From Rio’s Samba Dance to Mardi Gras Parades, Top Carnival Pictures from Around the World (PHOTOS)

The month of February has kick started the 2012 Carnival Season with various festivals happening across the world.

From Venice Carnival and Brazil Carnival to the exuberant parades of Mardi Gras, here's a slideshow presenting a glimpse of all those carnivals from across the world.

Click on Start to view the pictures of Carnival Season 2012.

A dancer of the "Fraternidad La Diablada" group performs during the Carnival parade in Oruro, some 200 km (124 miles) south of La Paz, Feb. 18, 2012. The three-day Carnival of Oruro in Bolivia, which started on Saturday with much fanfare and feasts, is marked by folk dances, parades and more cultural and religious activities.

A masked reveller poses in Saint Mark's Square during the Venetian Carnival in Venice Feb. 12, 2012. The 2012 Venice Carnival happened from Feb. 11 to 21.
The annual festival, that starts every year 40 days before Easter, attracts thousands and thousands of visitors turning up to Venice each day for Carnivals.

Masks are a key feature of the festival and signify a common identity among the classes. Many events are in store for this year's festival.

Revellers from the Salgueiro samba school take part in a parade on the second night of the annual Carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro's Sambadrome, Feb. 20, 2012. The Brazilian Carnival, which is held 46 days before Easter, is marked by samba parades on the streets of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

The Carnival, the most famous holiday event in Brazil, is happened from Feb. 17 to 21. Brazil receives about 70 percent of its annual visitors during the Carnival, according to officials.

Members of the Sirens of New Orleans performance troupe dance in the Orpheus Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans, Louisiana February 20, 2012.

Competitor Kay Mason wears a costume called "Amethyst Rising" at the finals of the costume competition Queens of Carnival, during Dimanche Gras at Queen's Park Savannah, Port of Spain Feb. 19, 2012.

Competitor Shane Phillip wears a costume called "The Tree of Life" at the finals of the costume competition Kings of Carnival, during Dimanche Gras at Queen's Park Savannah, Port of Spain Feb. 19, 2012.

Performers from the Grande Rio samba school parade during carnival celebrations at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Tuesday, Feb.21, 2012. Nearly 100,000 paying spectators turn out for the all-night spectacle at the Sambadrome

A carnival float with papier-mache depicting German Chancellor Angela Merkel with text on the dress 'Emergency parachute' is pictured at the traditional Rose Monday carnival parade in the western German city of Duesseldorf February 20, 2012. The Rose Monday parades in Cologne, Mainz and Duesseldorf are the highlight of the German street carnival season.

A float with papier-mache showing German Chancellor Angela Merkel and a skeleton showing the Free Democratic Party (FDP) on a bicycle is pictured at the traditional Rose Monday carnival parade in the western German city of Duesseldorf February 20, 2012. The Rose Monday parades in Cologne, Mainz and Duesseldorf are the highlight of the German street carnival season.

A float with papier-mache depicting Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with a dynamite in his mouth with the text 'Nuclear Programme' is pictured at the traditional Rose Monday carnival parade in the western German city of Duesseldorf on Feb. 20, 2012.