Pope Francis is surrounded by children at the end of the Christmas Eve Mass at The St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. AFP
Sri Lankan Cardinal Albert Malcolm Ranjith attends Christmas Mass at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Ja-Ela, Colombo. AFP
A statue of baby Jesus at a nativity scene at St Nicholas Church in the Croatian minority town, in Janjevo, Kosovo. Reuters
People attend Christmas Mass at St Nicholas Church in the Croatian minority town, in Janjevo, Kosovo. Reuters
Tourists wearing hats pose for a photo on Christmas Day at Bondi Beach, Sydney. AFP
Christians gather at Mount Mary Church on Christmas Eve in Mumbai. AFP
A balloon seller walks through La Terminal market, the largest in Central America, in Guatemala City. EPA
People take their places before the beginning of Christmas Mass at Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, France. EPA
Archbishop of Paris Laurent Ulrich presides over Christmas Mass at Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, France. EPA
A man dressed as Santa Claus attends a Christmas solidarity dinner called 'No Families Without Christmas' in front of the National Congress in Buenos Aires. AFP
A homeless man walks near a Santa Claus decoration on Christmas Eve in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil. Reuters
People play with artificial snow made of foam on Christmas Eve in Kuala Lumpur. AFP
People play with artificial foam snow on Christmas Eve in Kuala Lumpur. AFP
Christians gather to celebrate Christmas at the Monastery of Our Lady of Saydnaya in Saydnaya, Syria. Getty Images
Christians gather to celebrate Christmas at the Monastery of Our Lady of Saydnaya in Syria, amid fears the new administration may marginalise minorities. Getty Images
Christians gather for the lighting of a Christmas tree at the Monastery of Our Lady of Saydnaya square in Saydnaya, Syria. Getty Images
Christians attend Christmas midnight mass at Mother Teresa Cathedral in Pristina, Kosovo, marking the birth of Jesus Christ. AFP
Worshippers attend Christmas midnight mass at the Church of the Nativity compound in the biblical city of Bethlehem. EPA
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa leads Christmas midnight mass at the Church of the Nativity compound in the biblical city of Bethlehem. EPA
Christmas Mass at Cologne Cathedral in Cologne, Germany. EPA
Worshippers of the Legio Maria African Church Mission attend Christmas Eve vigil mass at St Helena Mathare Parish in the Mathare informal settlement, Nairobi, Kenya. AFP
A woman stands in front of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in Manhattan, New York City. Reuters
Worshippers of the Legio Maria African Church Mission attend the Christmas Eve vigil mass at St Helena Mathare Parish in Nairobi's Mathare informal settlement, Kenya. AFP
Catholic worshipers attend Christmas eve mass at Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Cairo, Egypt. EPA
Catholic priests lead Christmas eve mass at Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Cairo, Egypt. EPA
Christians pray during Christmas Mass at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Ja-Ela, Colombo. AFP
Christmas Eve mass at Cathedrale Saint-Pierre, in Rabat, Morocco. EPA
Catholic Christians re-enact the nativity scene during Christmas Eve mass at Saint Antuan Church, in Istanbul. AFP
Pakistani Christians chant during midnight mass at St Andrew's Church on Christmas Eve in Karachi, Pakistan. EPA
People attend Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve at Amsterdam's Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk) in the Netherlands. EPA
A man dressed as Santa stands in front of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in Manhattan, New York City. Reuters
Christians attend midnight Christmas Mass at Santhome Cathedral Basilica in Chennai, India. AP
People attend Christmas Eve Mass at Saint George's Church in Saydnaya, Damascus, Syria. Getty Images
Syrian children pose next to trees decorated with Christmas lights in Damascus. AFP
Pope Francis presides over Christmas Eve Mass in St Peter's Basilica at The Vatican. AP
Iraqi Christians attend a Christmas Eve Mass at St Joseph Chaldean Church in Baghdad. Reuters
Thousands of birds fly over a large Christmas tree at Plateau in Abidjan's business district. AFP
Archbishop Atanasius Firas Dardar, Patriarchal Exarch of Basra and the Gulf, prepares to light the bonfire during Christmas Eve service at the Syriac Catholic Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Iraq's southern city of Basra. AFP
Pope Francis leaves after celebrating Christmas Eve Mass in St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. Reuters
Archbishop Gintaras Grusas greets worshippers during the Christmas Eve midnight Mass at the Cathedral-Basilica in Vilnius, Lithuania. AP
Deacons pray before the altar as Father Gabriel Romanelli, Parish Priest of the Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Family, prepares Communion during Christmas Eve Mass at the church in the Zaytoun neighbourhood of Gaza city. AFP
Local residents take photos near the Christmas tree in Sophia Square in Kyiv. AFP
An Orthodox chaplain conducts Christmas Eve Mass for Ukrainian soldiers of the 72nd Brigade in Donetsk region. Reuters
A Catholic deacon gestures towards a nativity scene during the Christmas Mass celebration at the Notre Dame de la Paix Cathedral in N'Djamena. AFP.
A girl carries a box containing offerings during Christmas Mass at the Notre Dame de la Paix Cathedral in N'Djamena. AFP