Across continents, Christmas is being observed with a mix of worship, tradition and local flavour, reflecting how the season resonates differently around the world.
In central Europe, Prague’s Old Town Square filled with visitors as the city opened its annual Christmas market.
A towering tree from the Pardubice region anchors the square, surrounded by wooden stalls selling crafts, food and mulled wine.
In Italy, Santa Claus arrived by unconventional means.
Festive parades saw Santas riding bicycles, motorbikes and even gondolas, bringing Christmas cheer through city streets and waterways in the lead-up to the holiday.
At the Vatican, Pope Leo used his Christmas Eve Mass to reflect on compassion and inclusion.
Speaking to thousands in St Peter’s Basilica, he said the nativity story calls on Christians to welcome the poor and strangers, reminding worshippers that God is present in every human being.
In the United States, New York City marked the season in lights.
The Empire State Building’s spire glowed red and green, a long-standing holiday tradition that adds festive colour to the skyline and draws residents and visitors alike into the Christmas spirit.
Further south in Australia, Christmas looked different again.
Cooler weather and alcohol restrictions shifted backpackers away from Bondi Beach, with many choosing Coogee instead, creating a quieter shoreline and a more subdued take on the usual beach-side Christmas gatherings.
In Japan, unusual weather shaped the holiday mood.
Rain swept across eastern regions, flooding roads in parts of Chiba, while Tokyo endured its coldest day of the season. Even northern Aomori saw a rare snowless Christmas, underscoring the year’s unexpected conditions.
In Mexico, tradition took centre stage in Oaxaca.
Crowds gathered for the annual Night of the Radishes, where artists carved ornate scenes into vegetables. Rooted in indigenous agriculture and dating back to the 16th century, the festival blends history, creativity and Christmas celebration.
In northern Iraq, members of the Christian community attended Christmas Mass at Mar Eth-Alaha Chaldean Church in Duhok.
Worshippers marked the birth of Jesus with prayers and hymns, as Western Christian celebrations culminated with Midnight Mass.
In Indian-administered Kashmir, Christians gathered at Holy Family Catholic Church in Srinagar. Believers attended Christmas Day Mass, joining millions worldwide in commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ.
From solemn worship to vibrant festivals and unexpected weather, Christmas this year once again reflects the diversity of cultures and communities marking the season around the globe.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has raised concerns that Russia could launch large-scale attacks during the Christmas period.
The Kremlin on Tuesday rejected a proposed Christmas ceasefire in Ukraine, saying any truce would depend on reaching a broader peace agreement.
New York City’s streets were filled with holiday cheer over the weekend as thousands of people took part in the annual SantaCon celebration transforming the city into a sea of white and red.
A majority of Russians expect the war in Ukraine to end in 2026, state pollster VTsIOM said on Wednesday, in a sign that the Kremlin could be testing public reaction to a possible peace settlement as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict intensify.
Military representatives from Cambodia and Thailand met in Chanthaburi province on Wednesday ahead of formal ceasefire talks at the 3rd special GBC meeting scheduled for 27th December.
Thailand and Cambodia both reported fresh clashes on Wednesday, as the two sides prepared to hold military talks aimed at easing tensions along their shared border.
Libya’s chief of staff, Mohammed Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad, has died in a plane crash shortly after departing Türkiye’s capital, Ankara, the prime minister of Libya’s UN-recognised government has said.
It’s been a year since an Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, killing 38 people. Relatives and loved ones mourn the victims, as authorities near the final stage of their investigation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that he held an approximately one-hour discussion with U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner on ways to end the war with Russia.
On Thursday 25 December, a solemn commemoration ceremony took place in Baku to mark the first anniversary of the tragic Azerbaijan Airlines crash near Aktau, Kazakhstan.
Algeria's parliament has unanimously passed a law declaring France's colonisation of the North African state a crime, and demanding an apology and reparations.
Turkish authorities have detained 115 suspected Islamic State members they said were planning to carry out attacks on Christmas and New Year celebrations in the country.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy outlined for the first time the main points of a draft 20-point framework peace proposal discussed by Ukraine and the United States, which he said could become the basis of future agreements to end war with Russia.
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