Photos: Christmas around the world
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New Delhi, India
A Santa Claus distributes sweets to children in New Delhi, India, on Saturday, Dec. 25. (Mustafa Quraishi / AP) Back to slideshow navigation -
Berlin, Germany
Members of the Berlin Seals swimming club take a dip in an icy Lake Orankesee during their traditional Christmas Day swim in Berlin, Germany. They claim a brief dip in the chilly waters is healthy and improves blood circulation in the body. (Sean Gallup / Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation -
Rome, Italy
A newlywed couple kisses as Pope Benedict XVI finishes his Urbi et Orbi (to the city and the world) message from the central balcony of Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican on Saturday. (Alessandro Bianchi / Reuters) Back to slideshow navigation -
Istanbul, Turkey
Catholic priests pray at the St. Esprit Church during the Midnight Mass in Istanbul, Turkey, on Saturday. (Mustafa Ozer / AFP - Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation -
Bethlehem
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Fouad Twal, carries the statuette of baby Jesus during the Midnight Mass at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem on Saturday. (Fadi Arouri / AP) Back to slideshow navigation -
Afghanistan
Spc. Steven Galvin from Holstein, Iowa, wears a Santa Claus hat as he returns fire during a sudden attack by Taliban on Combat Outpost Badel in Afghanistan near the Pakistan border on Dec. 24. (Rafiq Maqbool / AP) Back to slideshow navigation -
Shaanxi Province, China
A Christmas tree is illuminated beside sculptures of ancient people in the background of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda on Dec. 24 in Xian, China. Christmas is becoming increasingly popular in Chinese consumer culture, along with Valentine's Day in February and Halloween in October. (China Photos / Getty Images Contributor) Back to slideshow navigation -
Sioux Falls, S.D.
Megan Shaffer, 8, right, holds a candle during the singing of "Silent Night" at the Christmas Eve service at First Baptist Church in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Dec. 24. (Devin Wagner / The Argus Leader via AP) Back to slideshow navigation -
Sudan
A southern Sudanese man wears a t-shirt reading, "Vote For Your Freedom", as he holds up a cross during a Christmas Eve procession in Juba. (Goran Tomasevic / Reuters) Back to slideshow navigation -
Beirut, Lebanon
A Christian choir wearing cowboy hats sings during Christmas Eve celebrations on Dec. 24 in the Ashrafiyeh neighborhood of east Beirut. (Anwar Amro / AFP - Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation -
Sydney, Australia
A group of Santa hat-wearing English tourists attempt to build a pyramid while celebrating Christmas Day at Bondi beach in Sydney, on Dec. 25. (Rick Rycroft / AP) Back to slideshow navigation -
Potomac River, Md.
Frosty the Snowman pilots his small boat down the Potomac River on Christmas Eve at Maryland's National Harbor, a few miles down the river from Washington, D.C. The Water Skiing Santa, Flying Elves, a Jet-Skiing Grinch, and even Frosty the Snowman, have been appearing on the river for 25 years in freezing temperatures. The annual event attracts thousands of people watching from the shore. (Paul J. Richards / AFP - Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation -
Gaza City
Palestinan boys blow a vuvuzela as they watch the Christmas Eve sunset along the sea front in Gaza City. (Mohammed Abed / AFP - Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation -
Los Angeles
Josiah Joseph, 5, left, of Los Angeles and other children play in fake snow at the Los Angeles Mission. The Christmas Eve event provides food, toys, clothes and other gifts for families in need. (Jason Redmond / AP) Back to slideshow navigation -
Raphine, Va.
Floyd Cribbs, of Randlett, Okla., eats lunch at White's Truck Stop on Christmas Eve in Raphine, Va. (Pat Jarrett / The News Leader via AP) Back to slideshow navigation -
New York
People skate on an ice rink while pedestrians look at the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center in New York City on Christmas Eve. (Jonathan D. Woods / msnbc.com) Back to slideshow navigation -
Cocoa Beach, Fla.
People dressed as Santa Claus surf at Cocoa Beach, Fla., on Christmas Eve. They had gathered at Surfin' Santa George Trossett's beach house. (Rik Jesse / AP) Back to slideshow navigation -
New Delhi
Children light candles at the Sacred Heart Cathedral on Christmas Eve in New Delhi, India. Christians in India make up just over 2 percent of its one billion residents. (Saurabh Das / AP) Back to slideshow navigation -
Bethlehem
Nigerian Christians gather for prayers under paintings of the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus in the Grotto inside the Church of the Nativity, accepted by Christians as the birthplace of Jesus Christ, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem on Christmas Eve. Thousands of pilgrims and tourists take part in the annual procession from Manger Square into the church to mark Jesus' birth. (Jim Hollander / EPA) Back to slideshow navigation -
Beijing
A girl gestures to a boy to keep silent during a Christmas Eve Mass at the South Cathedral in Beijing. (Alexander F. Yuan / AP) Back to slideshow navigation -
Colorao Springs, Colo.
Air Force Lt. Col. David Hanson, of Chicago, takes a phone call from a child in Florida at the Santa Tracking Operations Center at Peterson Air Force Base near Colorado Springs, Colo. Volunteers take as many as 80,000 phone calls from youngsters and adults around the world with questions about Santa and his travels. (Ed Andrieski / AP) Back to slideshow navigation -
Ayutthaya Province, Thailand
An elephant performs before giving out gifts to students to mark the Christmas season at a school in Thailand's Ayutthaya province. The event was held as part of a campaign to promote Christmas. (Pornchai Kittiwongsakul / AFP - Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation -
Moscow
A boy lights a candle during a celebration at the Cathedral of Virgin Mary Immaculate Conception in Moscow. (Denis Sinyakov / Reuters) Back to slideshow navigation -
Bethlehem
An Armenian priest prays inside the grotto where Christians believe the Virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus in the Church of the Nativity in the West Bank town of Bethlehem on Christmas Eve. (Oliver Weiken / EPA) Back to slideshow navigation -
Hefei, China
A teacher dressed as Santa distributes candy to children at a kindergarten in Hefei, Anhui province, China, on Dec. 23. (Jianan Yu / Reuters) Back to slideshow navigation
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