• Christmas markets continue in Shanghai despite rising Covid-19 cases. EPA
    Christmas markets continue in Shanghai despite rising Covid-19 cases. EPA
  • Followers of the Legio Maria of African Church Mission covered themselves in mud as part of Christmas Mass near Ugunja, in Siaya County, Kenya. Reuters
    Followers of the Legio Maria of African Church Mission covered themselves in mud as part of Christmas Mass near Ugunja, in Siaya County, Kenya. Reuters
  • Celebrators dress up as Santa Claus at Infant Jesus Church in Bangalore. EPA
    Celebrators dress up as Santa Claus at Infant Jesus Church in Bangalore. EPA
  • Furry friends get in the festive spirit before Britain's Royal Family head to St Mary Magdalene Church in Norfolk, England. AFP
    Furry friends get in the festive spirit before Britain's Royal Family head to St Mary Magdalene Church in Norfolk, England. AFP
  • Santa Claus gives presents to children during a Christmas celebration in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. AFP
    Santa Claus gives presents to children during a Christmas celebration in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. AFP
  • Christmas down under in Newcastle, Australia. Getty Images
    Christmas down under in Newcastle, Australia. Getty Images
  • Brian Dickie, dressed as Santa Claus, rides his bike through the wintery streets of Carleton Place, Ontario. AP
    Brian Dickie, dressed as Santa Claus, rides his bike through the wintery streets of Carleton Place, Ontario. AP
  • Ross Cipriotti, dressed as Santa Claus, at the annual presentation of Waterskiing Santa on the Potomac River in Virginia. Reuters
    Ross Cipriotti, dressed as Santa Claus, at the annual presentation of Waterskiing Santa on the Potomac River in Virginia. Reuters
  • An elf and the Grinch ride a tube together during the Virginia contest. What could possibly go wrong? Reuters
    An elf and the Grinch ride a tube together during the Virginia contest. What could possibly go wrong? Reuters
  • Travellers at festive Miami International Airport await news of their flights during a winter storm. AFP
    Travellers at festive Miami International Airport await news of their flights during a winter storm. AFP
  • An artisan creates figurines using radishes to mark the Night of the Radishes in Oaxaca, Mexico, on December 23. EPA
    An artisan creates figurines using radishes to mark the Night of the Radishes in Oaxaca, Mexico, on December 23. EPA
  • Skaters at an outdoor rink at Victoria Park during a winter storm over London, Ontario, Canada. AFP
    Skaters at an outdoor rink at Victoria Park during a winter storm over London, Ontario, Canada. AFP
  • The London Eye Ferris wheel in front of the Houses of Parliament is seen during the preparations for the Christmas weekend. Reuters
    The London Eye Ferris wheel in front of the Houses of Parliament is seen during the preparations for the Christmas weekend. Reuters
  • Fans of German's FC Union Berlin gather at the Stadion An der Alten Foersterei stadium to sing traditional Christmas carols together after a two-year break caused by the coronavirus disease pandemic. Reuters
    Fans of German's FC Union Berlin gather at the Stadion An der Alten Foersterei stadium to sing traditional Christmas carols together after a two-year break caused by the coronavirus disease pandemic. Reuters
  • FC Union Berlin carolling at Stadion An der Alten Foersterei for the first Christmas in two years. Reuters
    FC Union Berlin carolling at Stadion An der Alten Foersterei for the first Christmas in two years. Reuters
  • A bus passes a solar-powered Christmas tree in the Piazza Venezia in Rome, Italy. Reuters
    A bus passes a solar-powered Christmas tree in the Piazza Venezia in Rome, Italy. Reuters
  • 'Czech Christmas Mass' by the Czech composer Jakub Jan Ryba is performed at Prague's main railway station. Reuters
    'Czech Christmas Mass' by the Czech composer Jakub Jan Ryba is performed at Prague's main railway station. Reuters
  • Travellers at the Gare de Lyon railway station in Paris wait for a train during a strike by guards at France's state-owned railway operator SNCF. Reuters
