(LaPresse) Members of Afro-Brazilian and Catholic religious groups performed a purification ritual in Rio de Janeiro’s sambodrome on Saturday (February 3) ahead of the official start of the city’s carnival next week. Wearing traditional clothing, participants danced and “swept” the avenue at the iconic location with brooms made of rue, a plant that in Brazil is associated with cultural and spiritual practices. In fact, people believe that the plant has the power to ward off negative energies and the evil eye. This year, carnival participants will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the opening of the Sambadromo, which according to Eduardo Paes, mayor of Rio de Janeiro, has become the official space of samba. Rio de Janeiro Carnival will begin on Friday 9 February with the parade of special groups from the city’s samba schools who will then parade through the Sambodromo on 11 and 12 February. (LaPresse)
February 4, 2024 – Updated February 4, 2024, 1:02 pm
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