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This Week In Pictures: Faith In Practice Around The World, February 1 to February 7

This Week In Pictures: Faith In Practice Around The World
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Religion Reporter, HuffPost

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Humans express their faith in a multitude of ways. These photos capture the incredible diversity within faith practices that happen in our world in the span of just one week.

February 3: Colombo, Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan traditional dancers perform in front of the Gangarama Temple during the Navam Perahera festival in Colombo on February 3, 2015. Monks, drummers, dancers and some 50 trained elephants, mostly from entral part of the island, thronged into Colombo from various regions of Sri Lanka to participate in the city's biggest two day annual Buddhist procession starting February 2.

February 3: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

A Hindu devotee gets showered as part of a cleaning ritual before his pilgrimage during the Thaipusam festival in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2015. Thaipusam, which is celebrated in honor of Hindu god Lord Murugan, is an annual procession by Hindu devotees seeking blessings, fulfilling vows and offering thanks.

February 4: Buenos Aires, Argentina

A woman marches holding a placard that reads "We are all Nisman" during a demonstration against the death of Argentine prosecutor Alberto Nisman and the bombing of the AMIA. The 51-year-old special prosecutor was found dead at his home January 18, a day before he was to go before a congressional committee to make a bombshell accusation: that Kirchner shielded Iranian officials implicated in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish charities office, known as AMIA.

February 5: Washington, D.C., United States

President Barack Obama bows his head towards the Dalai Lama as he was recognized during the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2015. The annual event brings together U.S. and international leaders from different parties and religions for an hour devoted to faith.

February 6: Seoul, South Korea

New priests lie on the floor during their priestly ordination ceremony at a gymnasium in Seoul, South Korea Friday, Feb. 6, 2015. There are about 5.44 million Catholics in South Korea with a population of 49 million according to the government statistics in 2014.

February 6: San Francisco, United States

Students and supporters carry signs as they walk toward Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory after a vigil outside of St. Mary's Cathedral in San Francisco, Friday, Feb. 6, 2015. The Roman Catholic archbishop of San Francisco is getting pushback from some parents, students and teachers at parochial schools after unveiling faculty handbook language calling on teachers to lead their public and professional lives consistently with church teachings on homosexuality, same-sex marriage, abortion, birth control and other behaviors he describes as evil.

February 6: Shingu, Japan

Men (Noboriko) run down shrine steps carrying flaming torches during the Oto Fire Festival at the Kumano Hayatama Taisha Shrine on February 6, 2015 in Shingu, Japan. The male-only festival celebrates the close of winter and sees nearly 2000 men run down the 538 steep stone steps from the mountain shrine. The day begins at dusk with Noboriko preparing themselves by bathing in saltwater during a purifying ceremony on a beach in Ojigahama, throughout the day white colored foods are eaten and sweet white sake is enjoyed, before participants get dressed in the all-white traditional clothes specially worn for the ceremony. The outfit consists of all white underclothing, tights and a rope tied seven times around the waist.

February 6: Srinagar, Kashmir, India

Kashmiri Muslim devotees look towards a cleric displaying the holy relic outside the Dastgeer Sahib shrine on the Friday following the annual Urs on February 06, 2015 in Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Administered Kashmir, India. Thousands of Kashmiri Sufi Muslims gathered on Sunday at the shrine of 11th century Sufi preacher Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jeelani, also known as Shah-e-Baghdad (King of Baghdad). The shrine is named Dastegeer Sahib after the reverential title of Jeelani, who although never visited Kashmir is held in great reverence by Kashmiris for his spiritual teachings. The shrine was rebuilt recently after a fire completely gutted it in 2012.

