Rio de Janeiro Events
Any calendar of events in Rio de Janeiro begins around mid-December which pulls double duty as both Christmas time and the beginning of summer. With temperatures regularly reading three figures, the holidays are very much outdoor affairs.
Rio’s Christmas
There is no white Christmas, but throughout December the festivities are celebrated as anywhere else in the world. Instead of fir trees, Christmas palm trees are decorated and Santa is still dressed in his traditional outfit and churches display elaborate nativity scenes. A Christmas Eve half-day holiday features midnight Masses throughout the city with an especially famous Mass with Gregorian chants celebrated at the baroque São Bento monastery. Christmas Day follows with typical Christmas celebrations.
Rio’s New Years Eve
The next Rio de Janeiro event is New Year’s Eve second only to Carnival and one of the largest parties takes place on Copacabana Beach, as people in white dress toss flowers into the water in honor of Iemanja (African goddess of the sea) and watch one of the largest fireworks displays in the world.
Rio Celebrates The Magi and Rio’s Patron Saint
Twelfth Night, another of Rio de Janeiro events (Jan 6), marks the end of the Christmas festivities with the feast of the Three Wise Men including games of chance, casting of charms, and sharing of a special cake with families and friends. St. Sebastian’s Day (Jan 20) is a Rio de Janeiro event and public holiday honoring Rio’s patron saint. Ceremonies combine Roman Catholic and Afro-Brazilian rituals and conclude with an evening procession from the Church of São Sebastião dos Frades Capuchinhos bearing a statue of the city’s patron saint to the Metropolitan Cathedral.
Rio’s Carnaval Tune Up
In mid to late January, Rio de Janeiro events continue with pre-Carnival street festivals of which Ipanema’s stands out with the Banda de Carmen Miranda and the Banda de Ipanema. Enjoy the fun, the cacophony of sounds, the vibrant colors, the Brazilian beauties, and more than a few drag queens on parade in this unique Rio de Janeiro event. Other pre-Carnival events include election of the Carnival King and His Queen and “rehearsals” at the countless samba schools, costume exhibitions, and general merrymaking. This continues through-out early February.
The Rio Carnaval
Carnaval – on the heels of Lent – the most famous of Rio de Janeiro events begins with Carnaval’s famed street party, perhaps the greatest in the world. The largest crowds are drawn to the celebrations in Ipanema, Copacabana, Leblon, and Centro where the explosion of color and noise reaches a crescendo with every street filled with parades and interspersed parties. The evening continues with costume balls and general revelry well into the morning.
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