Statue of Hindu deity with pilgrims walking 272 steps up to Batu Caves during Hindu Thaipusam Festival, Sri Subramaniyar Swami Temple, Batu Caves, Selangor, Malaysia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Pilgrims throwing offerings into holy fire during the Hindu Thaipusam Festival at Sri Subramaniyar Swami Temple, Batu Caves, Selangor, Malaysia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Traditional coffee ceremony in Ethiopia, Africa

Easter vigil, Paris, Ile de France, France, Europe

Easter vigil, Paris, Ile de France, France, Europe

Woman at Buddhist ceremony praying with a candle, Huynh Dao Buddhist Temple, Chau Doc, Vietnam, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Ceremony (puja) at Hindu pilgrimage site of Pashupatinath, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Huynh Dao Buddhist temple, woman at Buddhist ceremony praying with a candle, Chau Doc, Vietnam, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Woman at Buddhist ceremony praying with a candle, Huynh Dao Buddhist temple, Chau Doc, Vietnam, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Ceremonial guard and band of 76th Maharana of Mewar, Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar of Udaipur, at Holi Fire Festival, City Palace, Rajasthan, India

Ceremonial parade of 76th Maharana of Mewar, Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar of Udaipur, at Holi Fire Festival, City Palace, Rajasthan, India

Deacon ordination in Sainte Genevieve Catholic Cathedral, Nanterre, Hauts-de-Seine, France, Europe

Aarti ceremony in Parmath, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India, Asia

Ethiopian woman setting fire to boil the water for coffee for traditional ceremony, Debre Libanos, Shoa, Ethiopia, Africa

Voodoo ceremony in Dogondoutchi, Niger, West Africa, Africa

Durga Puja celebration in Paris, France, Europe

Puja Ceremony, Ghat, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India, Asia

Mau Son Taoist temple, woman at Taoist ceremony, ritual of offerings, Sapa, Vietnam, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Cremation at funeral ceremony, island of Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Puja Ceremony, Ghat, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India, Asia

Cremation ceremony, Ubud region, Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Ramnavami celebration, Sarcelles, Val d'Oise, France, Europe

BOLIVIA Shamanist ceremony by Calixto Quispe performed at the Mission Institute of Cochabamba

Cremation of bodies, in Manikarnika Ghat, the burning ghat, on the banks of Ganges river, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Cremation of a body, in Manikarnika Ghat, the burning ghat, on the banks of Ganges river, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Manikarnika Ghat, the burning ghat, on the banks of Ganges river, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Cremation of bodies, in Manikarnika Ghat, the burning ghat, on the banks of Ganges river, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.

People carry a body, to burn, going to Manikarnika Ghat, the burning ghat, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Shrine of El Maximon in Santiago De Atitlan, Guatemala. Maximon saint/devil is one of the strongest remnants of the Mayan faith

Person who recovers wood used in cremation, which has not burned completely, in Manikarnika Ghat, the burning ghat, on the banks of Ganges river, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Tea ceremony with iron teapot or tetsubin, in Cyu-o-kouminkan, Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, Japan

Tea ceremony with iron teapot or tetsubin, in Cyu-o-kouminkan, Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, Japan

Believers praying, in Wat Phra Singh temple, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Prayer candles inside Swayambhunath temple, Kathmandu

People burning incense, in Kiyomizu-dera temple, Kyoto. Kansai, Japan.

pilgrims burn incense sticks and candles, main hall, fire, red, Wannian monastery and temple, China, Asia, World Heritage Site, UNESCO

pilgrims burn incense sticks and candles, main hall, fire, red, Wannian monastery and temple, China, Asia, World Heritage Site, UNESCO

bundles of hell money to burn as offering, to be spent in the afterlife, China, Asia

