Brazil is the country of Carnival. All major cities comemorate, nowadays back in the streets. The "official" bureaucratic Samba-School event is slowly being pushed to "not-so-important".

Even São Paulo, once called the "grave of the samba" with slow and empty Carnival has returned to street events, with music, dance and funny dressing. The way Carnival was in the distant past.

And a curiosity: it is not an official holyday! But banks close, public services too. Many companies also. But in smaller cities or the countryside it is partially ignored.

It starts on a Friday and ends the next Wednesday at noon, almost 5 days of intense fun.

Something that must be seen when in Brazil at the right time.

Click on the photographs to enlarge.