Billions of people — from Australia's beaches to Muslim-majority countries — enjoy Christmas time with a church service and other celebrations. While many associate Christmas with snow, fairs and carols, the holiday season in the Middle East is also worth seeing, with the biblical birthplace of Jesus, Bethlehem, being home to a vibrant Christian community and the beautiful Church of the Nativity, making Christmas one of the most powerful events of the year.
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© AP Photo / AAP Image/Dean Lewins
Elinor Hadley of Wales, left, Glen Hawkins of England and Jodie Strahan of Scotland, right, frolic in surf at Bondi Beach on Christmas day in Sydney, Australia, December 25, 2017.
A priest places the figure of Jesus in the Christmas nativity scene during the celebration of the Catholic Christmas in Cairo, Egypt.
Indonesian Christians hold lit candles as they celebrate Christmas mass at a stadium in Surabaya, Indonesia's second largest city on December 24, 2017.
A Kosovar child dressed as an angel attends the Christmas mass eve, marking the birth of Jesus Christ, on December 24, 2017 at the Mother Teresa cathedral in Pristina.
Iranians walk past Christmas decorations in a street in the capital Tehran on December 24, 2017, on Christmas eve.
US President Donald J. Trump and the First Lady Melania Trump participate in NORAD Santa Tracker phone calls at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida on December 24, 2017.
Iraqi Christians attend a Christmas Eve service at the church of Mart Shmoni, the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq, on December 24, 2017.
Indian Christian devotees watch a fireworks display marking Christmas Eve outside St. Peter's Church in Allahabad on December 24, 2017.
Syrians dressed in Santa Claus outfits roam the streets of the capital Damascus on the back of a decorated vehicle on December 24, 2017 for Christmas eve celebrations.
A Sri Lankan Christian looks on during Christmas mass in Colombo on December 25, 2017.
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© AP Photo / Fareed Khan
A Christian girl plays beside her mother attending midnight Christmas Mass at Christ church in Karachi, Pakistan, December 25, 2017.
Chinese residents take part in a 'Pillow Fight Night' during an event to mark Christmas eve in Shanghai on December 24, 2017.
US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrive for church service at the Church of Bethesda-By-The sea in Palm Beach, Florida, on December 24, 2017.
A woman kisses a volunteer after receiving food during a daily food distribution organized by the non-governmental organization Angeles Malaguenos de la noche (Malaga's Angels of the night) on Christmas eve on a street in downtown Malaga, Spain, on December 24, 2017.
A festive procession on the eve of Christmas in Bethlehem, Palestine.
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© AP Photo / Alessandra Tarantino
Framed by a Christmas tree, Pope Francis waves to faithful during the Angelus noon prayer he delivered from his studio window overlooking St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, December 24, 2017.
Iraqi Christians attend a Christmas Eve service at the church of Mart Shmoni, the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq, on December 24, 2017.
Members of the US army take picture during celebrations on Christmas Eve at a US airfield in Bagram, north of Kabul, Afghanistan December 24, 2017.
A man dressed in a Santa Claus outfit waves to people from a fisherman's boat on Christmas Eve along the coast of Valparaiso, Chile, December 24, 2017.
A woman attends Christmas Mass at Saint Antuan Church in the Beyoglu district of Istanbul, on December 24, 2017.
