Carnival sparks set world alight

Carnival is in full swing in Rio de Janeiro as the city hosts the “Biggest Party on Earth.” That is what the Brazilians call the colourful four-day event. It is in preparation for the 40 days of fasting during Lent.

Symbolically for Christians, Carnival and Tuesday's Mardis Gras are the time to say goodbye to the pleasures of the flesh.

So now, despite an official ban on nudity, carnival costumes expose as much flesh as possible.

“This party is the portrait of the Carnival in Rio,” says drag queen Doris Dickson. “Men are dressed as women, some of them are gay, others aren't, but that's the way it works.”

Glitter-covered dancers are broadcast live across the nation, and samba freaks emulate them with a passion normally reserved for football.

The carnival spirit is shared by other countries right across South America, where parties are being held to mark the holiday.

In the U.S.'s party town of New Orleans, organisers are hoping this year’s revelry will help bring tourists back to the city after the devastating hurricane Katrina.

On the other side of the Atlantic, Greeks mark the event with one of Europe's biggest parades, watched by tens of thousands of visitors.

Year-by-year, the original religious meaning of Carnival is being ousted by the holiday spirit, and the ingenious tricks of the tourist industry.