In pictures: World celebrates Christmas

[dvernb]

People across the world are celebrating Christmas - one of the holiest times in the Christian calendar. However, for the second year in a row, there are smaller crowds at church services and other events because of the continuing coronavirus outbreak. Here's our snapshot of global festivities.

Pope Francis delivered his traditional Urbi et Orbi address from the Vatican on Saturday

 

Colourful lights and decorations made this footbridge in Taipei, Taiwan, very popular with locals and tourists

 

Nuns held prayers at a solemn church service in Nairobi, Kenya

 

In Pakistan, families - many with young children - attended a Christmas Eve service at St Andrew's Church in Karachi

 

Worshippers lit candles in Istanbul, Turkey

 

In the Palestinian city of Bethlehem, the biblical birthplace of Jesus, a midnight Mass was held in the Church of the Nativity

 

On Christmas Eve, Pope Francis led a Mass which was held earlier than usual because of Covid restrictions

 

Young altar servers assisted during celebrations in Irbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq

 

A child runs towards a man dressed as Santa Claus as he walks with a sack of gifts near Iraq's southern city of Basra

 

Image caption,

This giant sand sculpture of Santa Claus appeared on the beach at Bay of Bengal in India's eastern Odisha state

 

In Brazil, aquarists dressed as Elf, Santa Claus and Mrs Claus greeted the public inside a huge water tank at AquaRio in Rio de Janeiro

 

Meanwhile, a rhino enjoyed its Christmas treats at Orana Wildlife Park on the outskirts of Christchurch, New Zealand

 

This pub in London, Great Britain, looked like a giant Christmas toy

 

All pictures are subject to copyright