Christmas around the globe is being celebrated by households with traditions each outdated and new — from a tree lighting ceremony in Bethlehem to the first American pope‘s request for “24 hours of peace.”
Billions worldwide mark the start of Jesus of Nazareth with varied customs, many select to give attention to household, pleasure and prayer — even in a world roiled by mass shootings, persevering with battle in Ukraine and crises across the globe.
Here’s a take a look at scenes of Christmas 2025 worldwide from Bethlehem to Beijing.
Thein Zaw / AP
Christians attend prayer on Christmas Eve, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025, at St. Mary Cathedral in Yangon, Myanmar, previously referred to as Burma.
Non secular freedom situations within the Southeast Asian nation have deteriorated amidst ongoing civil conflict, in response to a report from the U.S. United States Fee on Worldwide Non secular Freedom. Over 3.4 million individuals have been displaced, together with 320,000 Christians and a million Rohingya Muslim refugees.
Michael Probst / AP 
Folks collect at Römerberg sq. in Frankfurt, Germany to attend town’s bell ringing on Christmas Eve. There are often 2,500 to three,000 vacation markets a 12 months in Germany, in accordance to Nationwide Geographic.
Ng Han Guan / AP 
As some non secular devotees attend the Christmas Eve mass, a polar bear mascot entertains visitors in Beijing. Round 20 million Chinese language nationals — 2% of the inhabitants — are Christians, a quantity that has stabilized in recent times, in response to a 2023 evaluation by Pew Analysis Heart.
Peter Morrison / AP 
In Helen’s Bay, Northern Eire, a whole bunch of individuals courageous icy chilly waters for the annual Christmas Eve swim. These swimmers are frolicking within the Belfast Lough to lift cash for charities Dementia NI and Air Ambulance NI.
Ajit Solanki / AP 
There are about 28 million Christians in India, in accordance to the Pew Analysis Heart. A church in Ahmedabad, India, is illuminated on Christmas Eve.
Mykola Tys / AP 
Ukrainian servicemen attend a parade on Orthodox Christmas Eve in downtown Lviv, Ukraine. Since Feb. 24, 2022, when Russian chief Vladimir Putin launched Russia’s full-scale invasion of the nation, Ukrainians have celebrated their vacation whereas in battle.
Ilia Yefimovich /AFP by way of Getty Photographs 
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem leads a yearly Christmas procession exterior the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. 1000’s of individuals traveled from close by cities and villages to attend the ceremony, the primary one held since the conflict in Gaza started in 2023.
Ismael Adnan Yaqoob/Anadolu by way of Getty Photographs 
In Iraq, individuals attend a Christmas Eve service on the Monastery of the Martyrs Mar Behnam and Marth Sarah, belonging to the Syriac Catholics within the city of Qaraqosh. The monastery is without doubt one of the oldest Christian monuments in Iraq, and dates to the 4th century, though some buildings are medieval. It was badly broken by ISIS in 2015.
DEVI RAHMAN /AFP by way of Getty Photographs 
In Indonesia, Catholics sporting conventional Javanese apparel wait to attend a Christmas Eve Mass on the Sacred Coronary heart of Jesus Church in Ganjuran, Yogyakarta. Three popes have visited the Catholic inhabitants in Indonesia, the Vatican Information stated.
