Friday, February 20th, 2009 is the day you should be in Rio di Janeiro, for it’s the day that one of the world’s biggest street parties and all-around insane celebrations begins. If you’ve ever wondered just what Carnival is, exactly, or why you need to be there, read on. We’ve got the 5 top reasons why it’s completely un-missable, especially for guys.
Some quick background: Carnival has pagan roots but is now largely a holiday celebrated in traditionally catholic countries, which sounds nauseatingly boring when you first hear about it, but is actually good, in that it was the time when, just before settling in for the long, celibate slog known as lent, every part of society went completely crazy and could do whatever they hell they wanted for a few days.
That’s right: mock the church, mock the elders, mock the idea that life is in any way serious. That was the point of carnival, and now, since we no longer have a huge number of countries defined solely by the church’s presence, the holidays are pretty much just giant parties.
So what are the top five reasons to be in Rio di Janeiro this year? Why is carnival one of those insane, unmissable holidays you need to experience once in your life? Here, let us explain.
5. The Drinking
If you’re from North America and haven’t left the continent specifically for a big European party, you’ve probably never realized just exactly how these things work. Sure, there are big tailgate parties and various sports events where everyone drinks and goes crazy, but there’s nothing like a sustained 4-day party that takes over an entire city from top to bottom.
It just doesn’t exist in that same way, which is why countless people get hooked on South American or Southern European culture the first time they get a taste of its communal life. Carnival in Rio isn’t really run by anyone in particular; sure, there are some agencies and organizations that take care of various things, but it’s stubborn and holds onto its improvisatory, communal roots, which means that if you show up at random, grab a drink, and start partying, no one is going to charge you admission, check your bracelet, bother you about ID even though you’re 25, or tell you to go home after 2AM.
And since drinking restrictions aren’t so insane in the rest of the world as they are in the US (do you really have to be 21 there?), there isn’t the same kind of binge-drinking culture, where certain venues and pre-approved times (Saturday night, etc) exist in which one can go all-out, but otherwise alcohol consumption is rather limited. No, places like Brazil are a little more relaxed when it comes to these things.
What this means for the average Western drinker is this: you will find the access to alcohol and the joy and relaxation inherent in its consumption to be completely different than what you’re used to. Don’t overdo it and treat it like one big bar that closes soon, just enjoy your booze and let it help you party like the rest of the city. That’s what it’s there for.
4. Unmistakeable Carnival Atmosphere
There’s something weird about Carnival, something about the Pagan roots that seem to bubble up no matter how far removed the current festival is from them. It’s a spirit of do-anything, a kind of temporary permission, granted by no one, to do whatever the hell you want.
This doesn’t mean you can go off robbing banks and blowing up bridges, just that when you see the mayor of a major city, or various other important officials, all acting with an equal sense of abandon, it gives you massive amount of license to do the same thing yourself. That’s the fundamental essence of Carnival, and you’ll find it strongest in Rio.
3. The Nudity
Ah, you knew we were getting to this, right? See, since the whole festival is organized by no one in particular, there isn’t much wrong with flashing a little skin. The general rules go: topless women on the floats = OK. Occasionally, something more = frowned upon, but what can you do? This gets controversial, but it happens, and if you’re there and watching the parades, you’ll probably get to see some very fantastic women in various stages of undress, moving at an incredible speed, which brings us to…
2. The Samba
Maybe not the big parade samba all the time, which is so insanely flashy and over-the-top that it starts to lose some of its original sexiness, but damnit there is no better place to find beautiful women dancing samba than Rio during Carnival. There are so many people there for that weekend, you can just wander over to a random corner and be completely blown away by the unbridled sexiness of several beautiful Brazilian ladies dancing into the night with sheer abandon. Speaking of beautiful women…
1. Brazilian Women in General
This is the number one reason to go to Brazil at anytime, and thus the number one reason to go during Carnival. I mean seriously, have you seen who this country produces? No? Not to worry, Ryoni.com will provided you with all the exhausting research required. Check out this video of Adriana Lima. Or our feature on Alessandra Ambrosio. Hell, here’s more Adriana Lima for you. Not to mention Gisele. Or Ana Beatriz. Or Izabel Goulart. Damn damn damn, I’m booking a plane ticket this second.
