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
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