Slovak youths dressed in traditional costumes throw a girl into a creek as part of Easter celebrations in the village of Trencianska Tepla, north of Bratislava.
Radovan Stoklasa/Reuters
[S]everal years ago a newlywed couple revived [an old Russian marriage tradition] when they sealed their vows by placing a padlock on the rail of the Luzhkov Bridge, which spans a canal of the Moscow River, and threw the key in the water, symbolizing the permanence of their union. It was said that if either member of the union wished to end it, they would have to dive into the freezing cold and extremely polluted water to retrieve the key to the lock.
Children squeeze lemon juice for the winner of the Order of the Smile, Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned, wife of the Emir of Qatar, in Warsaw, Poland. The order's recipients, chosen by children, are required to drink a cup of lemon juice without losing their smile.
Czarek Sokolowski/AP
"Wild' Silvesterchlaeuse (New Years Clauses) wearing tree costumes and cow bells march through the snow near Unaesch, Switzerland, Saturday. They walk from house to house to offer best wishes for the New Year to the farmers in this region.
Photo: Walter Bieri/Keystone/AP
Sebastiano Ridolfi tries on the costume of Papà del Gnoco, or "Gnocchi Dad," the Santa-esque figure who's the symbol of the gnocchi-themed pre-Lent celebration in Verona, Italy. Although Ridolfi didn't win the election to be Papà del Gnoco, he was received warmly by the crowd and remains committed to challenging traditions.
