As Christmas approaches, people around the globe have been preparing for the holiday season by buying decorations and food, praying, and presenting gifts to one another.
This Christmas Eve featured multiple events celebrating the upcoming holiday, with the erection of giant Christmas trees, parades in cultural attire, and gatherings in cities around the world.
People visit St. Anthony’s Church, decorated on Christmas Eve, in Lahore on December 24. — AFP
An ice skating rink and Christmas tree are set up at the LA Live Plaza at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, the US on December 23. — Reuters
Vendors sit in front of their shop selling Christmas decorations in Hanoi, Vietnam on December 24. — AFP
A cyclist passes near a giant Christmas in Abidjan, in Cote d’Ivoire on December 23, ahead of Christmas. — AFP
A four-year-old elephant named Samu is fed a Christmas tree with fruits and vegetables at Budapest Zoo and Botanic Garden in Budapest, Hungary on December 23. — AFP
Young women take a selfie in front of Xishiku Church, also known as the North Church, on Christmas Eve in Beijing, China on December 24. — Reuters
People dressed in traditional Ukrainian attire attend a Christmas celebration in Lviv, Ukraine on December 24. — Reuters
A person wearing a festive hat carries a cut of meat at a pre-Christmas auction in Smithfield Market in London, the UK on December 24. — Reuters
Members of the clergy pray inside the Grotto, believed to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on December 24. — AFP
A man dressed as Santa Claus distributes gifts during a gift-giving tour in the floating village of Ganvie ahead of the holiday celebrations in Cotonou, Benin on December 23. — Reuters
