Mardi Gras in New Orleans Mardi Gras in New Orleans The holiday of Mardi Gras is celebrated in Southern Louisiana, including the city of New Orleans. Celebrations are concentrated for about two weeks before and through Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday (the start of lent in the Western Christian tradition). Usually there is one major parade each day (weather permitting); many days have several large parades. The largest and most elaborate parades take place the last five days of the Mardi Gras season. In the final week, many events occur throughout New Orleans and surrounding communities, including parades and balls (some of them
Maré, Rio de Janeiro Maré, Rio de Janeiro Maré is a neighborhood and "favela" (low-income informal neighborhood) in the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is a grouping of several favelas, suburbs with houses, and housing complexes. With approximately 130,000 residents (2006 estimate), it is one of the largest slum complexes in Rio de Janeiro, a consequence of the low indicators of social development that characterize the region. In 2014 it was featured in a BBC Documentary series "Welcome to Rio" which highlighted issues with gangs and its pacification. On March 30, 2014, ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Maré was