Before You Go

Religious Calendar 2016
Jan 1 - Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (Catholic)(01 of83)
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This feast is a celebration of Mary's motherhood of Jesus. (credit:Franco Origlia/Getty Images)
Jan 1 - Gantan-Sai (Shinto)(02 of83)
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Gantan Sai is the Shinto New Year's festival. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Jan 5 - Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti (Sikh)(03 of83)
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Indian Sikh devotees carry the Palki Sahib, with the Guru Granth Sahib, the Holy scriptures of Sikhism, during a procession from the Sri Akal Takhat at The Golden Temple in Amritsar January 10, 2011 as part of the ongoing 345th Prakash Utsav birthday celebrations for Sikh Guru Gobind Singh. (credit:Getty)
Jan 6 - Epiphany (Western Christianity)(04 of83)
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This day celebrates the revelation of God the Son as a human being in Jesus Christ. (credit:Getty)
Jan 6 - Nativity of Jesus (Armenian Orthodox Christianity)(05 of83)
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Greek Orthodox priests take part in a Christmas procession at Manger Square outside the Church of the Nativity, the traditional birthplace of Jesus Christ, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem on January 6, 2011. (credit:Getty)
Jan 7 - Christmas Day (Orthodox Christian)(06 of83)
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A Greek Orthodox priest celebrates Christmas mass at a church in Gaza city on January 7, 2011, as Orthodox Christians use the old Julian calendar in which Christmas falls 13 days after the date in the more widespread Gregorian calendar. (credit:Getty)
Jan 13 - Lohri (Sikh)(07 of83)
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Indian girls dressed as Punjabi folk dancers smile as they fly kites, at the Jagat Jyoti High School in Amritsar prior to the Lohri festival. The Lohri festival is an annual thanks giving day and an extremely popular harvest festival in India, especially Northern India. (credit:Getty)
Jan 14 - Makar Sankranti (Hindu)(08 of83)
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A decorated cow is led by an Indian Hindu handler as it walks through fire as part of the Makar Sankranti celebrations in Bangalore. (credit:Getty)
Jan 17 - World Religion Day (Bahai)(09 of83)
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World Religion Day was initiated in 1950 by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'i faith in the United States. (credit:Getty)
Jan 20 - Timket (Ethiopian Orthodox Christian)(10 of83)
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Ethiopian Orthodox Patriarch Paolos Abuna supervises the beginning of the Timket celebrations in Addis Ababa. (credit:Getty)
Jan 24 - Mahayana New Year (Buddhist)(11 of83)
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In Mahayana countries the new year starts on the first full moon day in January. (credit:Getty)
Jan 25 - Conversion of St. Paul (Christian)(12 of83)
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The Conversion of Paul the Apostle, as depicted in the Christian Bible, refers to an event reported to have taken place in the life of Paul of Tarsus which led him to cease persecuting early Christians and to himself become a follower of Jesus. (credit:Getty)
Jan 25 - Tu B'Shevat (Jewish)(13 of83)
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The ultra-Orthodox rabbi of the Belz Hasidim washes his hands before the start of the celebration of the Jewish feast of Tu B'Shevat or Tree New Year in Jerusalem. (credit:Getty)
Feb 2 - Imbolc (Pagan)(14 of83)
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Also called Oimelc and Candlemas, Imbolc celebrates the awakening of the land and the growing power of the Sun. (credit:Flickr: Steven Earnshaw)
Feb 3 - Setsubun (Shinto)(15 of83)
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A parent of kindergarten children wearing a demon-like mask to scare pupils takes part in a bean-throwing ceremony to drive away evil and bring good luck at the annual Setsubun Festival at Tokyo's Sensoji Temple on February 3, 2011. (credit:Getty)
Feb 15 - Nirvana Day (Buddhist)(16 of83)
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This is a Mahayana Buddhist festival marking the anniversary of the Buddha's death. (credit:Getty)
Feb 11 - Feast Day of Our Lady of Lourdes (Catholic)(17 of83)
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This marks the day in 1858 when St. Bernadette had her first vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary. (credit:Flickr: gLn98)
Feb 12 - Vasant Panchami (Sikh)(18 of83)
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Indian Sikh devotees pay their respects at the Sikh Shrine Gurdwara Chheharta Sahib on the occasion of Basant Panchami. (credit:Getty)
Mar 1-19: Nineteen-Day Fast (Baha'i)(19 of83)
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The Nineteen-Day Fast is a nineteen-day period of the year, during which members of the Bahá'í Faith adhere to a sunrise-to-sunset fast. (credit:Getty)
Mar 7 - Shivratri (Hindu)(20 of83)
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Indian Hindu devotees pour milk over a Shiva Lingam, a stone deity sculpture representing the creative energy of the Universe and the infinite nature of Shiva. (credit:Getty)
Mar 17 - St. Patrick's Day (Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran)(21 of83)
