A masked reveller poses at San Marco Piazza during the Venice Carnival, Italy. Reuters archive.Photo by Alessandro Bianchi

A reveller (R), dressed as a «Diablos de Luzon» (Luzon Devils), talks with a person dressed in a costume during carnival celebrations in the village of Luzon, Spain. Reuters archive.

Photo by Sergio Perez

Georges Abdo, a 30-year-old refugee from the Syrian capital of Damascus, smiles before taking part in a carnival parade in Mettmann, Germany. Reuters archive.Photo by Wolfgang Rattay

Revellers sit at the Caffe Florian coffee shop in Saint Mark’s Square during the Venice Carnival, Italy. Reuters archive.Photo by Manuel Silvestri

Musicians walk before a Carnival parade in Oruro south of La Paz, Bolivia. Reuters archive.Photo by David Mercado

Carnival revellers dressed as «Peliqueiros» run along a street in Spain’s northwestern village of Laza. Reuters archive.Photo by Miguel Vidal

Revellers are seen walking during one of the many pre-carnival parties to take place in the neighbourhoods of Recife, Brazil. Reuters archive.Photo by Ueslei Marcelino

A reveller parades for the Mocidade Alegre samba school during the carnival in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Reuters archive.Photo by Paulo Whitaker

Dancers of the Morenada Central Norte rest before the carnival parade in Oruro, some 200 km (124 miles) south of La Paz, Bolivia. Reuters archive.Photo by David Mercado

Revellers from the Rocinha samba school dance as they take part in the Group A category of the annual Carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro’s Sambadrome, Brazil. Reuters archive.Photo by Ricardo Moraes

A man wears a costume made of sticks during carnival celebrations in Ituren, Navarra, Spain. Reuters archive.Photo by Vincent West

Alicia Vargas, 23, a performer from the Urus Diablada group, test the lights of her costume ahead of a practice before Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia. Reuters archive.Photo by David Mercado

Artisan Fernando Flores retouches a Diablo mask for revelers to wear during Carnival festivities next Saturday in Oruro, Bolivia. Reuters archive.

Photo by David Mercado

A group of traditional witches (Kandelhexen) jump through a bonfire during their traditional «witches sabbath» carnival performance in the Black Forest village of Waldkirch, Germany. Reuters archive.Photo by Kai Pfaffenbach

Revellers take part in an annual block party known as «Cordao de Prata Preta», one of the many carnival parties to take place in the neighbourhoods of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Reuters archive.Photo by Pilar Olivares