LOOK: Villagers celebrate New Year by ‘bathing’ in clouds of sparks to ward off evil spirits

The ritual is known in Fujian Province as the “eating flowers” ceremony

In a traditional ritual dating back more than four centuries, villagers in China’s southeastern Fujian Province celebrate the Lantern Festival — the culmination of the Lunar New Year holiday — with an entrancing spectacle meant to ward off evil spirits and bring luck for the New Year.

Village elders elect eight local men — typically single, aged 20 to 50 — to perform the annual “eating flowers” rite, in which the participants “bathe” bare-chested in technicolor clouds of sparks sprayed from fireworks. The ritual is said to purge the men of nefarious spirits and generate good fortune for the village:

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[Images via AFP / CGTN]