From nip-slips to dresses not built for the elements, the beautiful celebrities you’re about to see have inadvertently become notorious flashers. For you or I, a wardrobe malfunction would leave us red-faced with embarrassment, but for these guys it’s just another day at the office. That being said, showing the world your breasts or your hoo-ha without meaning to has to be a little off-putting. How exactly can you style it out when your entire zipper snaps when you’re on stage in front of millions of people? It’s a little hard to look composed and glamorous when you’re clutching on to your dignity for dear life… Hamas finally frees 20 prisoners after delaying release for hours: 13 Israelis and seven foreign nationals handed to Red Cross in exchange for 39 Palestinians - including '41 children and 11 women' Dressed in crisp white, these dancers made their way down the Sambódromo in front of adoring crowds Child dies in horror Surrey car crash between Tesla and Vauxhall Astra - as cops arrest 'uninsured and unlicenced' man, 20, for 'dangerous driving'

It is billed as a freewheeling festival in the desert where partygoers can let their hair down miles from civilisation.

The large, traditional Mardi Gras krewes who bring you the "Greatest Free Show on Earth" do not even parade through the Quarter because there is a size restriction on floats in that area. There are some small foot-parades through the French Quarter, but nothing like what you see in photos and videos, or that you would normally think of when you hear the word "parade." That is why you never see a large parade with floats filmed from a balcony in the Quarter - only the crowds after the parades. At parties across the country, revelers have denounced President Michel Temer, former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and other politicians caught up in a sprawling corruption probe. Question: I've heard that it's a tradition on Bourbon Street for women to bare their breasts to the crowd for beads. Can someone explain this? Where did this tradition come from? Even if your knowledge of Mardi Gras is limited, there are probably some key traditions of which you’re aware. Of course, there are the floats, masks, and the Zulu coconuts which, if you score one at Mardi Gras, is pretty much like being handed a pound of hydrating gold.

On Sunday, a float in Rio's samba parade featured a plastic bottom with Mayor Marcelo Crivella's name on it. The origins of Mardi Gras can be traced to Medieval Europe, passing through Rome and Venice in the 1600s and 1700s and from France to the country’s colonies.At carnival, everything is fair game, and many Brazilians have seized the moment to criticize their leaders at a time of intense dissatisfaction with the political class and angst over continuing fallout from a severe recession. I will never see my children grow up': British father's anguish as he learns his daughter, 12, was murdered by Hamas thugs in Israeli Kibbutz massacre six weeks ago - in atrocity that also killed her twin brother My one wish is to hug my girl before I can't anymore': Cancer-ridden mother battling brain tumour begs Hamas to free daughter held captive in Gaza amid fears illness could claim her life Sadly, many bystanders caught in this crowd will never return to Mardi Gras, because they don't realize they did not experience the "real" Mardi Gras. The flashing for beads and related behavior does not occur in other areas of the city. The Mardi Gras that locals grew up with, enjoyed and love is occurring in every other part of New Orleans and the surrounding suburbs - not in the French Quarter.

Revealed: How many units are REALLY in your wine, beer and spirits - and why booze has got so much stronger since the 1970s Please tell your friend that no one has to do anything they don't want to do, and those who flash in public can be arrested. They might even find photos of themselves all over the Internet for years to come.

GET A ROOM!

A vote for Nigel Farage's lot would put Starmer in No 10, warns Rishi Sunak... but he admits he's 'too busy' to watch the former UKIP leader on I'm A Celeb While there's nothing inherently wrong with flashing your boobs if that's your jam, there have been some consequences to the tradition: Women trying to enjoy Mardi Gras sans-flashing have to deal with the creepy drunk guys who now have a "legit" reason to say "Show us your tits." As my friend Melanie who's lived in New Orleans for almost 10 years told me, "Mardi Gras in New Orleans after dark can be a scary place for a woman — especially if she's alone." The practice of flashing for beads didn’t really become a staple until the 1970's ( Women’s Lib, y’all!). By 1999, the practice was so enshrined that we saw classic films like Girls Gone Wild: Mardi Gras Madness. Despite sweltering conditions, dancers pulled on body-covering fancy dress outfits to perform in front of 72,000 spectators The Carnival season starts on January 6, the Christian feast of the Epiphany, and ends on Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday.

Thankfully, this does not occur everywhere in New Orleans during Mardi Gras, but mostly just in the Bourbon Street area of the French Quarter. That's also an area known for its strip joints, where those interested in this sort of thing can see it year-round. Let me explain why you may have heard this rumor: Tax cuts are just the beginning! Rishi Sunak says last week's 2p off National Insurance is the 'start of a journey' now he's 'got inflation under control' Omid Scobie rips into 'hot-headed' William in extraordinary interview: Author accuses Prince of being in 'heir mode' and driving rift with Harry - as he insists he's NOT on the Sussexes' payroll ahead of the release of his bombshell new bookI love being gay, though I don't do it very much now': Out, proud and extremely loud, actress MIRIAM MARGOLYES, 82, is renowned for telling it as she sees it. She talks love and death... as well as laying off JK Rowling Judy Weitz: I just had to respond to your comments about Mardi Gras here in New Orleans. I am a fifth-generation New Orleanian with two children, and when they were nearing their teenage years, I actually felt guilty for going to and enjoying parades! Why? Because Mardi Gras is and always has been a family event! It is not for drunks and never has been. It is sad that so many have that misconception. That is not Mardi Gras. It has absolutely nothing to do with the real Mardi Gras celebration. Unfortunately, sex makes more news, so every news camera visiting our beautiful city for Mardi Gras heads for the spring break crowd on Bourbon Street instead of giving adequate coverage to those who spend thousands of dollars and months of time planning this holiday season. A Colombia keeper involved in kidnapping, an Arsenal legend four times over the limit… and a Brazil star jailed for using a fake passport - as Dani Alves faces up to NINE YEARS in prison, here are the footballers who have spent times behind bars Unfortunately, and in part due to the way the news media has focused on the activities of those who visit and go the French Quarter after the parades when people hear the words "Mardi Gras" all they think about are the activities occurring in the French Quarter (i.e., female tourists flashing their breasts and crowd surges - a spring break crowd trying to catch a glimpse).