Christmas is here and global citizens are celebrating the holiday with spectacular decorations, giant ornamented trees and thousands of glittering lights. Christmas images from around the world show a stunning display of joy and harmony during this time of year.
The iconic Rockefeller Center tree was lit in Midtown Manhattan on Nov. 30 to mark the start of the Christmas season. The tree lighting ceremony attracted thousands of people to New York City, to watch celebrity performances and bask in the glow of holiday cheer. This year, the tree is from Mifflinville, Penn., and stands 74-feet tall. It is illuminated by 30,000 lights stretching five miles. The tree will stay lit until Jan. 7.
The White House welcomed its Christmas tree on Nov. 25. It stands in the Blue Room of the White House at 19-feet tall. The balsam fir was cut down from Schroeder's Forevergreens near Neshkoro, Wisconsin. The trees at the D.C. building are covered in LED lights, which are environmentally friendly.
President Obama and First Lady Michelle posed for their family Christmas Card on Dec. 11 with daughters Malia and Sasha.
In Vatican City, Pope Benedict XVI attended an audience with the Roman Curia for Christmas greetings, in the Sala Clementina of the Apostolic Palace, in Vatican City. At 10 pm Rome time on Saturday, Pope Benedict will lead the Christmas midnight mass. On Sunday, from the central balcony of the Vatican Basilica, he will share his Christmas message and send his blessing Urbi et Orbi (to the world), reports The Vatican Radio.
Take a look at Christmas images from around the world.
The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is seen during its lighting ceremony in New York November 30, 2011. The event is the 79th lighting of the tree, which measures 74 feet (23 meters) tall and 46 feet (14 meters) wide and weights 10 tons. It is a 75 year-old Norway Spruce adorned with approximately 30,000 Christmas lights. ReutersThe official White House Christmas tree. ReutersChildren dressed in Santa Claus costumes wave while singing "Jingle Bells" during Christmas celebrations at their school in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh December 23, 2011.ReutersVolunteers stack milk tin cans to form a Christmas tree in Athens December 20, 2011. The milk tin cans were donated to the "Medecins Du Monde" non-governmental organisation by the public which will then distribute to the poor.ReutersPope Benedict XVI attends an audience with the Roman Curia for Christmas greetings, in the Sala Clementina of the Apostolic Palace, in Vatican City December 22, 2011.ReutersAn elephant and students dressed as Santa Claus are seen during Christmas celebrations at Jirasart school in Ayutthaya, 70 km (44 miles) north of Bangkok, December 23, 2011. ReutersPeople visit the Christmas fair at Alexandrovsky Garden in St. Petersburg. ReutersPeople walk past a Christmas tree at Taksim square in Istanbul. ReutersA window cleaner dressed as Santa Claus poses for photographers during an event to celebrate the upcoming Christmas holiday season at a shopping mall in Tokyo December 23, 2011. ReutersA National Councillor walks past the Christmas tree in the entry hall of the Swiss Parliament after the last day of the three week long winter parliament Session in Bern December 23, 2011. ReutersMonte Carlo casino is reflected in a mirror between Christmas trees in Monaco.ReutersWinter swimmers wearing Santa Claus costumes play soccer on a frozen lake ahead of Christmas in Shenyang, Liaoning province December 23, 2011. Reuters
