A silhouetted structure of a church stands against a crimson red sky with the sun shimmering like an orb of fire on the eve of Christmas at Naidupeta church in Khammam. Photo: G.N. Rao
Christmas spirit in the air: Students prepares Christmas decorations in their college premises in Mumbai. Photo: Vivek Bendre
Large number of people gather at the Cathedral Church at Hazratgunj to celebrate Christmas in Lucknow. Photo: Arunangsu Roy Chowdhury
Christmas celebrated with Pomp and grandeur in Lucknow. Photo: Arunangsu Roy Chowdhury
People gather for midnight mass at the Cathedral Church at Hazratgunj, Lucknow. Photo: Arunangsu Roy Chowdhury
Students of the well-known Debnar School for the Blind taking out a candle light demonstration to spread the message of peace, in the wake of the recent massacre of school children in Peshawar, during with the Christmas celebrations in Hyderabad. Photo: G. Ramakrishna
Kochi is all decked up for Christmas. A scene from a church near Kadavanthra. Photo:Vipin Chandran
Santa Claus going around the city in a chariot organised by Hotel Novotel Varun Beach on the eve of Christmas in Visakhapatnam. Photo: K.R. Deepak
A Santa Claus presenting sweets to tiny tots during his visit at Mananchira in Kozhikode on the eve of Christmas. Photo: S. Ramesh Kurup
Foul play was suspected after a fire destroyed a Catholic church called.St. Sebastian’s Church in New Delhi on December 1. Photo: S. Subramanium
But, that did not kill the spirit of Christmas in New Delhi. Devotees seen thronging for the prayer on the eve of Christmas Celebration in New Delhi. Photo: Sushil Kumar Verma
Devotees seen lighting the candle on the eve of Christmas Celebration at Gol Dakkhana Church on a icy cold evening , in New Delhi .Photo: Sushil Kumar Verma
The hundreds of people participated on the occasion of special preyor, during the celebration of the Christmas, at the Milagrace church, Hampanakatta, in Mangaluru. Photo: H.S.Manjunath
Children from Kids World play school dressup Santa-Claus aspart of Christmas celebration in Tuticorin, Tamilnadu.Photo : N.Rajesh
Christmas cheer at London's busiest shopping hub as shoppers rush to buy presents on Regent Street for the festive period.
Pope Francis kisses a statue of Baby Jesus as he celebrates the Christmas Eve Mass in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2014.
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fouad Twal, center, arrives at the Church of the Nativity, built atop the site where Christians believe Jesus was born, on Christmas Eve in the West Bank town of Bethlehem.
A woman shops for Christmas decoration items in central Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2014. Although the number of Christians has dropped in Iraq, Christmas, a national holiday in Iraq, is very popular in the capital.
A Palestinian girl dressed in a costume joins a Christmas Eve celebration at Manger Square outside the Church of the Nativity, built atop the site where Christians believe Jesus was born, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem.
Pakistani Christians gather in an alley of a Christian neighborhood decorated with festive lights for Christmas in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Gary Redfern, left, and Garyn Redfern participate in the Candlelight Communion Service at the Fountain Avenue United Methodist Church in Paducah, Ky. on Christmas Eve night.
An man exits an illuminated Church on Christmas Eve in Ahmadabad, India.
Children wait to take part in Christmas Eve mass at the South Cathedral official Catholic church in Beijing, China.
Priests and clergy attend the Christmas celebration midnight Mass at the Cathedral-Basilical in Vilnius, Lithuania.