DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

       The Carnival of Brazil , is an annual festival held 46 days before Easter.  On certain days of Lent, Roman Catholics and some other Christians traditionally abstained from the consumption of meat and poultry, hence the term "carnival ", from  carnelevre , "to remove meat".  Carnival celebrations are believed to have roots in the pagan festival of Saturnalia , which, adapted to Christianity, became a farewell to bad things in a season of religious discipline to practice repentance and prepare for Christ's death and resurrection.    Rhythm, participation, and costumes vary from one region of Brazil to another.  In the southeastern cities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, huge organized parades are led by samba schools.  Those official parades are meant to be watched by the public, with mini parades ("blocos") allowing a public participation can be found in other cities.  The northeastern cities of Salvador, Porto Segur and Recife have