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 frequented by affluent crowd.

these street parties have long served as a platform to unabashedly address social concerns in a fun and free way - people could act as 'the other' for whatever means they felt appropriate, and draw attention to people or topics via their costumes.

through blocos, carnival in rio became a place of expressive freedom without many rules to limit this expression - excesses were not only allowed but encouraged, which made the environment more passionate and jovial.