Carnival or Mardi Gras is a time of parades and exuberant partying just before the forty days of Lent, when many Christians must adopt a more austere way of life. Latin America features hundreds of variations on the festivities. Mexico has two sensational parades like no others, in towns that are otherwise obscure — Huejotzingo in the state of Puebla and Tlacayapan in the state of Morelos. These two parties are as different as any two celebrations can be.