Carnavaaaaaaaaaal!

Performers from the Mangueira samba school AP Photo/Hassan Ammar

It's Carnaval (or Carnival) time in Brazil, and you know what that means! (videos, slideshows): http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/02/11/rio-carnival-2013-samba-queens-fantasy-floats-brazilian-pictures_n_2660587.html
   But, seriously now, what does it really mean?: http://ipanema.com/carnival/history.htm
and http://www.brazilcultureandtravel.com/brazilian-carnival-history.html