The men of Mardi Gras

The men of Carnaval: Rio vs. Sydney vs. New Orleans edition

Mardi Gras, or Carnaval—depending on where in the world you celebrate it—offers revellers the chance to have a decadent last hurrah before Lent, a Catholic ritual marked by 40 days of doing without.

For those of you who have decided to give up men this year (and, some days, we can’t blame you), we thought we’d put together this decadent compilation of hunky celebrants from Rio, New Orleans, and Sydney to tide you over until Easter.

Rio de Janeiro, March 1-4, 2019
Although the event is celebrated globally, especially in predominantly Catholic countries, Rio de Janeiro‘s Carnaval is by far the largest with 2 million visitors pouring into the Brazilian city for four-days of hardcore partying, elaborate yet skimpy costumes, and samba dancing.

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New Orleans, Tuesday, March 5, 2019
Mention Mardi Gras and most Americans will immediately think New Orleans. The reason for this could be that Mardi Gras was being celebrated in the region, albeit a bit differently, before New Orleans had even been established in 1718. The first modern-day Mardi Gras parade, however, wasn’t held until February 24, 1857, when the Krewe of Comus presented a procession with floats, followed by an elegant ball for themselves and their guests. Today, an average of 1.4 million people flock to the Big Easy to take part in celebrating.

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Sydney, February 15-March 3, 2019
Sydney Mardi Gras can be traced back to a 1978 street festival celebrating gay rights at a time when homosexuality was still criminalized. Police raided the event and arrested 53 people whose names, occupations, and home addresses were later printed in the paper, outing them and leading to a number of them being fired from their jobs. Instead of being a deterrent, however, the police action merely energized the city’s community. It was determined to plan an even bigger event the following year. Fast forward 40 years and Sydney Mardi Gras has become one of Australia’s most high-profile events, drawing in hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.

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