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People in Brazil celebrate Carnival with mud parties

A woman laughing whilst covered completely in mud, holding her arms out to the sidesAP

Hundreds of people take part in Paraty's "mud carnival"

When you think of Carnival celebrations in Brazil, you probably imagine bright costumes covered in sequins and feathers with lots of sparkle.

And you'd be right - Rio Carnival, which is currently taking place in Rio de Janeiro, is famous around the world for its colourful parades and lively street parties.

But people in an area of southern Brazil called Paraty, have been celebrating in a very different way.

Instead of glitter, they've been covering themselves head-to-toe in mud.

What is Rio Carnival?

A colorful parade in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil with people wearing bright, colourful costumes and head dresses. There's a figure of a head with a witch hat on a float and the parade is being watched by a large crowd in a busy stadiumAP

Rio Carnival is famous for its colourful parades and bright costumes

Carnival in Rio de Janeiro is thought to be one of the biggest and brightest festivals in the world.

Every year, around two million people gather in the streets to enjoy huge parades and parties filled with live music, samba dancers in colourful costumes and lots of tasty food.

The celebrations take place between February and March, before the Christian festival of Lent - a period of 40 days in the run-up to Easter.

During Lent, some Christians choose to give up something that they enjoy, like chocolate or sweets.

Because of this, Carnival is thought to have become one last big celebration before Lent begins.

In Rio de Janeiro, it grew out of a festival called 'Entrudo' which was celebrated by Portuguese immigrants to Brazil.

Why do people in Paraty celebrate with mud parties?

A woman diving into thick, dark mud on a beach. Three people are already submerged in itAP

People dive into the mud at Jabaquara Beach

Hundreds of people take part in Paraty's "mud carnival", which is called Bloco da Lama.

They roll around in thick, squishy mud on Jabaquara Beach until they're completely covered, before decorating themselves with leaves and twigs.

Then, they parade through the streets and celebrate with a big party back on the beach.

The festival celebrates connecting with the environment, having fun and taking a break from day-to-day life.

A group of people covered in mud dancing at a party with the hands in the air and mouths open as if they're singingAP

The tradition began in 1986

According to Paraty's website for tourists, the messy tradition started back in 1986, when a group of teenagers were looking for a special way to celebrate Carnival.

They covered themselves in mud from a swamp near the beach and walked through the town centre for a bit of fun.

After seeing how people reacted, they decided to do it every year.

Since then, the tradition has grown, with more people taking part in Bloco da Lama each year.