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

Tuaregs on their camels, Gerewol festival, courtship ritual competition among the Wodaabe Fula people, Niger, West Africa, Africa

Christmas tree bauble snow scene at Christmas market, Winter Wonderland, in Hyde Park, London

Father Christmas Santa Claus tree ornament at Christmas market, Winter Wonderland, in Hyde Park, London

Christmas tree ornaments at Christmas market, Winter Wonderland, in Hyde Park, London

Child climbs tree for vantage point as native people attend tribal gathering in Western Samoa, South Pacific

Christmas tree decorated glass baubles at Christmas market, Winter Wonderland, in Hyde Park, London

South Pacific islanders climb a tree for a vantage point at tribal gathering in Kiribati, Gilbert Islands, South Pacific

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

Nebuta festival floats, Aomori, Aomori prefecture, Tohoku, Honshu, Japan, Asia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Girls dancing at a tribal festival, Southern Chad, Africa

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

Men at a tribal festival, Southern Chad, Africa

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

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

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

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

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

Men at a tribal festival, Southern Chad, Africa

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

Men dancing at a tribal festival, Southern Chad, Africa

Men dancing at a tribal festival, Southern Chad, Africa

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

Men dancing at a tribal festival, Southern Chad, Africa

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

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

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

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

Christmas decorations on a Christmas tree

Christmas decorations on a Christmas tree

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

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

Raisin Bomber, Rosinenbomber, DC3, Berlin, Germany

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Youth festival, Kallang Theatre, Singapore, Asia

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

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

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

Mother decorates Christmas tree with her son, family, Christmas

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

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

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

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

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

Dragon Festival at former airport Tempelhof, Berlin, Germany

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

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

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

Vienna Austria Prater Big Wheel in spring blooming chestnut trees

Pilgrims walking along sandy road, Andalusia, Spain

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

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

Lights on New Years Eve, Munich, Bavaria, Germany

Pilgrims carrying liturgical items on their way, 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

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

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

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

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

Festival in Werder an der Havel, Land Brandenburg, Germany

Dragon Festival at former airport Tempelhof, Berlin, Germany

Pilgrims crossing the river Rio Quema, Andalusia, Spain

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

Pilgrims with oxcarts at sunset, Andalusia, Spain

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