Gaucho parade on the Day of Tradition, San Antonio de Areco, La Pampa, Argentina, South America

Hot-air balloons taking off from the festival site of the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta, held annually in August, Bristol, England, United Kingdom, Europe

The merry-go-round at Camp Bestival, an annual family-friendly music festival held in July, Lulworth Castle, Dorset, England, United Kingdom, Europe

Young girl planting a seedling tree during Tu Bishvat, Jewish Festival of Trees, Museum of Nature, Jerusalem, Israel, Middle East

Local women arriving on the Gerewol festival, courtship ritual competition among the Wodaabe Fula people, Niger, West Africa, Africa

Old Domancy craft festival, farmer with group of white geese, Haute-Savoie, France, Europe

Queue outside the temple for the Janmashtami Hindu festival at Bhaktivedanta Manor, Watford, England, United Kingdom, Europe

Festival International des Jardins (International Garden Festival) display, Chateau de Chaumont, Chaumont Sur Loire, Indre-et-Loire, Loire Valley, France, Europe

Ceri Festival, Race of Ceri, Gubbio, Umbria, Italy, Europe

Men playing traditional instruments at a tribal festival, Southern Chad, Africa

Young girls selling food, Gerewol festival, courtship ritual competition among the Wodaabe Fula people, Niger, West Africa, Africa

Girls dancing at a tribal festival, Southern Chad, Africa

Chin Lone, traditional sport in Myanmar played with a bamboo ball, Pindaya Cave Festival, Shan State, Myanmar (Burma), Asia

Art festival, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, North America

Opera-lovers at annual Glyndebourne Opera Festival stroll around the lake in the grounds, Glyndebourne, East Sussex, UK

Men at a tribal festival, Southern Chad, Africa

Christmas tree outside Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral, Paris, France, Europe

Traditional Clothes of Romania Festival, Nasaud, Transylvania, Romania, Europe

Men at a tribal festival, Southern Chad, Africa

Man playing a local instrument at a tribal festival, Southern Chad, Africa

Chin Lone, traditional sport in Myanmar played with a bamboo ball, Pindaya Cave Festival, Shan State, Myanmar (Burma), Asia

Christmas tree made out of bottles, Ngala Lodge, situated between the resorts of Bakau and Fajara, near Banjul, Gambia, West Africa, Africa

Men dancing at a tribal festival, Southern Chad, Africa

Men dancing at a tribal festival, Southern Chad, Africa

Al Fresco restaurants and Flower Festival on Avenue Arriaga during springtime, Funchal, Madeira, Portugal, Europe

Groups of young people sitting together under trees, Cherry Blossom festival, Sakura, Ueno koen, Tokyo, Honshu, Japan, Asia

Akita Kanto lantern festival, Akita Prefecture, Tohoku, Honshu, Japan, Asia

Men dancing at a tribal festival, Southern Chad, Africa

Tu Beshvat Jewish festival, tree planting event organized by the JNF in a Jerusalem park, Jerusalem, Israel, Middle East

Man carving a statue from a tree trunk at a Melanesian cultural festival in the capital's city centre, Efate Island, Port Vila, Vanuatu

Men from the island of Pentecost carry a traditional tamtam, a slit drum hollowed from a tree trunk, at a Melanesian cultural festival, Efate Island, Port Vila, VanuatuVANUATU. Port Vila. Efate Island

A solitary mask dancer appears wearing a frightening mask and silk brocade. they circle the courtyard with sprightly leaps. called protectors of faith, or dharmapdla, the origins of figures like these can be traced back to the pre-aryan peoples of india. originally known as yaksas (literally, a wondrous thing), they were tree spirits, who were accepted by the buddhists as defenders of the faith. in nepal and tibet, as in india, local deities were converted into protectors. a devotee of an alien sect devised a means to humiliate the buddha and his disciples. the buddha discovered it and succeeded in converting him to his teaching. due to lack of wisdom, the buddha remarked, some could not realize the goodness of his disciples and he compared the ignorant to the blind and the wise to those who have eyes.nobody is condemned in buddhism, for greatness is latent even in the seemingly lowliest just as lotuses spring from muddy ponds. -the dhammapada. solu khumbu, nepal

A Christmas tree in Ambleside, Lake District, Cumbria, chatsworth house

A Christmas tree outside a department store on Oxford Street in London, England, United Kingdom, Europe

A Christmas tree in Ambleside, Lake District, Cumbria, chatsworth house

Christmas decorations on a Christmas tree

A Christmas tree in Ambleside, Lake District, Cumbria, chatsworth house

Christmas decorations on a Christmas tree

Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan

Taue Festival, Shirakawa-go, Gifu Prefecture, Japan

Kyoto, Japan

Christmas City, Dresden, Germany

Group of people sitting at Chicago Blues Festival, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Group of people sitting at Chicago Blues Festival, Chicago, Illinois, USA

little boy stands in front of the Christmas tree, Christmas, family

little boy unwraps his gifts in front of the Christmas tree, Christmas, family

Beach party with bonfire at night, Port Antonio, Portland, Jamaica, Caribbean

Northern lights above elks and coniferous trees, Lappland, Norway, Scandinavia, Europe

