Shrove Tuesday and parts of the Commonwealth, Shrove Tuesday is also known as "Pancake Day" as it is a common custom to eat pancakes as a meal. Elsewhere, the day has also been called "Fat Tuesday" or "Mardi Gras". In Germany, the day is known as Fastnachtsdienstag, Faschingsdienstag, Karnevalsdienstag or Veilchendienstag (the last of which translates to violet [the flower] Tuesday), and celebrated with fancy dress and partial school holiday. Similarly, in German American areas such as Pennsylvania Dutch Country, it is known as Fastnacht Day. In the Netherlands, it is known as "vastenavond", or in Limburgish dialect "vastelaovond", though the word
Greater Rio de Janeiro Greater Rio de Janeiro Greater Rio de Janeiro, officially Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Region ("Grande Rio", officially "Região Metropolitana do Rio de Janeiro", in Portuguese) is a large metropolitan area located in Rio de Janeiro state in Brazil, the second largest in Brazil and third largest in South America. It consists of 21 municipalities, including the capital of the State, Rio de Janeiro. The metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro is known as a historical, cultural and economic centre of Brazil, with a total population of 12.6 million inhabitants. The region was first officially defined on July 1, 1974, less