The time of year that Carnival occurs (typically the end of February and beginning of March) has long been associated with revelry in the streets. The ancient Romans would literally whip themselves into a frenzy every February at the festival of Lupercalia, when the planting of the harvest was commemorated by masked men who ran through the streets whipping specially selected women. The idea of a planting celebration heralding spring caught on faster than you can say “Hit me baby, one more time,” and a tradition was born. When the Christian church waltzed onto the scene, they adapted this pagan holiday period as a last-ditch week of debauchery prior to the penitentially ho-hum reverence of Lent, the forty-day period of self-reflection preceding Easter. Like most religious holidays nowadays, the spiritual significance is gone but the festive feeling lives on. Here’s your globe-trotting guide to Carnival, beginning with the big players, Rio de Janeiro and Venice.