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Saint Patrick's Day is a religious and cultural holiday celebrated internationally on March 17. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Mar 14 - Clean Monday (Christian Orthodox)(22 of83)
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Carnival revellers dance as they parade in the streets of Strumica late on March 8, 2011. (credit:Getty)
Mar 20 - Palm Sunday (Christian)(23 of83)
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Chrisitian pilgrims carry palm branches during the Palm Sunday procession from Mt. Olives into Jerusalem's old city, marking the triumphant return of Jesus Christ to Jerusalem when a cheering crowd greeted him waving palm leaves the week before his death. (credit:Getty)
Mar 23 - Holi (Hindu)(24 of83)
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Hindu devotees play with coloured powders during Holi celebrations at the Bankey Bihari Temple in Vrindavan, India. (credit:Getty)
Mar 24 - Purim (Judaism)(25 of83)
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Israeli settlers and their children dressed in costumes hold balloons as they celebrate the annual Purim parade in the divided West Bank city of Hebron on March 20, 2011. (credit:Getty)
Mar 24 - Hola Mohalla (Sikh)(26 of83)
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Indian Sikh devotees spray perfume on the Palki Sahib which carries The Guru Garnth Sahib (Holy Book of Sikhs) in a procession from the Golden Temple to Sri Akal Takhat Sahib in Amritsar on the occasion of Hola Mohalla. (credit:Getty)
Mar 24 - Maundy Thursday (Christian)(27 of83)
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A woman reads a poem for Jesus as Catholics walk during the silence procession of Maundy Thursday in Madrid, Spain. (credit:(Photo by Senhan Bolelli/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images))
Mar 25 - Good Friday (Christian)(28 of83)
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French bishop Andre Vingt-Trois carries a wooden cross to the Montmartre Basilica during a Good Friday procession to commemorate the death of Christ. (credit:Getty)
Mar 26 - Holy Saturday (Christian)(29 of83)
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Holy Saturday is the day before Easter and the last day of Holy Week in which Christians prepare for Easter. (credit:Getty)
Mar 27 - Easter(30 of83)
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Pakistani Christians pray during an Easter Sunday Mass at a church in Lahore. (credit:Getty)
Apr 14 - Vaisakhi (Sikh)(31 of83)
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Britain's Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall pose for pictures as they met surviving veterans of the Sikh Brigade of the British Army at an event to mark the Sikh religious and cultural festival of Vaisakhi at St James Palace, London. (credit:Getty)
Apr 15 - Rama Navami (Hindu)(32 of83)
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Hindu priest wash statuettes of the Hindu deities Hanuman, Laxman, Lord Rama and Goddess Sita at the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) temple in Ahmedabad, on the occasion of Rama Navami. (credit:Getty)
Apr 20 - Mahavir Jayanti (Jain)(33 of83)
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Indian women perform a traditional dance as they take part in a procession for Mahavir Jayanti, in New Delhi, India,Thursday, April 5, 2012. (credit:AP)
Apr 22 - Theravada New Year (Buddhist)(34 of83)
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A Sri Lankan Buddhist devotee offers prayers at a temple in the Bellanvila suburb of Colombo as part of the traditional new year rituals. (credit:Getty)
May 1 - Beltane (Pagan)(35 of83)
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Morris Men dance at a May Day dawn celebration service in front of St. Michael's Tower on Glastonbury Tor on May 1, 2011 in Glastonbury, England. (credit:Getty)
May 5 - Ascension of Christ (Christian)(36 of83)
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Ascension Day marks the last earthly appearance of Christ after his resurrection. Christians believe Christ ascended into heaven. It is celebrated 40 days after Easter. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
May 15 - Wesak (Buddhist)(37 of83)
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Buddhist followers lighting candles at Borobudur temple during Vesak Day, commonly known as 'Buddha's birthday', at the Borobudur Mahayana Buddhist monument on May 17, 2011 in Magelang, Indonesia. (credit:Getty)
May 15 - Pentecost (Christian)(38 of83)
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The seventh Sunday after Easter, commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples and the birth of the Christian church. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
May 22 - Trinity Sunday (Christian)(39 of83)
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The first Sunday after Pentecost, Christians meditate on the nature of God as "three in one." (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
May 28 - Ascension of Baha'u'llah (Baha'i)(40 of83)
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A visitor learns about Baha'u'llah, the 19th century Persian founder of the Bahai faith, in the visitors' center in the Bahai gardens in Haifa, Israel. (credit:Getty)
May 29 - Feast of Corpus Christi (Catholic)(41 of83)
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The Feast of Corpus Christi celebrates the body and blood of Christ present in the Eucharist. (credit:Getty)
June 6 - Ramadan starts (Muslim)(42 of83)
