Take at look at this year's traditional "Bloco da Lama" or "Mud Street" carnival party, in Paraty, Brazil in the gallery above.
Legend has it the "bloco" was born in 1986 after local teens hiking in a nearby mangrove forest smeared themselves with mud to discourage mosquitoes and then wandered through Paraty.
The party grew year after year, but revellers eventually were banned from parading in the colonial downtown after shopkeepers complained pristine white walls were stained with the hard-to-remove mud.
See also: The world's top must-see events for tourists in 2017
See also: The experts' guide to the world's best festivals
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