HISTORY OF CARNIVAL
This is the time of party and fun that ranges from January 6 and Lent, particularly the three days that precede Ash Wednesday. The origin of the word carnival is still uncertain. One of the possible explanations is that it comes from the Latin word carnelevamen as carnis levamen, that is, the pleasures of the flesh, before the sadness and adversities of Lent. The origin of carnival itself is also a mystery.

Some say it comes from the worship of Isis, or the Roman bacchanals, or still the feasts in Greece. Nevertheless, whatever the explanation may be, carnival dates back to the ancient times, or even before that, with its noisy dances, its masks that inspired permissive behavior, and other aspects that have been unchanged until today.



CARNIVAL IN PERNAMBUCO
Pernambuco offers its visitors the most beautiful and varied street carnival in Brazil. Recife, Olinda and a few other cities are completely transformed during carnival. The word of order is thorough relaxation and spontaneity. It is here that Carnival takes the most diversified forms of cultural manifestations in the country. “Maracatus”, “caboclinhos”, “la ursas”, “troças”, “blocos”, carnival clubs, samba schools, among other famous features of our Carnival. It is worth enjoying the carnival atmosphere here, which begins in January and doesn’t seem to have a time or date to end.



RECIFE
Recife promises four days of a lot of excitement on several stages specially built around the city, to attract partygoers of all tastes and tendencies. The Carnival lovers who stay in Recife for the party will get to know all the rhythms of Pernambuco: “mangue beat”, string orchestras, “coco de roda”, “frevo” and “maracatu” – among them the Maracatu Nação Pernambuco, the Estrela Brilhante, and the Maracatu Rural Leão Pernambuco. You will also be delighted with the beauty of the “blocos”, such as BLOCO DA SAUDADE, e BLOCO DAS ILUSÕES that rescue the romance of old carnivals. Besides the central stage in downtown Recife, there are other areas of popular concentration all over the metropolitan area where anybody can have fun in the most democratic festivity of the world.


OLINDA
he city, which holds the title of World’s Cultural Heritage, has the most carefree Carnival of the country. Thousands of people, wearing a wide variety of costumes and dancing to a variety of rhythms, go up and down the slopes of Olinda. Several bands and orchestras play away the whole day on the streets of the city followed by spellbound tireless dancers. While the bands are still to come, the houses, crammed with tourists from all over the world, sway to the sound of a selection of recorded carnival songs. And that goes on and on until Ash Wednesday.


BEZERROS
The “Land of the Papangus”, as it is known, is located about 50 minutes from Recife just off the highway BR 232 westbound. It is home to 52,000 inhabitants, who start celebrating Carnival ten days prior to the official date with the bloco “Acorda Bezerros”. It goes all the way around downtown Bezerros from three o’clock in the morning, with followers wearing pajamas, nightgowns and petty coats. All you have to do to participate is put on your bedtime clothes, hold your nose and jump in. On Carnival Sunday there is the great “papangu” contest, which will appoint the winners of different categories of masked participants. To join Carnival in Bezerros you must wear a mask.


NAZARÉ DA MATA
55 km away from Recife, Nazaré congregates one of the widest varieties of cultural manifestations in the state of Pernambuco, especially when we speak of “maracatus” – 11 altogether. To say nothing of the many “cavalos marinhos”, coco and forró bands. During Carnival, the maracatus gather in the city’s main square as part of their tradition. Today Nazaré is famous for its tradition in disseminating Pernambuco’s rhythms, particularly the maracatu.


TRIUNFO
This culturally traditional city is located on the Pajeú River, some 451 km inland from Recife. Their most famous Carnival festivity is named “Os Caretas”, which started over 50 years ago. Everybody carries and slaps a harmless whip made of a wooden handle, a rope and three tips. They visit different houses where they are received with joy, food and drinks. It is an old tradition, handed down from generation to generation. During the celebrations, participants fight a “battle” in which the winner is the one who produces the loudest slap.


VITÓRIA DE SANTO ANTÃO
Vitória, which stands 51 km away from Recife, is considered one of the happiest places in the state of Pernambuco, when it comes to Carnival. About 100 Carnival clubs take party in the city’s celebrations. The tradition of Carnival in Vitória stems from the rivalry among the clubs. The fight between them is almost as old as the city’s festivities. The greatest clash is held between “O Camelo” e “O Leão”. Until the present time the yellow and blue of the Leão and the red and green of the Camelo have never mixed.