The Christmas season around the world – in pictures

Festivities get under way across the globe

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

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

Santa Claus gives presents to children during a Christmas celebration in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. AFP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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

A house adorned with Christmas decorations in Lija, Malta. 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

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

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

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

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

Taking a selfie in front of St John's Cathedral, in Peshawar, Pakistan. AP

A spectacular Christmas display in downtown Tbilisi, Georgia. AFP

A Christmas tree in Sofiyska Square, Kyiv, Ukraine. EPA

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

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

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

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

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

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

Traders work at the Closing Bell on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. EPA

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