Oh, sir, then you have missed out on a wonderful festival. Mardi Gras, or Carneval, is a celibration of debauchary, of reverly and merriment, of extreams and hedonism. There is some religeous reason for it, but as far as I can tell it is a party for the last gasp of winter, to give people something to look forward to in cold winter months, before spring has begun.

And it is lovely. There are masks and parades, and for one night people let their passions run wild, showing their true selves with the aid of anonymity.