Beautiful Carnival in Rio de Janeiro Photos

Carnival Season for 2011 is nearing its end. All over the world, celebrations are held as a final party before the fasting of Lent, as a way to usher out the winter and welcome spring. Across Europe and the Americas, parades and festivals have been taking place for nearly a month, culminating in the largest, most famous party of all: the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The festivals in Rio continue until today, March 8th. Gathered below are images from the past several weeks of carnivals around the globe.