In a few weeks it will once again be time for what is possibly the most well-known celebration in Brazil: Carnaval. This is an annual festival held just before the period of Lent begins (more information about Lent here) and leads to 5 days of pure joy for pretty much the entire country.

There are celebrations held throughout Brazil, and they can differ in nature and style depending which region you are in. Undoubtedly the most famous is the carnaval held in Rio de Janeiro, where different teams (called escolas de samba or samba schools) compete against each other to see who will be crowned that year’s best in the parade. The style of the carnaval in São Paulo in very similar to that of Rio, but maybe just a little less spectacular.

This year the actual carnaval holiday will begin on the 13th of February, but until then there…