Dec. 22 - 28,Sterling Preston 2023

Originally held to celebrate the end of rice harvest, the annual ‘Pacu Jawi’ bull race competition, in Tanah Datar, Indonesia, has now become a major tourist attraction.

A magician burns notes written by people in Times Square in New York, as part of an event called Good Riddance Day, where people write their frustrations or problems on slips of paper that are then burned, symbolizing hope for a better year ahead.

Devotees douse a statue of their patron saint with gallons of rum in Cabimas, Venezuela, while University of Southern California football players pour a bucketful of eggnog on their coach after winning the Holiday Bowl.

This gallery highlights some of the most compelling images published in the past week by The Associated Press.

The selection was curated by AP photo editor Anita Baca in Mexico City.

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AP Images blog: http://apimagesblog.com/