Scotland’s legendary Up Helly Aa Vikings kick off the iconic Torchlight Procession launching Edinburgh’s Hogmanay at Holyrood Park on December 30, 2017, in Edinburgh. 45,000 people took part to create a spectacular river of fire.
Ian Georgeson / Edinburgh’s Hogmanay via AP
Activists from Ukrainian nationalist parties hold torches as they take part in a rally to mark the 109th anniversary of the birth of Stepan Bandera, one of the founders of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists in Kiev, Ukraine, on January 1, 2018.
Valentyn Ogirenko / Reuters
Camels walk across the Liwa desert, about 250 kilometers west of the Gulf emirate of Abu Dhabi, during the Liwa 2018 Moreeb Dune Festival on January 2, 2018. The festival, which attracts participants from around the Gulf region, includes a variety of races (cars, bikes, falcons, camels and horses) or other activities aimed at promoting the country’s folklore.
Karim Sahib / AFP / Getty
Ice and water flow over the illuminated American Falls, viewed from the Canadian side in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, on January 2, 2018.
Aaron Lynett / Reuters
A plane flies in front of a “supermoon” or “wolf moon” on its approach to London Heathrow Airport on January 1, 2018.
Justin Tallis / AFP / Getty
Pakistani fishermen work at sea during sunset near the port city of Karachi on December 31, 2017.
Asif Hassan / AFP / Getty
Locals dressed as “Perchten,” a traditional demonic creature in German and Austrian Alpine folklore, parade through the town center during the annual “Rauhnacht” gathering on December 30, 2017 in Bayerischen Eisenstein near Regen, Germany. The Rauhnaechte nights are the time in between Christmas and Epiphany when winter is at its darkest and its evil spirits most prevalent. In a tradition dating back centuries locals dressed as Perchten, witches, devils, and other demonic beings parade through the streets in a final show of force before they retreat by January 5 to let winter ebb.
Falk Heller / Getty