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Photos: Traditional Bavarian Boeller Gunners Fest

Credit: Johannes Simon/Getty Images

SCHONSTETT, GERMANY - JULY 29: Traditional Bavarian boeller gunners row up for a general shooting at the annual Upper Bavarian boeller gunners? feast (Boellerschuetzenfest) on July 29, 2012 in Schonstett, Germany. Boeller gunning (Boellerschiessen) is a tradition in Bavaria and other parts of Europe going back to the 14th century, in which special guns that do not shoot bullets but are filled with gunpowder and ignited to make as much noise as possible are used to herald special occasions, such as weddings, holidays and the new year. The calamitous noise is meant to scare away evil spirits and bring good fortune. (Photo by Johannes Simon/Getty Images)