The 37 strangest photos of 2015

Most powerful, moving, or even newsworthy images of the year

Plenty of everyday happenings
It's important to look back on the past with a little sense of humor.

In addition to the most powerful, moving, or even newsworthy images of the year, we've put together a collection of peculiar Reuters photos that simply made us smile.

From "No Pants Subway Day" in Mexico to a toilet cafe in Moscow — there's plenty of everyday happenings that can remind you of the absurdity, playfulness, and kindness in the world.

Some of these moments seem bizarre because of their lack of context. Others are just plain weird.

The European Elvis Tribute Artist Contest and Convention was held in Birmingham, England, in January.

The fifth-annual "No Pants Subway Ride" was held in Mexico City on January 11, 2015.

In January, winter swimmers dove into the waters of the Yangtze River, in Wuhan, Hubei province, China.

The International Festival of the Masquerade Games in Pernik, Bulgaria, draws participants from Europe, Asia, and Africa. Here, a man dances in a costume made of animal fur, known as "kuker."

The Unification Church in South Korea hosted its annual mass-wedding ceremony. 3,800 couples got married at this year's event.

Cats have taken over the remote island of Aoshima, outnumbering humans six to one.

A girl wears a welding mask to view a partial solar eclipse from Bradgate Park in Newtown Linford, central England.

This unconventional swim cap was worn by a competitor in the UK Cold Water Swimming Championships at Tooting Bec Lido in south London.

These ladies horsed around during Crabbie's Grand National Festival in the UK.

According to local media in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the owner of this house refused to reach an agreement with the local authority regarding compensation for its demolition.

During the baby-crying contest held at the Sensoji temple in Tokyo, two wrestlers compete by holding crying babies and seeing which baby can cry the loudest.

New York's Comic Con drew crowds with amazing costumes, like this one by Max Louscher, who is dressed as Bill Cipher from Gravity Falls.

A match of "bubble bump soccer" is played in Medellin, Colombia.

Magician Lei Xin hangs outside a double-decker bus as part of a performance to help promote a healthier view of love and marriage among young people.

A "Star Wars"-themed aircraft took off from Singapore's Changi Airport in November.

This flight simulator, Birdly, was featured at the exhibition "Animated Wonderworlds" at Museum fuer Gestaltung (Museum for Design) in Zurich.

The Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City celebrated the 31st-annual Feast of Saint Francis and Blessing of the Animals.

The week of an international summit in June, balloons depicting leaders of the G7 countries were inflated in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.

For four weeks, 30 carvers in Ostend, Belgium, built 150 sculptures based on Marvel, Star Wars, Disney and Pixar movies.

The 11th-annual toilet-paper wedding-dress contest was held at Kleinfled's Bridal Boutique in New York this June. Only Charmin toilet paper, glue, tape, needle, and thread can be used to create the dresses.

This group set a Guinness world record for the largest gathering of Einstein impersonators. The event was held to raise money for School on Wheels and homeless children's education in Los Angeles, California.
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Thirty-two-year-old polar bear Cezar chows down on a watermelon at the zoo in Belgrade, Serbia.

The annual World Congress of Santa Clauses took place in Copenhagen this July. They all dove in during their annual swim at Bellevue beach.

The seashore of Qingdao, Shandong province, China, was covered in algae, but the kids didn't seem to mind.

These dairy cows in Granby, Quebec, are best friends with the barn cat.

The sand in Siwa, Egypt, is used as a form of natural therapy to help cure rheumatism, joint pain, infertility, or impotence. Here, a man is buried neck-deep, taking what's known as a sand bath.

During Bat Yam, Israel's annual international street art and theater festival, some 40 people dressed in colorful body suits and walked the streets as a performance-art piece.

Guillaume Rolland of France participated in the Highline Extreme event in Moleson, Switzerland, attempting to break the world record by walking the entirety of the 1,624-foot line.

In Huntington Beach, California, dogs caught a wave as part of the Surf City Surf Dog Competition.

Wasteland Weekend, in California City, California, drew hundreds to celebrate and mimic the post-apocalyptic world of the movie "Mad Max."

A homemade airship constructed by 29-year-old local Shi Songbo, took off in the Henan province of China in October. The two-seated airship cost $47,187 to build and took four months to complete.

A seemingly headless boy walks around on Halloween in La Fresneda, Spain.

Remote-controlled witches can fly — this one was over a neighborhood in Encinitas, California.

The Crazy Toilet Cafe located in central Moscow, Russia, lets customers sit on giant, toilet-themed seats.

Beluga whales swim and "kiss" their trainer during a performance.

A pig breeder rides his pig, "Big Precious," during an interview with the media, in Zhangjiakou, Hebei province, China.

Originally invented for restaurant service, a robot product has recently branched out to include "bridesmaid" services at weddings.

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