Pictured above:  6

A man takes part in a historical reenactment in the forecourt of the Maison Carree as part of the third edition of the Roman Games in Nimes, southern France, on April 28, 2012. The priests of the Imperial cult performed a ceremony in honor of Emperor Hadrian passing through Nîmes. (Pascal Guyot/AFP/GettyImages) # 

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One of the oldest forms of storytelling is that of re-enactment, donning the costumes of the story's subjects, miming their actions, performing a narrative before a live audience. Whether organized by history enthusiasts, government offices, religious groups, or just for fun, military battles and religious events are the most popular subjects for re-enactment. Collected here are recent performances from around the world, covering a few events from the past 2,000 years. [36 photos]  <------

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Masked men ride in a morning procession as part of the "Cavalhadas" festival in Pirenopolis, Brazil, on May 19, 2013. The popular festival is a tradition that was introduced in the 1800's by a Portuguese priest to mark the the ascension of Christ. The 3-day festival reenacts the Christian knights' medieval defeat of the Moors. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) # 

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History enthusiasts dressed as soldiers fight during the reenactment of Napoleon's famous battle of Austerlitz near the southern Moravian town of Slavkov, on December 1, 2012. (Reuters/David W Cerny) # 

Men dressed as samurai warriors finish off an enemy during a reenactment of the Battle of Kawanakajima, which was fought in the mid 16th century, in Fuefuki, Japan, on April 21, 2013. The event reflects growing interest among Japanese in feudal-era leaders.(AP Photo/Junji Kurokawa) # 

... and here I thought reenactments were an American thing...

America loves reenactments but they're popular in many other countries too. 

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An 18th century Maltese militia re-enactor of the Historical Reenactment Group of Malta fires his musket at the Napoleonic French enemy during a multi-period reenactment event in the grounds of Verdala Palace outside Valletta, on September 23, 2012.(Reuters/Darrin Zammit Lupi) # 

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An Armstrong 17.72 inch muzzle-loading 100-ton gun is fired during a historical reenactment at the Fort Rinella coastal battery in Kalkara, outside Valletta, on May 5, 2013. Fort Rinella was built by the British Royal Engineers in 1878 as part of a set of four equally designed coastal batteries in Gibraltar and Malta. Each fort was armed with a single 100-ton gun, none of which were ever fired in anger.(Reuters/Darrin Zammit Lupi) # 

Wait, what?  "...none of which were ever fired in anger"?  

Never fire in anger!

Always fire in joy, with giggling....

Or fire with no emotion at all. Keep calm and carry on.