Carnivals around the world prove it’s not ALL about Rio – from voodoo ceremonies in Haiti to orange-throwing in Italy

FROM voodoo rituals and human scarecrows to orange-throwing battles in the town square, these colourful carnivals around the world show Rio does not have all the fun.

Millions of revellers have been hitting the streets to celebrate in the traditional carnival period before the start of Lent.

Some of the brilliant and bizarre customs across the globe put even Rio de Janeiro's famous street party in the shade.

In Haiti male dancers paint their bodies with a mixture of cane sugar and coal according to creole ceremony. Some wear devil masks or carry skulls and other signs of death.

This year the government of the impoverished Caribbean country moved the national carnival from the capital to the city of Les Cayes, where 175,000 lost their homes in a devastating hurricane in October.

Some locals still struggling to rebuild shattered lives are furious authorities are spending millions on the three-day event - but it did not stop huge crowds turning out to join the party.

Mackens Ultima, who lives in Miami but returned to his home city on holiday, said: "This is one of the happiest days of my life. I saw my city destroyed on television and today this carnival offers a new vision, a new force."

In Ivrea near Turin, Italy, the highlight of the carnival season is a huge orange fight on the cobbled streets.

Residents grabs fruit from stacks of crates and battle it out in a messy celebration of a centuries-old revolt by commoners against the monarchy.

"It's madness, really madness," local resident Francesca told AFP. "Some may think these people are crazy, but for us in Ivrea, this is something we have in our DNA. Children are born with this madness."

The Pyrenean villages of Spain's Basque country also have some strange traditions, such as the straw men of Lesaka.

People dressed as the traditional carnival characters Zaku Zaharrak', or old sack, cover their faces with white handkerchiefs, wear sacks stuffed with straw and hold sticks with an inflated animal's bladder to hit people with.

They parade for hours trough the village dancing and singing while a band plays music.

Meanwhile in the village of Navalacruz the traditional carnival characters Harramachos wearing cowbells and animal antlers are thought to ward off evil spirits and awaken the coming spring.

Encarnacion describes itself as the "Carnival Capital of Paraguay" and it is easy to see why as the streets are filled with colourful dancers and elaborate floats.

In Rio itself the world famous carnival continued for a fourth day despite an accident in which at least 20 revellers were injured by an out-of-control float.

Teams of samba dancers in incredible costumes compete for top honours  in the carnival parade at the Sambadrome stadium.