Waking the Rain God

A procession of locals passing through the countryside on the outskirts of Yasothon: on their shoulders they carry the enormous 3 to 4 metre long bamboo poles that will be made into rockets for the Boon Bang Fai fireworks festival. Each pole has been especially selected and custom-made for a specific rocket design. The local men, women and children have been busy painting the poles in bright, festive colours and covering them with traditional religious inscriptions. The giant rockets must be as spectacular as possible, not only to wake up the gods and impress them enough to deserve a season of abundant rains, but also to impress a panel of judges that rate each rocket for its aesthetic, aerodynamic and explosive qualities. (Photo by Eric-Paul-Pierre PASQUIER/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)