Traditional celebrations

Over a hundred horses jumped through bonfires in a "purification ceremony" on Wednesday during the Spanish festival of "Las Luminarias" in a village northwest of Madrid.

The Indian city of Prayagraj has been transformed as entire swathes of the city have been painted in a campaign to celebrate the Hindu pilgrimage of Kumbh Mela.

Nearly one hundred people gathered at a Tokyo shrine to wash themselves in an icy bath on Sunday (January 13) to purify their souls and wish for good health in the new year.

Thousands of families packed the streets of the Spanish capital Madrid on Saturday to watch a traditional parade marking the eve of the Feast of the Epiphany.

From swimming in chilly waters, to a parade and a religious ceremony, take a look at how people across Europe spent New Year's Day.

People wearing demonic masks and straw garments visited homes in Japan on NewYear's Eve to ward off evil spirits, bring good luck and make children behave.

While many are celebrating New Year's Eve with countdowns and fireworks, in Thailand worshippers at a temple in suburban Bangkok lay inside coffins and took part in traditional funeral rituals.

A giant rice cake has been placed at a shrine north of Tokyo to pray for a good harvest and the safety of the region in the coming year

The unique activity of splashing water into ice amid extreme low temperatures was staged in different areas in northeast China`s Heilongjiang Province on Saturday to celebrate Winter Solstice

Thousands of Cubans walked and crawled up the hill to the Shrine of Saint Lazarus on Sunday, seeking relief from health problems and hoping for economic prosperity and general well-being.

Window cleaners dressed as the current and the next Chinese zodiac animals washed hotel windows in Tokyo on Thursday (December 13) in anticipation of the coming year.

Pilgrims arrive at Virgin of Guadalupe Basilica in Mexico City

Shinto priests have done year-end cleaning of a shrine bridge at a UNESCO World Heritage site in the city of Nikko, north of Tokyo.

Hundreds of the folkloric character Krampus who punishes children who have misbehaved, run through Christmas market in Munich

A giant Christmas cake was unveiled in Dresden on Saturday as part of the German city's 25th annual 'Stollenfest'.

Giant balloons were blown up on Wednesday ahead of the 92nd annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

We collected the top trends for an eco-friendly festive season.

Hundreds of cadets at the Japanese National Defence Academy on Sunday took part in one of Japan's great spectacles, the annual Botaoshi or 'topple the pole' event.

Tens of thousands of Mexicans lined the capital's Reforma boulevard on Saturday (October 27) for the Day of the Dead parade, a modern twist on a belief that dates back to the pre-Hispanic era.

The world-famous buffalo race of Chon Buri continues on its 147th year along with buffalo conservation activities to promote knowledge in buffalo rearing and rice farming.

A pick-your-own pumpkin patch boasting over 70 varieties of the fruit in Kent, south-east England, is getting British families into the Halloween spirit.

Mexicans threw a macabre party on Sunday (October 21), disguising themselves as the iconic Mexican skeleton figure known as "La Catrina" or "Elegant Skull" and flooded the streets for a pre-Day of the Dead parade.

Hundreds of waiters in Argentina's capital Buenos Aires took part in the annual waiters' race on Saturday, walking as fast as possible without spilling bottles and drink glasses from their trays.