Carnival parades return tonight after 2-year Covid hiatus

Carnival, Brazil’s most emblematic of holidays, has been either put on hold or canceled outright since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. While there was some hope that this year’s festivities would be able to take place as normal at the end of February, those expectations were quickly dashed — and major cities chose to “postpone” the holiday until this month.

Now, with the federal government poised to announce the end of Brazil’s coronavirus public health emergency, Carnival is finally upon us. Samba school parades in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo begin this evening, running through until the weekend.

Samba schools are typically community-based organizations which plan months in advance to parade during Carnival, hoping to take home the annual trophy after the judges’ submit their scores.

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