Until the mid-19th century, entrudo was the most widespread carnival tradition among Rio's population. The festival, which took place in the 3 days before Lent, had Portuguese origins and found fertile ground on this side of the Atlantic. It consisted of the occupation of city streets and rural spaces by the people, who played by throwing water, flour, and other things. Revelers from all social classes turned the city upside down, any and all order was subverted, and the unsuspecting passerby who, unluckily, ran into the merrymakers, risked being "graced" with treats of dubious filling or a bath of mud, dirty water, coffee, or even urine.
Woman selling scented lemons on her tray. Carnival scene, detail, Debret, 1823. Source: Blog Ensinar História - Joelza Ester Domingues
Image description: This is a colorful painting depicting a street scene during Carnival. On the left side, a woman is seated, holding a tray of eggs. She wears a white apron and a red turban. Beside her, another figure stands, wearing a hat and a pink shirt. Behind her, two people are talking, one holding a tray of eggs. On the right, a small child is smiling, and in the background, a woman is raising a yellow object.Wealthy families practiced entrudo within their homes, using squirt guns filled with perfumed water and scented lemons, while the best part of the celebration happened out on the street. That was where the poor, including enslaved people, mixed together to celebrate, dance, sing, and release their energy, attacking whoever passed by with their "ammunition"! It was a space for "subversion of denied citizenships," in the words of Luiz Antônio Simas.
Games during the entrudo in Rio de Janeiro. Watercolor by Augustus Earle, 1822. Source: Blog Ensinar História - Joelza Ester Domingues
Image description: This is a painting depicting a lively scene inside a house. The image is in vivid colors, with people dancing and interacting in different positions. On the left side, we see some men dressed in traditional clothing, while on the right, women dance and hold objects. In the center, a figure seated in a chair appears to be watching the party. In the background, through the windows, we see more people watching the celebration.Despite the success of the entrudo, there were many attempts to ban the festival. During the republican period, repression intensified. In the 1890s, legal bans and police actions poured down, echoing the strong negative campaign waged by the press and by an elite that tried to distance itself from popular manifestations and implement hygienist practices.
Despite all the repression, the entrudo remained present in the city until the early years of the 20th century, and together with the cordões and their masqueraders, they brought joy to a large part of the population.
Carnival on Ouvidor Street. Angelo Agostini (detail), 1884. Source: Ensinar História Blog - Joelza Ester Domingues
Image description: This is a black-and-white print depicting a festive event. In the upper part, several people are on balconies, throwing objects down below. In the center, a crowd of men walks toward the left, some of them holding objects. The scene takes place in front of a building with doors and windows.It looks like the source text you intended to include is missing — only "Referências:" (References:) was provided, with no content to translate. Could you please share the full text you'd like translated? Once I have it, I'll provide the English (US) translation following all the formatting rules (preserving markers, links, and placeholders exactly as specified).
ENDERS, Armelle. A história do Rio de Janeiro. 3rd ed. Rio de Janeiro: Gryphus, 2015. MONTEIRO, Débora Paiva. O mais querido "fora da lei": um estudo sobre o entrudo na cidade do Rio de Janeiro (1889-1910). Available at: Encontro ANPUH 2010 SIMAS, Luiz Antônio. O corpo encantado das ruas. Rio de Janeiro: Civilização Brasileira, 2020.
