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
Vidigal, Rio de Janeiro Vidigal, Rio de Janeiro Vidigal is a neighborhood and also a favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Vidigal overlooks Ipanema Beach () and Ilhas Cagarras. It is located in the South Zone of Rio, between Leblon and São Conrado neighborhoods. In November 2011, Vidigal and its neighboring community, Rocinha, were pacified by the Pacifying Police Unit. This so-called pacification has shown to be more cosmetic than real and criminals from the ADA gang (Amigos dos Amigos or Friends of Friends) that have kept the real power unabated by police, continued to sell drugs and extort the inhabitants through the sale