Pilgrims walking with hiking stick along a sandy road, Andalusia, Spain

Pilgrims travelling afoot, on horseback and with oxcarts on the sandy Raya Real, Andalusia, Spain

Trobada de Batacudes, drum parade, Festes de Primavera, spring festival, Manacor, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain, Europe

little boy unwraps his gifts in front of the Christmas tree, Christmas, family

little boy stands in front of the Christmas tree, Christmas, family

red bauble hangs on the illuminated Christmas tree, Christmas, family

little boy playing with his wooden train in front of the Christmas tree, Christmas, family

little boy with his mother looking at book in front of the Christmas tree, Christmas, family

little boy unwraps his gifts in front of the Christmas tree, Christmas, family

Film Festival, Stretch limousine in front of Hotel Carlton, Boulevard de la Croisette, Cannes, Cote d'Azur, France

Pilgrims clapping hands and saluting on the Raya Real, Andalusia, Spain

Mother decorates Christmas tree with her son, family, Christmas

View over water parterre to Hellbrunn Palace and Crown Grotto, Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria

The Temple of the Tooth Sri Dalada Maligawa with fairy light garlands ready for the perahera festival, Kandy, Sri Lanka

Raisin Bomber, Rosinenbomber, DC3, Berlin, Germany

Men sawing a tree, Erection of Maypole, Sindelsdorf, Weilheim-Schongau, Bavarian Oberland, Upper Bavaria, Bavaria, Germany

Half-timbered houses and town hall in the main road of the town of Wolfach, Valley Kinzigtal, Southern Part of Black Forest, Black Forest, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, Europe

Youth festival, Kallang Theatre, Singapore, Asia

View over water parterre to Hellbrunn Palace and Crown Grotto, Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria

Young woman eating living tree maggot, Hokitika Wildfoods festival, Hokitika, South Island, New Zealand

Little Ship on the Piano Lake, Debis House of Renzo Piano, Potsdam Place, Festival of Lights, Berlin, Germany

Dragon Festival at former airport Tempelhof, Berlin, Germany

People lighting candles for the birthday celebrations of Wenshu, Shuxiang temple, Mount Wutai, Wutai Shan, Five Terrace Mountain, Buddhist Centre, town of Taihuai, Shanxi province, China

Vienna Austria Prater Big Wheel in spring blooming chestnut trees

Film Festival, Stretch limousine in front of Hotel Carlton, Boulevard de la Croisette, Cannes, Cote d'Azur, France

Pilgrims walking along sandy road, Andalusia, Spain

Pilgrims travelling with oxcarts in the morning sun, Andalusia, Spain

Pilgrims travelling afoot, on horseback and with oxcarts on the Raya Real, Andalusia, Spain

Traditional talcum powder festival to celebrate the homecoming from the colonies, Fiesta de los Indianos, Santa Cruz de La Palma, La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain, Europe

Soil tapestry, coloured volcanic soil from the Teide National Park, Religious festival of Corpus, Plaza del Ayuntamento, town square, La Orotava, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Atlantic Ocean, Spain

Lights on New Years Eve, Munich, Bavaria, Germany

Pilgrims crossing the river Rio Quema, Andalusia, Spain

Pilgrims carrying liturgical items on their way, Andalusia, Spain

Group of children visiting water parterre, Month Palace in background, Hellbrunn Palace, oldest baroque palace site north of the Alps, Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria

Pool area, Turtle Beach Hotel, Trinidad and Tobago, Caribbean

Pilgrims with oxcarts at sunset, Andalusia, Spain

Traditional talcum powder festival to celebrate the homecoming from the colonies, Fiesta de los Indianos, Santa Cruz de La Palma, La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain, Europe

Festival in Werder an der Havel, Land Brandenburg, Germany

Pilgrims on horseback standing in the river, Andalusia, Spain

Maypole climbing, Zell an der Pram, Upper Austria, Austria

Women at a maypole festival, Bavaria, Germany

Dragon Festival at former airport Tempelhof, Berlin, Germany

Neptune Fountain, St Marys Church, Television Tower, Alexander Square, Berlin Mitte, Berlin, Germany

Annual Balloon Classic (September), Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA, North America, America

Medieval festival at Hardenburg ruin in 2009, Bad Duerkheim, Deutsche Weinstrasse, Palatinate, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, Europe

Half-timbered house and well Stadtbrunnen in the town of Wolfach, Valley Kinzigtal, Southern Part of Black Forest, Black Forest, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, Europe

Trobada de Gegants, parade of the giants, Festes de Primavera, spring festival, Manacor, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain, Europe

Mountain festival, Kraxnbichl, Neufahrn, Egling, Upper Bavaria, Germany

Bavarian in traditional costume in a beer garden, Bavaria, Germany

Shrine on tree decorated for Corpus Christi celebration in Spicimierz near Lodz, Poland

Old Potsdam Street, Potsdam Place Arcades, Potsdam Place, Festival of Lights, Berlin, Germany

Traditionally dressed women, folk festival in honour of the three public saints Santos Populares, near by Porto, Portugal