Cauã Zenha
For many, the year only truly begins after Carnival. In 1964, following this tradition, what the newspapers called "The Greatest Show on Earth" opened, in a peculiar way, a year that would prove to be quite unusual. This was because, besides that year's calendar having the Rei Momo festivities planned to start on February 8th – instead of at the end of the month as usual –, the Secretary of Security, Gustavo Borges, surprised revelers on the eve of the festivities by announcing that he would arrest anyone who kissed on the mouth in public, arguing that public kisses would violate moral principles and displease tourists. However, the ban resulted in notable resistance against the police, being reported by newspapers as a "kissing epidemic" in the city.
Early that year, the city of Rio de Janeiro welcomed thousands of tourists, including celebrities such as foreign actresses Elza Martinelli and Brigitte Bardot. Millions of revelers flooded the streets, taking part in blocos and ranchos. Furthermore, the clubs served as stages for lively balls, such as the ones organized by Fluminense F.C. staff. The team's gymnasium, which that year was decorated under the theme "fantasies of the Orient," provided a festive and unique atmosphere. In addition, the carnival was marked by the impressive samba school parade, in which schools invested a staggering 1 billion 116 million cruzeiros for their moments of glory on the avenue. The champion, Portela, with the third-largest budget, handed out a three-meter cake to the crowd, promoting the scenes from its samba-enredo "Segundo Casamento de D. Pedro I."
Image description: The image is an old black-and-white newspaper. At the top, there is a bold headline that reads "revelers defeated rio's police: the kiss was on the lips." Below the headline, there is a column of text with information about carnival in Rio de Janeiro. On the right, there are two black-and-white photos. The photo on the left shows a woman smiling, holding a hat. The photo on the right shows two men embracing.Manchete anuncia subversão de foliões cariocas à proibição de beijos públicos
. Curitiba, 10 de fevereiro de 1964. Ultima Hora (PR). Hemeroteca Digital da Biblioteca Nacional.