Celebrating Christmas around the world

A man uses his smart phone to take a photo of a decorated house on Christmas Eve on Dec 24, 2012 in the Dyker Heights neighbourhood of the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The neighbourhood in the south part of the borough, is known for its yearly display of over-the-top holiday themed decorations. -- PHOTO: AFP

A dancer performs in the Salsodromo parade, which marks the start of the 55th Fair of Cali, on Dec 25, 2012, in Cali, Colombia. -- PHOTO: AFP

A group of Revolutionary War re-enactors row a Durham boat during the re-enactment of George Washington crossing the Delaware River, Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012, in Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania. -- PHOTO: AP

A participant dressed up as Santa Claus jumps in the cold water of Barcelona's Port Vell as he takes part in the103rd edition of the Copa Nadal (Christmas Cup) on Dec 25, 2012. The traditional 200-metre Christmas swimming race gathered around 400 participants at the Old Harbour of Barcelona. -- PHOTO: AFP

Workers shape a snow sculpture prior to the annual Vasaloppet China Ski Festival at Jingyuetan Park in Changchun, Jilin province, Dec 25, 2012. According to local media, the festival will kick off on Jan 2, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

Indian Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan (centre) takes part in a Christmas performance for cancer affected children at The Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai on Dec 25, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP

Lithuania's Cardinal Audrys Juozas Backis carries a figure of a baby in a crib as he celebrates Christmas mass at the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Vilnius on Dec 24, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP

US Army Chaplain Lieutenant Colonel George Rzasowsk, centre, leads a Christmas service for soldiers and service members with the Nato- led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) at the US-led coalition base in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Dec 25, 2012. -- PHOTO: AP

Families celebrate Christmas day watching the symphony of lights and sound attraction at a park in Manila's Makati financial district Dec 25, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

People react to cameras as they celebrate Christmas with a 46-metre-long Christmas cake at a shopping festival in Chandigarh, India, Tuesday, Dec 25, 2012. -- PHOTO: AP

Children ride a carousel at the Strasbourg Christmas Market outside the Kremlin in Manezh Square, with the State Historical Museum, left, and the Kremlin in the background right, in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Dec 25, 2012. -- PHOTO: AP

Fireworks shoot off from a display full of firecrackers during an outdoor community Christmas "Parranda" in the village of Remedios, Cuba, early Tuesday, Dec 25, 2012. -- PHOTO: AP

Edward "Roaddawg" Manley, a volunteer and honorary firefighter with the Point Breeze Volunteer Fire Department, is handed an ornament from a volunteer who identified herself as "Nancy," while decorating a Christmas Tree Dec 25, 2012 in the Breezy Point neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Residents are still struggling to recover from a massive fire that destroyed over 100 homes during Superstorm Sandy. -- PHOTO: AFP

A giant Santa Claus sits in front of a decorated house on Christmas Eve on Dec 24, 2012 in the Dyker Heights neighbourhood of the Brooklyn borough of New York City. -- PHOTO: AFP

A man dressed as Santa Claus skates with a girl at the Rockefeller Centre ice skating rink on Christmas Eve on Dec 24, 2012 in New York City. -- PHOTO: AFP

Pope Benedict XVI (second right) celebrates Christmas mass at St Peter's Basilica to mark the nativity of Jesus Christ, in Vatican City on Dec 24, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP

Pope Benedict XVI prays as he leads the Christmas night mass in the St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on Dec 24, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

People skate on an ice rink on Boston Common in Boston, on Christmas Eve, Monday, Dec 24, 2012. -- PHOTO: AP

Mr Claud Oliveira holds his son, Jeremiah Oliveira, while lighting a candle at a memorial for those killed in the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec 24, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut. -- PHOTO: AFP

Kosovo Catholic children take part in a play during a Christmas mass at St Anthony church in Pristina on Tuesday, Dec 25, 2012. -- PHOTO: AP

This picture taken on Dec 24, 2012 shows Japanese three-year-old boy Kaito Yamauchi (left) smiling as he receives a Christmas gift from a Santa Claus from Finland at Minamisanriku town in Miyagi prefecture on Christmas eve. The Santa Claus visited disaster stricken area in northern Japan, where a massive earthquake and tsunami killed 19,000 people on March 11, 2011. -- PHOTO: AFP

A statue of Jesus on the cross (centre top) is displayed as Li Shan, the Chinese archbishop, performs the Christmas Eve mass at a Catholic church in Beijing early on Dec 25, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP

Chinese worshippers sing hymns during the Christmas Eve mass at a Catholic church in Beijing on Dec 25, 2012. While China does not officially celebrate Christmas, its popularity continues to grow with non-Christians keen to see and feel the experience of Christmas. -- PHOTO: AFP