Bahian Carnival

Bahian Carnival
Carnival parade in Salvador, Brazil
Also called	"The biggest carnival in the world"(Portuguese: O maior carnaval do mundo)
Type	cultural, religious
Significance	Celebration prior to fasting season of Lent.
Celebrations	Parades, parties, open-air performances
Begins	Thursday before Ash Wednesday (52 days to Easter)
Ends	Ash Wednesday noon (46 days before Easter)
2017 date	February 23-March 1
2018 date	February 8-February 14
2019 date	February 28-March 6
Frequency	annual
Related to	Carnival, Brazilian Carnival, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Micareta

Bahian Carnival (Portuguese: Carnaval baiano) is the annual carnival festival celebrated in the Brazilian state of Bahia, mainly in its capital, Salvador. The event lasts officially for six full days: it starts on a Thursday, then follows the usual five days of carnival (from Friday to Wednesday at noon). The term may also be used to comprise related events that happen immediately before or after the carnival in Bahia. Therefore, extending the duration for up to twelve days.

The festival happens simultaneously in many sites, being the most famous the Campo Grande track (in the upper part of the city), Barra-Ondina track (by the shore), and Pelourinho (the historical neighborhood). It features many different rhythms and has performances of several music groups. The most traditional presentations are the trio elétrico parades, and Afro blocks presentations. Estimations state that approximately 2.5 million people (being 1.5 million tourists) participate in the festivities every year. Economic reports show that the festival has a large impact at Salvador’s local economy.

In 1950, Adolfo Dodô Nascimento and Osmar Álvares Macêdo, better known as Dodô and Osmar created the Fobica, an open float adapted for musical presentations, and the trio elétrico was born. By 1952, the term trio elétrico had become generic, in reference to a truck or bus carrying musicians around during Bahian carnival. In 1969, Caetano Veloso's song "Atrás do trio-elétrico" (Behind the trio-elétrico) popularized the Trio Elétrico sound nationwide. Today, the presence of Trio Elétrico trucks is one of the main attractions of the Carnaval da Bahia.

Starting from the new year's eve, several events loosely related to the carnival happen in Salvador. A very traditional event is the "Washing of the stairways of Bonfim's church" (Portuguese: Lavagem da Escadaria da Igreja de Nosso Senhor do Bonfim), which happens since 1745 on the second Thursdays of January. A more recent event is the Salvador Summer Festival, a music festival which happens usually every late January.