Celebrating Mardi Gras around the world

King’s Day, or Twelfth Night, usually celebrated Jan. 6, marks the beginning of the carnival season. However, the 12-day period leading up to Mardi Gras is the most eventful with more than 70 parades.

While an abundance of alcohol and flashes of nudity may first to come to mind, most parades and festivities are actually family-friendly.

The official colors are purple, gold and green — representing justice, power and faith, respectively. Colored beads were originally tossed to people who exhibited the color’s meaning. Other throws, or items tossed from floats, are cups, stuffed animals and plastic coins.

When Mardi Gras celebrations first began, masks allowed people to hide their identities and socialize with people outside of their social class. Now during parades, masks are worn by float riders only, who are required to wear them by law. On Mardi Gras, the public can wear masks, too.

King cakes are popular during the carnival season. King cake parties are hosted on or after the Twelfth Night to honor the three wise men who visited baby Jesus. A tiny, plastic baby is hidden inside the braided Danish pastry and whoever finds it in their slice must host the next king cake party.

The day before Ash Wednesday became known in France as Mardi Gras from the tradition of feasting on eggs, meat and dairy products.

The Carnaval de Nice is the largest carnival and Mardi Gras celebration in France. The two-week celebration consists of the Carnival Parade and Flower Parade, the two main events, as well as a rock ’n’ roll parade, a Zumba party and a traditional burning of an effigy.

The Carnival Parade features large figurines, some made of traditional papier mache, and 18 floats designed around the year’s theme. Street theater and music groups participate in the parades as well.

The Flower Parade features 20 flower-covered floats with float riders throwing flowers into the crowd.

Beignets, a pillowy, fried doughnut covered in powdered sugar, are a popular treat during Mardi Gras in France.

The largest Mardi Gras celebration in the world is the annual Rio Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. Around half a million tourists make their way to Rio each year to participate in the five-day celebration.

More than 70 samba schools — social clubs or groups representing a neighborhood of Rio — parade during the carnival showcasing a particular theme. Only the 12 leading schools perform during the Samba Parade, the largest in the carnival, at the Sambadrome Marquês de Sapucaí, a stadium with a half-mile runway.

Each school’s 3,000 to 5,000 members wear costumes detailed with feathers, gems and metallic colors. Schools dance down the runway to samba music alongside decorative floats. The top six schools are chosen on Ash Wednesday and perform once more at the Champions Parade the following Saturday.

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