these important elements are not often understood by visitors, yet they hold the key to fully appreciating the importance of blocos in the history of rio de janeiro.

the traditions behind blocos and carnival in general are complex, and simply observing may not be enough to interpret the roles and origins of the costumes.

historically, blocos have always been accessible to everyone, unlike the carnival balls that were traditionally reserved to the upper classes.

these street parties have long served as a platform to unabashedly address social tensions and issues in free way.

people could act as 'the other' for whatever means they felt appropriate, and draw attention to people or topics via their costumes.