    Travellers at the Gare de Lyon railway station in Paris wait for a train during a strike by guards at France's state-owned railway operator SNCF. Reuters
  • Christmas lights in Mumbai, India. Reuters
    Christmas lights in Mumbai, India. Reuters
  • People head to the provinces for Christmas at a bus terminal in Paranaque City, Metro Manila, Philippines.
    People head to the provinces for Christmas at a bus terminal in Paranaque City, Metro Manila, Philippines.
  • The quiet of a shopping mall in Shanghai, China, where most of the shops are closed amid a coronavirus outbreak before the Christmas holiday. Reuters
    The quiet of a shopping mall in Shanghai, China, where most of the shops are closed amid a coronavirus outbreak before the Christmas holiday. Reuters
  • Preparations for the Christmas mass at the Jakarta Cathedral in Indonesia. Reuters
    Preparations for the Christmas mass at the Jakarta Cathedral in Indonesia. Reuters
  • Pupils wait to catch a glimpse of five elephants during Christmas celebrations at a primary school in Ayutthaya, Thailand, on Thursday, December 23, 2022. Reuters
    Pupils wait to catch a glimpse of five elephants during Christmas celebrations at a primary school in Ayutthaya, Thailand, on Thursday, December 23, 2022. Reuters
  • Chicago, Illinois. A rare winter storm caused Christmas travel chaos in the US on Thursday, with thousands of flights cancelled and major motorways closed. AFP
    Chicago, Illinois. A rare winter storm caused Christmas travel chaos in the US on Thursday, with thousands of flights cancelled and major motorways closed. AFP
  • A tram is adorned with holiday decorations three days before Christmas in Los Angeles, California. AFP
    A tram is adorned with holiday decorations three days before Christmas in Los Angeles, California. AFP
  • A man walks through a giant illuminated Christmas sphere in the Christmas Lunapark in Nicosia, Cyprus. Reuters
    A man walks through a giant illuminated Christmas sphere in the Christmas Lunapark in Nicosia, Cyprus. Reuters
  • Children perform at the entrance of a toy shop as shoppers walk past in London. Reuters
    Children perform at the entrance of a toy shop as shoppers walk past in London. Reuters
  • A house adorned with Christmas decorations in Lija, Malta. Reuters
    A house adorned with Christmas decorations in Lija, Malta. Reuters
  • An actress performs during a Christmas show in Postojna, Slovenia. Reuters
    An actress performs during a Christmas show in Postojna, Slovenia. Reuters
  • Catholics attend a dawn Mass before Christmas at the St Joseph Parish Church in Las Pinas city, Philippines on December 16, 2022. AP
    Catholics attend a dawn Mass before Christmas at the St Joseph Parish Church in Las Pinas city, Philippines on December 16, 2022. AP
  • A man sets up Christmas decorations at a shop in Peshawar, Pakistan. Reuters
    A man sets up Christmas decorations at a shop in Peshawar, Pakistan. Reuters
  • Christian youths prepare to take pictures after a choir performance to celebrate Christmas in Jakarta, Indonesia. Reuters
    Christian youths prepare to take pictures after a choir performance to celebrate Christmas in Jakarta, Indonesia. Reuters
  • A Christmas tree sits in an empty shopping area in Shanghai. Many stayed away from crowded areas amid a rise in Covid-19 infections in China. Reuters
    A Christmas tree sits in an empty shopping area in Shanghai. Many stayed away from crowded areas amid a rise in Covid-19 infections in China. Reuters
  • A woman dressed as a mermaid Santa Claus gestures as she swims in an aquarium in Manila, the Philippines. Reuters
    A woman dressed as a mermaid Santa Claus gestures as she swims in an aquarium in Manila, the Philippines. Reuters
  • Indians attend a carnival three days before Christmas in Mumbai, India. EPA
    Indians attend a carnival three days before Christmas in Mumbai, India. EPA
  • A woman poses for a photo alongside giant gingerbread figures in Ukrainian Army uniforms, in central Kyiv. Reuters
    A woman poses for a photo alongside giant gingerbread figures in Ukrainian Army uniforms, in central Kyiv. Reuters
