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When you think of Mardi Gras, what comes to mind? Beads, floats, music, and a bit of debauchery probably top your list. Early French settlers knew they had one last blow-out before the dreary Lenten season, and they made the most of it. Mamou is a small city with a big reputation. It’s billed as the ”Cajun Music Capital of the World,” and, as testimony of that distinction, is featured in many Cajun song titles. Every year, the town hosts the traditional Courir de Mardi Gras or ”Fat Tuesday Run” with the chasing of the chickens. For those in Mamou, Mardi Gras is more like a marathon, after all the dancing and partying the event culminates with a community gumbo, where plans are made for next year’s celebration. Welcome to ‘CAJUN MARDI GRAS & The Chicken Chase’

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Feb 23, 2023, Big Bear City, California, USA: A dog enjoys playing in two-plus feet of snow as a snowstorm hits the mountains of Southern California. (Credit Image: © Katrina Kochneva/ZUMA Press Wire)

Scott Mc Kiernan, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, ZUMA Press

Kudos to ZUMA staffer Ekaterina Kochneva for good seeing:

Scott Mc Kiernan, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, ZUMA Press

Dating back to the 12 century, the Venice Carnival is one of the oldest and most famous carnival celebrations in the world. Carnival was a Catholic tradition, a period of feasting, excess and extravagant celebration before the start of Lent, which is 40 days of fasting and sacrifice in the lead up to Easter. Every year 3 million people descend upon this city of canals to soak up the iconic scenery, admire the extravagant costumes and masks, and be part of an electric atmosphere. Today, Venice’s Carnival is a blend of 18th-century nostalgia and 21st-century consumerism. Though the festival has taken on many shapes throughout its long history, there’s still something enchanting about a floating city filled with people behind masks. Welcome to ‘The Masks of VENICE’

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January 12, 2023, Hong Kong, China: In Hong Kong, a visitor from the China Mainland is dressed in full protective gear standing outside Taoist Temple, Wong Tai Shing. Hong Kong is on alert as influx of Chinese Mainlanders are expected after Chinese New Year as reopened HK-China boarder could lead to new wave of Coronavirus Attack in the City. (Credit Image: © Liau Chung-ren/ZUMA Press Wire)

Scott Mc Kiernan, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, ZUMA Press

Scott Mc Kiernan, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, ZUMA Press

February 6, 2023, London, England, United Kingdom: A picket line outside St Thomas’ Hospital in London. Nurses go on strike in England in dispute with the Government over pay and conditions. (Credit Image: © Thomas Krych/ZUMA Press Wire)

Scott Mc Kiernan, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, ZUMA Press

Tampa has one of the nation’s largest percentage of residents who are homeless, with numbers in Hillsborough County well over 1,500 during a recent count. A surge in housing costs in the Tampa Bay region has led to a 4 percent increase in the number of homeless. To help address the problem, Tampa together with a non-profit launched the Tampa Hope shelter, which plans to build 200 Hope Cottages that can withstand Category 5 hurricane force winds and provide refuge for those in need. ‘Tampa Hope is a starting point, but it’s not a permanent home,’ Lou Ricardo of Catholic Charities Diocese of St. Petersburg said. ‘The goal is to provide building blocks so residents can get a fresh start and leave.’ Welcome to ‘HOPE FOR THE HOMELESS’.

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January 28, 2023, Massachusetts, U.S: A memorial to Tyre Nichols of Memphis, Tennessee, has been set up at the new MLK sculpture on Boston Common. Nichols died three days after being stopped and beaten by 5 police officers from Memphis. Nichols was 29 years old and had gone out to photograph the sunset and his vehicle was stopped by police on the way home. (Credit Image: © Kenneth Martin/ZUMA Press Wire)

Scott Mc Kiernan, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, ZUMA Press

February 5, 2020, Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S: A man claiming to be a homeless veteran frequently seeks donations in Worcester, Massachusetts. Many intersections in Worcester are often occupied by a variety of individuals seeking money from automobile occupants. (Credit Image: © Kenneth Martin/ZUMA Wire)

Scott Mc Kiernan, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, ZUMA Press