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The biggest carnival in the world has officially started in Rio de Janeiro. Mayor Eduardo Paes symbolically handed over the key to the city to "King Momo," the merry "monarch" who will "rule" Rio during the four-day carnival.

The official celebrations will reach their peak on Sunday and Monday evening to the sound of drums and samba.

Officials expect more than 70,000 people to gather at the Sambadrome each night.

Millions of people will watch it live.

And hundreds of street festivities are expected to be attended by more than five million people.

Originating in Rio's impoverished favelas, samba schools bring together thousands of dancers, singers, drummers, and motorcades to tell a story about a chosen theme, fighting to impress the panel of judges.

Many schools go back to their roots, choosing themes related to the founders of the samba genre, the Afro-Brazilian culture from which it originated, and the impoverished region of northeastern Brazil dominated by blacks and mixed races.

The city estimates the carnival will bring 4.5 billion reais ($880 million) to the local economy. Hotel occupancy is expected to exceed 95 percent.

The city has installed 34,000 portable toilets in public spaces and deployed a small army of sanitation workers, who typically clear about 1,000 tons of trash.

Blocao

Hundreds of dogs barked and wagged their tails to samba music as they marched in front of pet lovers in a dog costume contest.

Blocao, a mix of "blocko," which refers to street carnival parties, and "sao," or dog in Portuguese, drew about 300 people in Rio's Barra da Tijuca. Dog costumes ranged from fairies and superheroes to clowns and cartoon characters.

Blocao is one of the few events that threw in the gauntlet last year against the city's ban on street parties due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This has been happening for about 20 years.

Marco Antonio Vieira, the organizer of Blocao, said he had no intention of dehumanizing pets with the above-mentioned parade and contest that selects the top five.

"Thirty years ago they lived in our yard, now they live in our bed. They are happy to be with their owner. When a dog sees its owner, it becomes happy," said Vieira.

Photos: Reuters, AFP, AP

Video: Mr. Movie Store YouTube channel

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