The Rio Carnival is a rambunctious series of parades and parties held 40 days before Easter, just before Lent begins. It’s also one of the most important events in Brazilian culture. Preparations for the Rio Carnival go on for months before the event, and iff you’re lucky enough to be in Rio during Carnival, you can expect spectacular parades put on by the city’s samba schools, along with street parties, live Brazilian music and plenty more.Rio de Janeiro’s celebration of carnival can be traced back to 1723, according to Ipanema.com. It came to Brazil along with Portuguese immigrants who called it the Entrudo. Entrudo was essentially a giant water fight with people setting out to soak others with water and limes. No one, even royalty, was immune from being drenched. It was eventually outlawed because the authorities didn’t like to see so many people losing control.