Fat Tuesday Is One Beautiful, Colorful Celebration

Updated on 3/5/2014 at 10:00 PM

Today is Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday, or the end of Carnival, depending on where you live! Tomorrow, Lent begins, meaning it's the final day of indulgences. In Italy, Carnival is called "Carnevale," and it's especially big in Venice, where citizens enjoy masked balls, fireworks, and feasts. But nowhere is the season bigger than in Brazil. Samba dancing, elaborate parades, and lots of skin are the norm for the six days leading up to Ash Wednesday. In England, things are a bit tamer for Shrove Tuesday, when children flip pancakes traditionally made the day before Lent as a way to use up rich foods like milk, eggs, and sugar before fasting beings. And let's not forget New Orleans, the American capital of Mardi Gras, beaded necklaces, and elaborate floats! Take a trip around the world now.

A member of Vila Isabel samba school performed during a parade in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

In New Orleans, the Krewe of Mondo Kayo Social Marching Club celebrated.

A Karneval-goer smiled in Cologne, Germany, where revelers wore homemade costumes.

Young Choristers of Salisbury Cathedral Choir in England flipped pancakes to mark Shrove Tuesday.

Participants marched in Sydney, Australia, for the annual gay pride/Mardi Gras parade.

San Marco Square was flooded in Venice, Italy, for the last day of Carnivale.

A woman sported a mask for the Carnevale di Venezia spectacle, which dates back to 1162.

In Rio, a samba dancer showed some signature skin.

In Venezuela, a couple took in the Carnival holiday with a sunset dip.

A reveler dressed up for Nice Carnival in the French Riviera.

A woman dressed as a wild cat took to Rio's streets.