Top 10 carnivals in the world
- By Xu Lin
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E-mail China.org.cn, April 20, 2012
Carnival of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil（巴西里約熱內盧狂歡節）
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Carnival of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Time: In February for 5-7 days
The Carnival of Rio de Janeiro is a world-famous festival held before Lent, usually in February every year, lasting for 5-7 days. It is considered to be the greatest and most colorful carnival in the world with two million people per day in the streets. The first carnival of Rio de Janeiro dates back to mid 19th century.
Similar to other carnivals in the world, the carnival here features parade, balls, flowers and delicious food. What make it distinctive are the key handover ceremony and the large samba contest.
The carnival begins with the crowning of the Fat King (King Momo), who is presented with a giant silver and gold key by the city's mayor. The duty of King Momo is to lead people to have a merry carnival. Then the carnival events are held everywhere in the city: in the streets and squares, bars, clubs and all other venues.
The climax of the carnival is the samba contest, when the performers from the best samba schools in Rio attend the parade and compete to be the best in Brazil. With the large number of performers and their gorgeous clothing, the samba contest here is known as "the greatest show on the Earth."
