Mardi Gras or "Fat Tuesday," as it is also known, is upon us. The pre-lent, post-Carnival, annual single day celebration has Catholic roots and is noted for its avalanche of beads, feathers, booze, boobs, costumes and music. While celebrated worldwide, the hotspot destination for Carnival and Mardi Gras is New Orleans, which receives an unholy number of partygoers and toursist, who arrive to take part of the food, floats and festivities.

Sequins and samba, Mardi Gras became a legal holiday in 1875 and acts as the last hurrah before the forty days of restraint between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. The Roman holiday spread across Europe and seeped into the traditions and beliefs of the New World. Pagan traditions, like the wild Roman festivals of Saturnalia and Lupercalia, were incorporated with faith-based practices. Flambeaux, masks, and the tossing of beads became threaded into the practices of Mardi Gras over time, as well as the tradition of Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Tuesday, and the creation of the King Cake, which dates back to the 1600s.

The rum-fueled yearly blowout occurred in the midst of the Venezuelan demonstrations, and was expected to quell the two-week long deadly street demonstrations -- at least temporarily. However, students and older opposition supporters joined forces in a peaceful protest on Sunday, which the government sought to counteract with a long weekend holiday of Carnival events and the distribution of subsidized food.

Reuters reported that government leaders urged Venezuelans to skip protests in lieu of traditional trips to the beach during the Carnival holiday. Venezuelan television was apparently was filled with descriptions of young people sitting beachside, celebrating in honor of the holiday, despite protests in the streets.

"We have nothing to celebrate at the beach," said Carlos Torres, 34, an engineer. "Going on vacation would give credence to the government's version that there's nothing going on."

"Maduro is extending the Carnival holiday because he wants people to get out of Caracas and to reduce the tension," said aMoniter Global Outlook correspondent, noting that Venezuelans would normally fill the coast for the long weekend. "I think you'll see a big effort by [the] government to preserve memory of Chavez and reclaim major roadways."

Anti-government activists continue to demand Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro quit over grievances, including gross inflation and reeling levels of violent crime. Maduro took office after the death of his predecessor, Hugo Chávez.

Opposition protesters have endeavored to block roads and traffic in protest of the government. They've also burnt trash and piled debris along main avenues, known as "guarimba" - which is a makeshift barricade. Many municipalities have also canceled Carnival festivities to pay respect to the 50+ individuals who have been killed in connection with the protests.

Maduro held a "national peace conference" this week; which the Roman Catholic Church and a major business federation attended, yet student protesters dismissed and opposition leaders refused to attend.