Carnival in Ecuador and Brazil

Ecuador celebrates Carnival with games, parades and dances.

Water play is common in some parts of the country, especially in the Ecuadorian beaches. Carnival in Ecuador is a time to rest from the everyday. Carnival is time to play and enjoy with family and friends.

Today, in many cities, allegorical parades that invite dancing and singing are performed.

Carnival in Brazil

The Brazilian Carnival is an annual celebration that begins forty days before Easter, marking the beginning of Lent. Brazil's carnival is celebrated in the streets of the country during the three days before Ash Wednesday.

Carnival's main event is the parade of different samba schools competing to be chosen that year.

It is very characteristic enjoy the electric trios that take over the city in trucks at top speed all the time followed by crowds dancing.

Origin of Carnival

Carnival is a popular festival. This celebration before Lent. The word comes from the Latin expression carnem levare, remove the meat, citing the prohibition against eating meat during the forty days of Lent. It usually takes place during the three days preceding Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent in the Christian calendar.

The carnival possibly originated in pagan festivals such as Saturnalia and Dionysian.

Some people believe that the word carnival means a supposed ancient pagan tradition in which meat was offered to the god Baal at a party where anything goes.

Meals on the Streets

Carnival is a time of celebration and food is an important component of this traditional festival.

During the carnival there are some foods that surely will find being sold on the streets. Cakes and bowling (cakes) are basic. Of these they can be found in a variety of ways and with many different fillings.

The steaks are also a tradition in carnival time. You can find meat on sticks or brochettes, many types of grilled meats, and a variety of sausages.

Drinks are also an important part of this festival. The mineral water and soft drinks are sold everywhere.

Carnival Traditions

Carnival is celebrated with cultural and water, foam carnival, talc, flour or cornstarch to paint their faces or any vegetal painting.

In Ambato, land of flowers and fruits, which are the characteristic cultural comparsas, and where it takes place the parade of allegorical cars decorated with flowers and fruits in the area to parade.

In the southern part of the country, especially in the provinces of Azuay and Cañar, water and some other items such as flour it is also used in some kind of wars, usually between friends and family. In addition there are public and private shows.