Because Lent was often about not doing anything "fun" for 40 days, many people celebrate the coming of Lent with Mardi Gras. To some, especially those whose religion didn't have such things as part of them, it was easy to explain to them that as "getting all the sinning out of your system before a long time of no fun", even if Adi still didn't get it, for example. But the main reason Lyre/Animalia was celebrating was because it was finally the end of cold weather.
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Also, Mardi Gras in Animalia was also the funniest time, especially with people making fools of themselves. For example, one guy made less of a fool of himself than expected as he attempted to showcase his athleticism by doing several backflips in a row. Unfortunately, due to 'three backflips too many', he ended up crashing into a fan, much to the amusement of everyone watching.
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The Meat Market was also one of the most popular attractions, mainly because of all the performances going on before the official shutdown on the following Wednesday. Though this was partly because of all the carnival costumes that had significantly less cloth and more jewelry. What was not unnoticed was that Heather and Janice were not only watching their relatives' performance, but were also "redder than tomatoes" (since their fur/scales were hiding it, but wasn't hidden to those whose senses could sense body heat) at how risqué it was.
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The two businesses that were spiking during this time was both Miss Vivian's Intimacy Boutique and Wiccan's Woods. Miss Vivian's was popular around this time because of the famous, or infamous, Voodoo Animalia Musk; while Wiccan's Woods was spiking due to the sale of "love potions" (the infamous fake love potion confidence scam) alongside the other standard goods available there. This one was exhibit A for how gullible some people can be.
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While Mardi Gras was celebrated in different ways, especially in the colonies, the most famous, or infamous, part of Mardi Gras in Animalia was the parade where male and female Animalians "showcase" themselves on Mardi Gras-themed floats. While some of them were more amazing/attractive than others, the two most "infamous" were the gay male couple who had become an Orca Animalian and Great White Shark Animalian. What made them stand out was not only their ocean blue speedos, but matching adult leather harnesses, which showed what they were doing with the leather they had ordered. While most of the information on them were withdrawn, it was known they were getting ready to meet their assigned mates.
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While some were more confused with Mardi Gras than others, there was plenty to learn about, and plenty to be amused at.