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
Maracanã River (Rio de Janeiro) Maracanã River (Rio de Janeiro) The Maracanã River of Rio de Janeiro ( ), which means parrot-like in Tupi–Guarani, is a river located in Rio de Janeiro state in southeastern Brazil. The Maracanã River flows, now canalized, eastwards through the northern districts and neighbourhoods of the city of Rio de Janeiro to its mouth at the Canal do Mangue, that eventually flows into Guanabara Bay. The "Estádio do Maracanã", one of the largest football stadiums in the world, was named after the Maracanã River. The nearby and smaller "Ginásio do Maracanãzinho" indoor arena is a derivative name, "Maracanãzinho" meaning Little