Stavelot
Stavelot, Belgium
At first glance, this photo appears controversial to some people. The white hooded costumes look somewhat like KKK sheets. However, these are part of a festival that has been going on since 1502, far longer than any KKK rallies have. In the little town of Stavelot, in southeast Belgium, a festival is celebrated each year in the middle of Lent, characterized by these white costumes and masks with long red noses, known as Blancs Moussis. Other costumes are also worn, and a parade goes through the town, with a machine producing copious amounts of confetti. These kids are waiting for the parade to begin.
This photo was a winner of an honorable mention in the National Geographic Traveler Magazine Annual Photo Contest
©Bill Yeaton