Huge Fun in Olinda Carnival, Brazil: Giant Puppet Parades
Where do 12-foot tall politicians, soccer players and folk characters meet when they want to have a real good time? In Olinda, of course! Giant puppets have been a tradition in Olinda Carnival since the early 1930s and their origins can be traced back to the 1910s in rural Pernambuco.
Giant puppets are present in different events in Olinda. The greatest gathering is the Giant Puppet Parade on Fat Tuesday, when about 100 of them parade with a huge crowd throng down the narrow cobblestone streets of this Unesco heritage site.
Olinda's very first giant puppet, the Midnight Man (Homem da Meia-Noite), is still out in the streets at his usual hour every year. The Midnight Man parade which takes place at the end of Carnival Saturday in the Bonsucesso district started in 1931. The Midnight Man gained a mate in 1967: the Day Woman (Mulher do Dia). The Afternoon Boy (Menino da Tarde) first appeared in 1974.
The great popularity of giant puppet parades means streets are fit to burst with throngs. Besides representing famous people in current Brazil life, giant puppets have traditional characters which show up every Carnival. Some of them are Lampião, a famous Northeastern backland outlaw; his partner, Maria Bonita; Zé Pereira, a folk symbol of Brazil Carnival; and John Travolta, who gives his name to a local bloco, or Carnival group, founded by fans of Saturday Night Fever.
Keep up with all the parade schedules in the Official Olinda Carnival Guide.
Giant puppets are present in different events in Olinda. The greatest gathering is the Giant Puppet Parade on Fat Tuesday, when about 100 of them parade with a huge crowd throng down the narrow cobblestone streets of this Unesco heritage site.
Olinda's very first giant puppet, the Midnight Man (Homem da Meia-Noite), is still out in the streets at his usual hour every year. The Midnight Man parade which takes place at the end of Carnival Saturday in the Bonsucesso district started in 1931. The Midnight Man gained a mate in 1967: the Day Woman (Mulher do Dia). The Afternoon Boy (Menino da Tarde) first appeared in 1974.
The great popularity of giant puppet parades means streets are fit to burst with throngs. Besides representing famous people in current Brazil life, giant puppets have traditional characters which show up every Carnival. Some of them are Lampião, a famous Northeastern backland outlaw; his partner, Maria Bonita; Zé Pereira, a folk symbol of Brazil Carnival; and John Travolta, who gives his name to a local bloco, or Carnival group, founded by fans of Saturday Night Fever.
Keep up with all the parade schedules in the Official Olinda Carnival Guide.
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