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Syrian Muslim girls and women sit outside the Omayyad Mosque in central Damascus during the weekly Friday prayer during the holy fasting month of Ramadan. (credit:Getty)
June 12-13 - Shavuot (Jewish)(43 of83)
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Members of the Black Hebrews community celebrate the Shavuot harvest festival in Dimona, Israel. (credit:Getty)
June 20 - Summer Solstice (Pagan)(44 of83)
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Some pagans celebrate the summer solstice as the longest day of the year, honoring the power of the sun. (credit:Flickr : Bebopgirl1969)
June 29 - St. Peter and St. Paul's Day (Christian)(45 of83)
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The martyrdom of both these saints are observed by the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and Lutheran churches, and is one of the oldest saints' days. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
July 9 - The Martyrdom of the Bab (Bahai)(46 of83)
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A general view shows the terraced gardens and the golden Shrine of Bab following renovation works at the Bahai World Center, in the Israeli port city of Haifa, on April 12, 2011. (credit:Getty)
July 1 - Lailat al Qadr (Muslim)(47 of83)
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Muslim boys pray at the Grand Mosque in Kuwait City early on the night of 'Lailat al-Qadr' which marks the revelation of the Koran, Islam's holy book, to the Prophet Mohammed through the archangel Gabriel during the fasting month of Ramadan. (credit:Getty)
July 22 - Feast of Mary Magdalene (Christian)(48 of83)
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Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran and Eastern Orthodox churches consider the first person to see Jesus at his resurrection a saint. She is also important in the Baha'i faith. (credit:Getty)
Aug 6 - Transfiguration of Jesus (Christian)(49 of83)
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The Transfiguration of Jesus is an event reported in the New Testament in which Jesus is transfigured and becomes radiant upon a mountain. (credit:Getty)
Aug 14 - Tisha B'Av (Jewish)(50 of83)
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Religious Jews read from the biblical Book of Lamentation as they observe Tisha B'av in Jerusalem's Old City, Israel. (credit:Getty)
Aug 15 - Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Catholic)(51 of83)
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Religious carry a statue of the Virgin Mary during an Assumption procession of the Saint-Nicolas du Chardonnet fundamentalist church, on August 15, 2011 in Paris. (credit:Getty)
Aug 15 - Dormition of the Theotokos (Orthodox Christian)(52 of83)
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A Greek Orthodox priest carries an icon of the Virgin Mary along the narrow streets of Jerusalem's Old City during a procession marking The Dormition of the Theotokos (God-bearer) which commemorates the Virgin Mary. (credit:Getty)
Aug 18 - Raksha Bandhan (Hindu)(53 of83)
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An Indian lady ties a Rakhi bracelet on the wrist of an inmate at Sabarmati Central Jail on the occasion of 'Raksha Bandhan' in Ahmedabad. (credit:Getty)
Aug 25 - Janmasthami (Hindu)(54 of83)
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A woman walks inside the Bhaktivedanta Manor Krishna Temple, in Watford, north of London, during an open day for pilgrims to celebrate 'Janmashtami' - the birth of Lord Krishna. (credit:Getty)
Sept 8 - Nativity of the Theotokos / Birth of Virgin Mary (Christian)(55 of83)
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Orthodox Christians, Catholics and Anglicans celebrate the birth of Mary. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Sep 13 - Onam (Hindu)(56 of83)
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Celebrated by the people of Kerala, India, Onam commemorates the Vamana avatar of Vishnu. (credit:Getty Images)
Sept 22 - Autumn Equinox (Pagan)(57 of83)
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Pagans celebrate the Autumn Equinox, during which there are equal amounts of light and darkness. (credit:Getty)
Oct 1-9 - Navratri (Hindu)(58 of83)
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Indian dancers perform a traditional dance on the last day of Navratri, nine nights dedicated to worshipping the divine feminine. (credit:Getty)
Oct 2 - Al-Hijira (Islamic New Year) (Muslim)(59 of83)
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This marks the start of the Islamic New Year. Marks the migration of the Prophet Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina. (credit:Getty )
Oct 3-4 - Rosh Hashanah (Jewish)(60 of83)
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Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year. Photo: Ultra orthodox Jews offer prayers in the small Ukrainian city of Uman, some 200 kms south of Kiev on September 9, 2010. (credit:Getty)
Oct 7-11 - Durga Puja (Hindu)(61 of83)
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Indian Hindu devotees wipe vermilion on each other in front of a large statue of Hindu goddess Durga as they prepare to immerse it in the River Yamuna during Durga Puja festivities in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012. (credit:AP)
Oct 11 - Dussehra (Hindu)(62 of83)
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Indian Hindus watch an effigy of the Hindu demon king Ravana, stuffed with fire-crackers, burn at the Hindu festival of Dussehra in New Delhi New Delhi. (credit:Getty)
