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
Rio Comprido, Rio de Janeiro Rio Comprido, Rio de Janeiro Rio Comprido is a neighborhood located in the center (Centro) of Rio de Janeiro city, in Brazil. It borders the Catumbi, Estácio, Praça da Bandeira and Tijuca neighborhoods. The name Rio Comprido comes from the river passing through it. This river is currently canalized and completely degraded, and empties into Guanabara Bay. The name "Rio Comprido" means Long River. In the 17th century the Rio Comprido valley produced sugarcane, flowed off by a warehouse in embarkations which conducted it to the bay. In the 19th century, the sugar farming was replaced by coffee farming. The