Costumes, music, rhythm, and celebrations -- this year's Carnival celebrations in Brazil is in full swing.
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Members of the comparsa "Carmelitas" parade celebrate Friday in the tourist district of Santa Teresa, in the center of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Photo:Reuters
For the carnival, which officially begins Mar. 1 and will continue into the weekend, the Mayor of Rio de Janeiro hopes to gather more than 7 million followers of the majestic party, including 1.5 million tourists.
Photo:Reuters
Carnival is an annual Brazilian festival held between the Friday afternoon before Ash Wednesday and Ash Wednesday at noon, which marks the beginning of Lent, the forty-day period before Easter.
Photo:EFE
Rhythm, participant engagement, and costumes vary regionally. In the southeastern cities of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and Vitória, huge organized parades are generally led by samba schools.
Photo:Reuters
Official parades are meant to be watched by the public. However minor parades or "blocos" allow public participation.
Photo:EFE
Generally speaking, Carnival is strongly related to Afro-Brazilian culture. However, historically it can also be linked back to the Portuguese Age of Discoveries.
Photo:EFE
Women come together for a group photo during celebrations during Brazil's most famous holiday.
Photo:Reuters