As a rule, several families gather at one table and form one and big fun company. During the New Year celebration, locals dress all white clothes, present each other presents and enjoy the holiday. In Rio de Janeiro on New Year's Eve, it is customary to throw white flowers into the water of the Atlantic Ocean, making the beaches white. In honor of the holiday, a grand salute is arranged: the sky lights up with thousands of colorful sparks in 16 minutes!