Getting The Best Out Of Carnaval Vacation
January 2, 2009 – 3:53 pmThe word “Carnaval” came from two words – carne, which means meat and vale, which means farewell. From this translation you might already have an idea of the reason for this celebration and the dates on which it’s observed.
Carnaval is a celebration that begins before the official start of Lent. These festivals are celebrated every Fat Tuesday (the day before Ash Wednesday) and usually last for four days. These celebrations are somehow considered as the final days of feasting, since Lent will be the start of fasting and abstinence from meat for devout Catholics.
During the days of Carnaval, you”ll experience constant partying which culminates with the dance parade in Rio de Janeiro. If you have the budget, you’ll be able to party with a lot of popular persons not only in Brazil but even popular personalities from other countries. These parties are dubbed Masquerade Balls and almost any hotel available will offer this type of party. Of course you have to show up in a costume in order to join the party. For small parties, you can probably rent a gown but if you do end up in the Copacabana Palace Hotel, you might have to spend a little bit more. Entrance to the most popular masquerade ball during the carnaval will cost you no less than $200.00.
Your carnaval vacation will never be complete if you don’t attend the parade that culminates in the Sambodromo. You can either watch the parade on the streets or watch the actual samba competition in the world’s biggest stage for samba competition.
Watching different samba schools perform on the street will never cost you anything while you’re enjoying your carnival vacation. But if you want to watch more closely, the Sambodromo will give you a great view of the dancers. Ticket prices could be as cheap as $7.00 but sometimes rise to $2,500 for premier seats.