Revellers celebrate Christmas 2024 in Australia and around the world
While Christmas in Australia was marked with beach and sun, around the world people marked the holiday with fireworks, flying Turkeys and poignant moments.
There was celebration and hope in Syria after the fall of a brutal dictatorship, flying turkeys and a royal appearance in the UK, a sombre mood in Bethlehem and a call to action from the Pope.
In Saydnaya, Syria, a large crowd gathered near a historic monastery on Christmas Eve to witness the lighting of a towering tree adorned with glowing green lights.
The celebration offered a rare moment of joy in a city scarred by over a decade of war and its infamous prison, where tens of thousands were held.
Families and friends stood by the illuminated tree — some wearing Santa hats, others watching from rooftops — while a band played festive music and fireworks lit up the sky.
"This year is different — there's happiness, victory and a new birth for Syria and a new birth for Christ," said Houssam Saadeh, one attendee.
Another, Joseph Khabbaz, expressed hope for unity across all sects and religions in Syria, dismissing recent Christmas tree vandalism as "isolated incidents".
King Charles III and close members of the royal family attended Christmas Day services at a church on Sandringham, the estate on the windswept North Sea coast that has served as a retreat for the royals for generations.
The monarch, who is suffering from cancer, waved to a large crowd of onlookers who traditionally gather outside the church in hopes of catching a glimpse of the royal parade before and after the service.
Also in attendance was the Princess of Wales, the king's daughter-in-law, who has been slowly returned to public duties after completing a course of chemotherapy.
One familiar face was absent from the traditional scene outside St. Mary Magdalene Church: Prince Andrew.
The king's 64-year-old brother has retreated further into the shadows amid news that a Chinese businessman had been barred from the UK because of concerns he cultivated links with Andrew on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party.
Pope Francis in his traditional Christmas message urged "all people of all nations" to find courage during this Holy Year "to silence the sounds of arms and overcome divisions" plaguing the world, from the Middle East to Ukraine, Africa to Asia.
The pontiff's "Urbi et Orbi" — "To the City and the World" — address serves as a summary of the woes facing the world this year.
As Christmas coincided with the start of the 2025 Holy Year celebration that he dedicated to hope, Francis called for broad reconciliation, "even (with) our enemies".
"I invite every individual, and all people of all nations ... to become pilgrims of hope, to silence the sounds of arms and overcome divisions,'' the pope said from the loggia of St Peter's Basilica to throngs of people below.
Swiss Guards marched in front of the basilica before the address.
The pope invoked the Holy Door of St Peter's Basilica, which he opened on Christmas Eve to launch the 2025 Jubilee, as representing God's mercy, which "unties every knot; it tears down every wall of division; it dispels hatred and the spirit of revenge".
He called for arms to be silenced in war-torn Ukraine and in the Middle East, singling out Christian communities in Israel and the Palestinian territories, "particularly in Gaza where the humanitarian situation is extremely grave," as well as Lebanon and Syria "at this most delicate time".
Bethlehem marked another somber Christmas Eve in the traditional birthplace of Jesus under the shadow of war in Gaza.
The cheer that typically descends on the West Bank during Christmas week were nowhere to be found. The festive lights and giant tree that normally decorate Manger Square were missing, as were the throngs of foreign tourists.
Palestinian scouts marched silently through the streets, a departure from their usual raucous brass marching band.
Security forces arranged barriers near the Church of the Nativity, built atop the spot where Jesus is believed to have been born. A young boy stood holding a pile of balloons for sale, but gave up because there were no customers to buy them.
Murals cover Israel's separation barrier in the West Bank city.
For many, Christmas is all about the food.
Here a butcher throws a turkey for sale to customers during the annual Christmas Meat Auction at Smithfield Market in London on Christmas Eve.
George Gardner displayed a cut of meat for sale to customers during the annual event.
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