Lent excess before Lent begins. Some of the most famous are the Carnival of Barranquilla, the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the Carnival of Venice, Cologne Carnival, the New Orleans Mardi Gras, the Rio de Janeiro carnival, and the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival. The day immediately preceding Lent is variously called Mardi Gras ("Fat Tuesday"), Pancake Tuesday, or Shrove Tuesday. Sometimes, it is the peak of the pre-Lenten festival, while sometimes it is largely occupied with preparations for Lent. The observances vary from culture to culture, and even from town to town. Originally, in Lebanon and Syria, the last Thursday
American School of Rio de Janeiro American School of Rio de Janeiro Escola Americana do Rio de Janeiro (EARJ, the American School of Rio de Janeiro) is a twin-campus international school located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The school was founded in 1937 as a private, independent, coeducational, non-denominational day school. EARJ offers an educational program from Nursery through Grade 12 for students of all nationalities. In 2017-18, enrolment was 1,100 students across the Gávea and Barra campuses with 154 members of teaching faculty. The curriculum is that of a U.S. college-preparatory independent day school for students from pre-school through Grade 12. Instruction is in English