If you’re going to Brazil this December, you’re arriving just in time for the warm-up to the biggest street party on the planet. Carnival usually falls in February, sometimes in early March, and the buildup starts long before then. Parties, open rehearsals, bloco announcements, and costume planning take over the cities. Learning a few key Portuguese words will make the whole experience smoother and a lot more fun.<\/p>\n\n
Here are ten essentials that will help you feel at home in the crowd.<\/p>\n\n A bloco<\/strong> is a street party with its own theme, band, and loyal fans. Some of them are tiny and laid-back, while others can attract thousands of people. People spend December tracking the blocos\u2019 schedules so that when Carnival hits full speed, they know where to be.<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n This word sums up the spirit of Carnival. Folia<\/strong> means playful chaos; it is the mood everyone slips into the moment the drums start.<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n Your fantasia<\/strong> is your costume. Anything works if it’s bright, comfortable, and fun. Even in December, shops start filling up with glitter, wings, and headpieces.<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n You may get an abad\u00e1<\/strong> if you join a paid section of a bloco or a special party. It\u2019s a T-shirt that traditionally serves as your ticket. People usually cut and modify them to make them their own.<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n Samba<\/strong> is the heartbeat of Carnival. You’ll hear samba everywhere from samba school rehearsals to bars and sidewalks. Even if you can’t dance, knowing the word helps you find the music.<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n Cerveja<\/strong> means beer. You\u2019ll say this word often. Street vendors carry coolers of cold cerveja all summer long.<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n Caipirinha<\/strong> is Brazil’s national cocktail. Lime, sugar, and cacha\u00e7a. It is strong, refreshing, and you can find it at any bloco.<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n This one will save you. Banheiro<\/strong> means bathroom. During Carnival, you will find paid port-a-potties around major party routes.<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n The desfile<\/strong> is the parade inside the Sambadrome. This is the big, choreographed show where samba schools compete. Even if you stay on the streets, hearing the word will tell you that something major is happening.<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n Ax\u00e9<\/strong> is positive energy. People use it as a blessing or as a way to wish someone good vibes. If someone says \u201cax\u00e9\u201d to you, just smile and send it back.<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n In December, Brazil begins to glow with anticipation. Summer is in full swing, and so are rehearsals; the countdown has begun. Memorize these words, keep your heart open, and you\u2019ll slip right into the rhythm of Carnival season. Enjoy every beat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If you’re going to Brazil this December, you’re arriving just in time for the warm-up to the biggest street party on the planet. Carnival usually falls in February, sometimes in early March, and the buildup starts long before then. Parties, open rehearsals, bloco announcements, and costume planning take over the cities. Learning a few key […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1274,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1273","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-portuguese"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1273","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1273"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1273\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1275,"href":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1273\/revisions\/1275"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1274"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1273"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1273"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1273"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}1. Bloco (street party)<\/h2>\n
2. Folia<\/h2>\n
3. Fantasia<\/h2>\n
4. Abad\u00e1<\/h2>\n
5. Samba<\/h2>\n
6. Cerveja (beer)<\/h2>\n
7. Caipirinha<\/h2>\n
8. Banheiro (bathroom)<\/h2>\n
9. Desfile (parade)<\/h2>\n
10. Ax\u00e9<\/h2>\n