Mask dancers perform an age-old ritual chasing the evil spirits away on the streets of Batanovci, Bulgaria, late Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022. Every winter in villages across the Balkan country, men, women, and children dressed up in ritual masks and costumes perform their vibrant dances around bonfires. For a second year now, the festival has extra significance: people hope it will bring relief from the coronavirus pandemic woes. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova)