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By: Ikedi Ani-okoye.

Carnival ships

Carnival Cruises aboard the carnival ship line are most often scheduled for the Caribbean, but as of 2007 Carnival cruises aboard the Carnival Freedom to both Turkey and Greece, and aboard the Carnival Spirit to Alaska and Hawaii are now available.

In the Southern Caribbean, Carnival Destiny leaves from the Ports of San Juan, Aruba, and Barbados, and the Carnival Fantasy class ships are reserved for the prototypical three to five day Carnival cruises from Miami to ports in Mexico, the Bahamas, and nearby Caribbean destinations.

Rio Carnival

The Carnival of Rio is one of the most popular annual parties in the whole world. The exuberant floats, the beautiful samba dancers, and the contagious joy of its people make Brazil the ideal spot for those searching for excitement and unique experiences.

In fact, once you hear the rhythmic beating of the drums, your feet will start moving turning you into another participant of this great celebration that takes place in Samba schools, on Avenida Marques de Sapucai, or in the street blocks. But Brazil offers much more – It offers natural beauty and green areas like no other place. It’s a place injected with life. From the Amazon rainforest to the Iguazu Falls, there is definitely plenty to see and do in Brazil.

Highlights of the rio carnival

The highlight of the carnival is the Sambodromo, or Samba Parade. The parade is broadcast in many countries and all Brazilian states. Many people call it “the greatest show on earth”. The Sambodromo is a 700-meter long strip flanked by spectator stands and luxury boxes. The main attraction is the sounds and sights of the parading samba schools that continue till daybreak.

Only the 14 best samba schools are selected to parade through the Sambodromo. It can take over an hour for a single samba school to pass a given point along the parade route. Each samba school has an elaborately decorated float, often accompanied by sensuous females vibrating to the hypnotic music. The floats are accompanied by marching samba bands of up to 300 musicians surrounded by female dancers.

Costumes at the carnivals

During Carnival people wear masks and costumes of different kinds: Costumes that symbolize characters from mythology, costumes related to nature, to legend, to styles and historic eras, to church characters, and to characters from the comedia del Arte. The most famous character in the Carnival of Venice is the doctor wearing black robe and white mask, born after the plague in Europe, when doctors were careful not to catch the disease from their patients.

CONCLUSION

African traditions of parading in circles through villages whilst wearing costumes and masks was believed to bring good fortune and drive away evil spirits returning them to the next world. Carnival has borrowed from these African traditions through the use of costumes and masks. The early costumes and masks used natural objects to create the costume/mask with each representing a spiritual force.