Ah, the guy from the masks, I read about him earlier this week once more. I never knew the history behind it though so thanks for sharing!
They may have been warm enough but the only thing I can remember is that those wearing thin clothes were always ill after carnaval in Holland, those that wore the thicker scars and such were the smart ones, even though their costumes weren't as cool as the others, haha.
It's not that we have a full 3 months carnival though, it's the start of the season and meanwhile the builders build their trucks and some other things as @hetty-rowan below explained in her comment.
I never liked it really, I always hated waiting for the parade, usually cold, often also rain, lots of REALLY drunk adults, annoying for a child to be honest.
But I agree on the winter cheer up. I love how everything is already decorated with lights even here in Spain now, really lifts the spirit during the colder evenings (even though they're not nearly as cold here as they are in Holland or UK).