Oct 11 - Ashura (Muslim)(63 of83)
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Shi'ite worshipers pose after cutting their scalps in a ritual display of mourning during an Ashura commemoration ceremony outside Kadhimiya shrine in Baghdad, Iraq. (credit:Getty)
Oct 12 - Yom Kippur (Jewish)(64 of83)
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A Religious Jewish man whips a another one with leather straps as a symbolic punishment for his past year's sins during the traditional Malkot ceremony, a few hours before the start of Yom Kippur, the Jewish holy day of Atonement on the beach in the southern Israeli city of Ashdod. (credit:Getty)
Oct 17-23 - Sukkot (Jewish)(65 of83)
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Orthodox Jews prepare a sukkah, an outdoor hut, by covering its roof with branches as part of the Sukkot holiday at the Chabad center in Berlin, Germany. (credit:Getty)
Oct 25 - Simchat Torah (Jewish)(66 of83)
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In this photo, Iranian Jews dance around a Torah scroll, during a celebration of Simchat Torah, which marks the completion of the annual reading of the Torah, or Jewish scripture, and the beginning of the next cycle of reading, at the Hakim Synagogue, in northern Tehran, Iran. (credit:AP)
Oct 30 - Diwali (Hindu, Jain, Buddhist)(67 of83)
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Sacred to Hindus and Jains, the celebration of Diwali symbolizes the victory of good over evil, light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance. (credit:Getty)
Oct 30 - Bandi Chhor Divas (Sikh)(68 of83)
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In the Sikh tradition, Bandi Chhor Divas ('prisoner release day'), is celebrated to mark the release of the sixth Guru Hargobind from imprisonment by the Mughals. (credit:Getty)
Oct 31 - Samhain (Pagan)(69 of83)
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Samhain is celebrated by pagans, Wiccans and witchcraft practitioners around the world. (credit:Getty)
Nov 1 - Birth of the Bab (Baha'i)(70 of83)
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This day celebrates the birth of the precursor of the founder of the Baha'i faith. (credit:Getty)
Nov 1 - All Saints' Day (Christian)(71 of83)
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A family places flowers onto a tomb of a relative during All Saints Day at the Prazeres cemetery in Lisbon, Portugal, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014. (credit:(AP Photo/Francisco Seco))
Nov 2 - All Souls' Day (Christian)(72 of83)
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All Souls' Day commemorates the faithful departed. (credit:Getty)
Nov 2 - Birth of Baha'u'llah (Baha'i)(73 of83)
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Celebrates the birth in 1817 of the founder of the Baha'i faith. (credit:Getty)
Nov 14 - Birthday of Guru Nanak (Sikh)(74 of83)
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Indian Sikh devotees light candles as they pay their respects at the illuminated Golden Temple in Amritsar, India. (credit:Getty)
Nov 24 - Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur (Sikh)(75 of83)
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Guru Tegh Bahadur was the ninth Sikh guru and is honored as a champion of religious freedom. He was executed in 1675 for refusing to convert to Islam. (credit:Getty)
Nov 27 - Advent Sunday (Christian)(76 of83)
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Advent Sunday marks the start of the Advent Season, a period of waiting and expectation for the coming of Christ. (credit:Getty)
Dec 8 - Feast of Immaculate Conception (Catholic)(77 of83)
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This day is celebrated by Roman Catholics who remember Mary's conception as being without sin, therefore, immaculate. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Dec 8 - Bodhi Day (Buddhist)(78 of83)
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Bodhi Day is a Buddhist holiday that commemorates the day that the Buddha achieved enlightenment, translated as bodhi in Sanskrit or Pali. (credit:Getty)
Dec 12 - Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Catholic)(79 of83)
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Mexican pilgrims carrying an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico's patron saint, arrive at her basilica in Mexico City during the annual celebration. (credit:Getty)
Dec 22 - Winter Solstice (Yule) (Pagan)(80 of83)
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The Winter Solstice is the longest and darkest night of the year. It is celebrated to mark the return of the sun and longer days. (credit:Getty)
Dec 24 - Christmas Eve (Christian)(81 of83)
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The night before Christmas, when churches all over the world hold services in anticipation of Christmas Day. (credit:Getty)
Dec 25 - Christmas (Christian)(82 of83)
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Pope Francis waves from the balcony of St Peter's basilica during the traditional 'Urbi et Orbi' Christmas message to the city and the world, on December 25, 2015 at St Peter's square in Vatican. (credit:VINCENZO PINTO via Getty Images)
Dec 25-Jan 1, 2017 - Hanukkah (Jewish)(83 of83)
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Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight day Jewish holiday marking the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. (credit:Getty)
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