A highland cow grazing high above the River Tweed at Thormylee in the Scottish Borders strikes a formidable pose in the morning light on May 3, 2023. (Photo by Phil Wilkinson/The Times)
People look at buildings displaying a light show on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing on June 30, 2021. (Photo by Noel Celis/AFP Photo)
A moon light illuminates the sky through the clouds over a large line of grass between some home houses in the small village of Tafalla, northern Spain, Tuesday, May 1, 2018. (Photo by Alvaro Barrientos/AP Photo)
Nigel Cox and Kevin Jay paint with light using fibre optic whips on the beach at Clacton-on-Sea in Essex, United Kingdom on July 25, 2023 with a superhero fighting theme. (Photo by Kevin Jay/Picture Exclusive)
A boy looks at a six-metre tall luminescent puppet, operated by ten performers, during a preview of Vivid Sydney, promoted as the world's largest festival of light, music and ideas, in Sydney, Australia on May 23, 2018. “Vivid” is a major outdoor cultural event featuring light installations and projections with the annual event this year running from May 25 to June 16, 2018. (Photo by David Gray/Reuters)
A devotee lights oil lamps at a religious ceremony during the Diwali or Deepavali festival at a Hindu temple in Colombo, Sri Lanka October 18, 2017. Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, marks the triumph of good over evil, and commemorates the return of Hindu deity Rama to his birthplace Ayodhya after victory against the demon king Ravana. (Photo by Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters)
We are all drawn to fire, entranced by its beauty and ferociousness. Its brilliance draws us in like moths to a candle flame. Thus, many of the celebrations that humans have involve lighting fires. They can be big or small; there could be many little lights or one giant inferno; they may float on water, burn on land, or rise high into the skies. Loi Krathong is a festival that is held each year in Thailand and a number of other places. During this festival thousands of little fires are lighted, presenting a marvelous sight for all the onlookers. It is believed that this tradition is an adaptation of Brahmanical festival, which was adopted by Thai Buddhists to honor Buddha.
Balinese Hindus carry Pratimas, or symbols of God, on the beach during Melasti, a purification ceremony, ahead of the holy day of Nyepi, in Gianyar on the Indonesian resort island of Bali, March 6, 2016. Nyepi is a day of silence to celebrate the Balinese new year, reserved for self-reflection, where people are not allowed to use lights, light fires, work, travel or enjoy entertainment. (Photo by Roni Bintang/Reuters)