Brazil's Carnival and New Orleans' Mardi Gras happen at the same time. Can you guess which picture is from which?

• New Orleans' Mardi Gras and Brazil's Carnival are elaborate celebrations days before Lent starts. 
• Mardi Gras' famous parades have eccentric costumes, floats, and traditions.
• Carnival's celebrations include intricate shows from samba dancers. 
• Can you tell which is which?

Before the Catholic religion enters 40 days of repentance and fasting for Lent, adherents celebrate.

These celebrations happen all over the world and are larger-than-life. Two of the most notable are Mardi Gras in New Orleans and Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Both of these events focus on gorging on the finer things in life and doing everything in excess before giving it all up for Lent. 

In early March, New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro are filled with celebrations all over the city, but the real showstoppers are their parades. 

Keep reading to see which parade is which and how they differ.  

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Where are these two celebrating?

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Answer: They're celebrating Mardi Gras in New Orleans and are known as Mardi Gras Indians. Some believe this cultural blending occurred when escaped slaves sought asylum with native tribes in Louisiana. 

Where in the world can you find these two?

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Answer: These two are at the Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans, where masks are commonplace. 

Where in the world can you find this float?

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Answer: This float is in New Orleans at Mardi Gras, where there are 54 separate parades with over 1,000 floats.