  • The traditional giant Christmas tree in the Galeries Lafayette department store in Paris. EPA
    The traditional giant Christmas tree in the Galeries Lafayette department store in Paris. EPA
  • Christmas trees on sale in the northern Syrian city of Raqqa. AFP
    Christmas trees on sale in the northern Syrian city of Raqqa. AFP
  • Taking a selfie in front of St John's Cathedral, in Peshawar, Pakistan. AP
    Taking a selfie in front of St John's Cathedral, in Peshawar, Pakistan. AP
  • A spectacular Christmas display in downtown Tbilisi, Georgia. AFP
    A spectacular Christmas display in downtown Tbilisi, Georgia. AFP
  • A Christmas tree in Sofiyska Square, Kyiv, Ukraine. EPA
    A Christmas tree in Sofiyska Square, Kyiv, Ukraine. EPA
  • Santa Claus delivering gifts to children at the Iranduba riverside community in Manaus, Brazil. AFP
    Santa Claus delivering gifts to children at the Iranduba riverside community in Manaus, Brazil. AFP
  • Giraffes Pali, Pepo and Fito receive gifts from Santa at Aurora Zoo, Guatemala City, Guatemala. Reuters
    Giraffes Pali, Pepo and Fito receive gifts from Santa at Aurora Zoo, Guatemala City, Guatemala. Reuters
  • Сoncrete blocks previously used for barricades are turned into Christmas decorations in central Kyiv, Ukraine. Reuters
    Сoncrete blocks previously used for barricades are turned into Christmas decorations in central Kyiv, Ukraine. Reuters
  • A Santa Claus headband among worshippers at a pre-dawn mass at Baclaran Church in Metro Manila, Philippines. AFP
    A Santa Claus headband among worshippers at a pre-dawn mass at Baclaran Church in Metro Manila, Philippines. AFP
  • Kashmiri artisan Syed Maqbool paints a papier mache Santa Claus at a workshop in Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir. EPA
    Kashmiri artisan Syed Maqbool paints a papier mache Santa Claus at a workshop in Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir. EPA
  • Window displays to pull in the Christmas shoppers on Regent Street in London, England. Getty
    Window displays to pull in the Christmas shoppers on Regent Street in London, England. Getty
  • Time for a festive selfie in front of the Christmas and New Year decorations in central Moscow. AFP
    Time for a festive selfie in front of the Christmas and New Year decorations in central Moscow. AFP
  • A dog lover dresses her pet in festive fashion at a park during the Christmas and New Year season in Jakarta, Indonesia. Reuters
    A dog lover dresses her pet in festive fashion at a park during the Christmas and New Year season in Jakarta, Indonesia. Reuters
  • Decorations for Christmas and New Year celebrations outside a shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand. EPA
    Decorations for Christmas and New Year celebrations outside a shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand. EPA
  • A diver in a Santa Claus costume practices her performance for the upcoming Christmas special feeding at Sunshine Aquarium in Tokyo, Japan. EPA
    A diver in a Santa Claus costume practices her performance for the upcoming Christmas special feeding at Sunshine Aquarium in Tokyo, Japan. EPA
  • Ashrut Jena, five, visits Santa at Galleria Mall, Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
    Ashrut Jena, five, visits Santa at Galleria Mall, Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
  • A pedestrian walks past Christmas decorations near the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in central Moscow. AFP
    A pedestrian walks past Christmas decorations near the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in central Moscow. AFP
  • Traders work at the Closing Bell on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. EPA
    Traders work at the Closing Bell on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. EPA

World

The Christmas season around the world – in pictures

Festivities get under way across the globe

The National

December 15, 2022

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Updated: December 15, 2022, 12:21 PM
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