Baining Fire Dance, Rabaul, East New Britain, Papua New Guinea, Melanesia

Porter, incense burner, Tianchi Monastery, Bodhisvattva Kshitigarbha, Jiuhuashan, Mount Jiuhua, mountain of nine flowers, Jiuhua Shan, Anhui province, China, Asia

Fragrant Cloud Pavilion, praying pilgrims and tourists, Buddhist Island of Putuo Shan near Shanghai, Zhejiang Province, East China Sea, China, Asia

prayer service in Qiyuan Monastery with high ranking monks, Jiuhua Shan Village, Zhiyuan Monastery, Jiuhuashan, Mount Jiuhua, mountain of nine flowers, Anhui province, China, Asia

Hindu monk performs prayer ceremony at Dasaswamedh Ghat alongside Ganges river at sunrise, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

Puji Si, praying pilgrims and tourists, Buddhist Island of Putuo Shan near Shanghai, Zhejiang Province, East China Sea, China, Asia

prayer service in Qiyuan Monastery with high ranking monks, Jiuhua Shan Village, Zhiyuan Monastery, Jiuhuashan, Mount Jiuhua, mountain of nine flowers, Anhui province, China, Asia

Aarthi ceremony, Ghat, Varanesi, Uttar Pradesh, India

lighting bundles of incense sticks with red candles, pilgrims, China, Asien

Shrine next to Thousand stone steps stairway, Buddha statue, candles and incense in stone altar, Buddhist Island of Putuo Shan near Shanghai, Zhejiang Province, East China Sea, China, Asia

prayer service in Qiyuan Monastery with high ranking monks, Jiuhua Shan Village, Zhiyuan Monastery, Jiuhuashan, Mount Jiuhua, mountain of nine flowers, Anhui province, China, Asia

Puji Si, praying pilgrims and tourists, Buddhist Island of Putuo Shan near Shanghai, Zhejiang Province, East China Sea, China, Asia

Baining Fire Dance, Rabaul, East New Britain, Papua New Guinea, Melanesia

pilgrims, Tiantai Feng, Mount Jiuhua, mountain of nine flowers, Jiuhua Shan, Anhui province, China, Asia

Easter eve bonfire burning at dusk, Germany

Yamabushi follower, mountain ascetics, Buddhist sect, priest invoking the deity at the fire, Iwakura, Japan, East Asia, Asia

Bonfire for the celebration of midsummer night in Peretshofen, community Dietramszell, district of Bad Toelz Wolfratshausen Bavaria, Germany, Europe

Traditional fire lanterns being released into the night sky during the Yeepeng festival, also referred to as Loi Krathong, in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Asia

Traditional fire lanterns being released into the night sky during the Yeepeng festival, also referred to as Loi Krathong, in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Asia

Yamabushi followers, mountain ascetics, Buddhist sect, pushing cedar branches off the fire with bamboo poles, Iwakura, Japan, East Asia, Asia

Hinduistic-buddhistic ceremony at Patan, Kathmandu, Nepal

A sheep is slaughtered and cooked for a celebration. A typical farm on the Suusamyr plain, a high valley in Tien Shan Mountains. Asia, central Asia, Kyrgyzstan

A sheep is slaughtered and cooked for a celebration. A typical farm on the Suusamyr plain, a high valley in Tien Shan Mountains. Asia, central Asia, Kyrgyzstan

Priests douse worshipers with a spray of alcohol during a ritual blessing at a temple.

Sacrifice in fire at Pasola festival, Sumba Island, Indonesia

Flames burning in a row in large bronze pots, Lhasa xizang china

People decorate the grave of four children who died in a house fire for the celebration of Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead at the Tzintzuntzan cemetery. People decorate the graves of their dead children, often referred to as little angels (angelitos) with offerings of flowers, particularly marigolds (cempoalxochitl or zempasuchil), bread of the dead (pan de muerto), candles, toys, the deceased's favourite food, drinks and personal belongings to guide their spirits home., Michoacun, Mexico

Close up of marshmallow roasted over a fire pit