Mardi Gras midnight before Ash Wednesday. In earlier times, parades were held on New Year's Day. Other cities famous for Mardi Gras celebrations include Rio de Janeiro; Barranquilla, Colombia; George Town, Cayman Islands; Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago; Quebec City, Quebec, Canada; and Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico. Carnival is an important celebration in Anglican and Catholic European nations. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the week before Ash Wednesday is called "Shrovetide", ending on Shrove Tuesday. It has its popular celebratory aspects, as well. Pancakes are a traditional food. Pancakes and related fried breads or pastries made with sugar, fat, and eggs
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