Welcome to the Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival, an annual tradition in Tainan, Taiwan. It began in 1885 as a desperate plea to the gods to save the people from ongoing cholera and plague epidemics. Since then, the festival has become a popular part of Lunar New Year celebrations. Millions of small fireworks are arranged into towers, known as beehives, and when lit, the rockets shoot out in all directions. (That’s why participants wear helmets and protective clothing.) In the past, thousands came to watch, but this winter, the event took on a new significance. Taiwan has had one of the world’s most successful Covid-19 responses, but officials still considered canceling the festival because of health concerns. Ultimately though, they decided that an event meant to ward off disease might be just what residents needed. They went ahead with a scaled-down version of the event, livestreaming the fireworks to those at home. After all, showing respect to the gods can’t hurt, says Lu Junyi, secretary of the Yanshui Wu Miao Temple, which is involved with the festival. “This year,” Lu told The Guardian, “we are hoping that Covid-19 could end soon.”