This article is a contribution from an Obvious reader. Martha Tavares is a Brazilian immigrant and, for the first time this year, she isn't attending Rio's carnival.

Although carnival is celebrated in thousands of cities around the globe, Rio de Janeiro has become the eternal capital of carnival in the world. Carnival in Rio is not only the biggest, it also serves as a standard for every other celebration to be compared with and show its greatness. Everyone, in any part of the world, has heard of carnival in Rio, an annual event that moves over half a million tourists that flock to Brazil to witness this crazy happening.

This event is a four-day celebration. It officially starts on a Saturday and ends on a Tuesday. Carnival, with all its excesses is celebrated in February, the hottest month is the southern hemisphere, at the peak of summer. Whether it's because of the weather or not, the festive atmosphere is unlike any other, where you can see dancing and bodies with little clothing, in a climate of unique human closeness. This is, in fact, the biggest cultural event in Brazil, incredibly well-known and broadcast around the world.

With this event approaching, here are a few pictures to open your appetite and, who knows, convince a few Europeans to take the trip of a lifetime. One last note to the colourful pictures by Carlos Morel. Refferences at the bottom of the article.

Photos from: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

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