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Seasons greetings: See how the world celebrates Christmas

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Jessica Sager
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Dec 25, 2014

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TOPSHOTS This picture taken on December 23, 2014 shows women in Santa Claus-themed bikinis skiing at a ski resort in Xuchang, central China's Henan province. Ten women wore Santa Claus-themed bikinis to welcome the coming Christmas in temperatures below zero Celsius. CHINA OUT AFP PHOTOSTR/AFP/Getty Images
Models promote a ski resort in Xuchang, China. AFP / Getty

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An elephant helps distribute presents in Ayutthaya, Thailand.
An elephant distributes gifts in Ayutthaya, Thailand. EPA

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Visitors are silhouetted with decorated lights on trees to celebrate the upcoming Christmas and New Year at Garden of Morning Calm in Gapyeong, South Korea, Monday, Dec. 22, 2014. Christmas is one of the biggest holidays in South Korea. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
The Garden of Morning Calm glows in Gapyeong, South Korea. AP

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(141216) -- RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec. 16, 2014 (Xinhua) -- Combo photo taken on Dec. 15, 2014 shows a giant Christmas tree on the lake of Rodrigo de Freitas in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Dec. 15, 2014. The giant tree, which is 85 meters tall and installed with about 3.1 million micro LED bulbs, is lit every year before Christmas. The theme of the tree this year is "A Christmas of Light". (Xinhua/Xu Zijian) (Photo by Xinhua/Sipa USA)
The world’s tallest floating Christmas tree transforms Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, into a glowing winter wonderland. SIPA

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An orangutan dressed in a Santa Claus outfit takes part during the Animal Christmas party at Malabon Zoo in Manila December 18, 2014. REUTERS/Erik De Castro (PHILIPPINES - Tags: SOCIETY ANIMALS)
A festive orangutan celebrates at a Manila, Philippines, zoo’s Christmas party. Reuters

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People gather along the Meguro River to watch Christmas decorations done with LED lights in Tokyo, Friday, Dec. 12, 2014. An annual Christmas decoration drew thousands of visitors in the suburb of the capitol. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)
LED lights light up Tokyo. AP

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USA Rights Only-Anif, Austria -12/14/14-Waldklang Christmas Market, Dec. 14th 2014 -PICTURED: Waldklang Christmas Market -PHOTO by: Franz Neumayr/startraksphoto.com -Startraks_action_19359329 Editorial - Rights Managed Image - Please contact www.startraksphoto.com for licensing fee Startraks Photo New York, NY For licensing please call 212-414-9464 or email sales@startraksphoto.com Startraks Photo reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this image. If you violate our intellectual property you may be liable for actual damages, loss of income, and profits you derive from the use of this image, and where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or statutory damages.
The Waldklang Christmas Market glows in Salzburg, Austria. StarTraks

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Volunteers clad in Santa Claus costumes throw their hats in the air as they gather to deliver gifts for the poor in downtown Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Volunteers deliver gifts to the poor in Seoul, South Korea. AP

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SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 19: St Mary's Cathedral is illuminated as part of a Christmas lights display in celebration of Christmas on December 19, 2014 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
St. Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney, Australia, is illuminated in a Christmas light show. Getty

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as part of a lights display in celebration of Christmas on December 19, 2014 in Sydney, Australia.
Christmas lights are on display in Sydney, Australia. Getty

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A white lion walks off with a wrapped Christmas package filled with food at the zoo in La Fleche, western France, on December 23, 2014. AFP PHOTO / JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER (Photo credit should read JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER/AFP/Getty Images)
A lion nabs a gift at a La Fleche, France, zoo. AFP / Getty

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epaselect epa04535142 Russian people passes a huge light Christmas toy in front of Moscow Kremlin, Russia, 19 December 2014. 244 Christmas tree markets open in the capital today. EPA/SERGEI ILNITSKY
A giant Christmas ball glows in Moscow. EPA

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XUCHANG, CHINA - DECEMBER 23: Women pose in Santa Claus-themed bikinis to promote ski resort on December 23, 2014 in Xuchang, China. PHOTOGRAPH BY Feature China / Barcroft Media UK Office, London. T +44 845 370 2233 W www.barcroftmedia.com USA Office, New York City. T +1 212 796 2458 W www.barcroftusa.com Indian Office, Delhi. T +91 11 4053 2429 W www.barcroftindia.com
Models promote a ski resort in Xuchang, China. Barcroft Media

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A girl stands outside a house illuminated with lights on Christmas eve in a Christian slum in Islamabad December 24, 2014. REUTERS/Faisal Mahmood (PAKISTAN - Tags: SOCIETY RELIGION)
A Christian slum glows in Islamabad, Pakistan. Reuters

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RNPS: YEAREND REVIEW 2014 - BEST OF ANIMALS A river otter looks for food stashed in a used Christmas tree at the Buttonwood Park Zoo in New Bedford, Massachusetts in this January 16, 2014 file photo. REUTERS/Brian Snyder (UNITED STATES - Tags: SOCIETY ANIMALS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)
An otter peers over a Christmas tree in a New Bedford, Mass., zoo on Jan. 16. Reuters

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Dec. 21, 2014 - San Diego, California, U.S. - Homes display Christmas lights and decorations in the suburbs of San Diego.(Credit Image: © Brian Cahn/ZUMA Wire)
San Diego is all aglow. Zuma Press

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Palestinian children play next to a stand selling toys of Father Christmas in Gaza City on December 24, 2014, as Christians around the world prepare to celebrate Christmas. For many faithful across the region, the festivities will be tinged with sadness following a year of bloodshed marked by a surge in the persecution of Christians that has drawn international condemnation. AFP PHOTO / MOHAMMED ABEDMOHAMMED ABED/AFP/Getty Images
Palestinian children play in Gaza City. AFP / Getty

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Thousands of holiday lights glow during Christmas Magic at Rocky Ridge Park in Springettsbury Township, Pa. Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2014. (AP Photo/York Daily Record, Chris Knight)
A “Christmas Magic” show lights up Springettsbury Township, Pa. AP

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People look at the stands at the Christmas market set up under lights illuminating Plaza Mayor in the centre of Madrid on December 16, 2014. AFP PHOTO/ DANI POZODANI POZO/AFP/Getty Images
A Christmas market glows in Madrid, Spain. AFP

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Pedestrians crowd a street decorated with christmas lights in the centre of Madrid on December 7, 2014. AFP PHOTO/ DANI POZODANI POZO/AFP/Getty Images
Crowds gather in Madrid, Spain. AFP

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Students dressed as Santa Claus participate in Christmas celebrations at a school in Jammu, India, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2014. Christians make up about 2 percent of the population in India, a secular country of more than 1 billion people where Hindus form the overwhelming majority. (AP Photo/Channi Anand)
Students celebrate Christmas in Jammu, India. AP

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A Kamchatka brown bear looks at a Christmas tree decorated with fruit and vegetables in the enclosure at the Hagenbeck zoo in Hamburg, northern Germany, Friday Dec. 5, 2014. (AP Photo/dpa,Malte Christians)
A brown bear admires a Christmas tree full of fruit and veggies in a Hamburg, Germany, zoo. AP

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epa04536407 Christmas lights illuminate Brussels 'Grote Markt - Grand Place' and the City Hall, in Brussels, Belgium, 20 December 2014. EPA/STEPHANIE LECOCQ
Christmas lights illuminate Brussels, Belgium. EPA

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A man dressed as Santa Claus gestures next to the Christmas lights on December 9, 2014 in Medellin, Antioquia department, Colombia. AFP PHOTO/RAUL ARBOLEDARAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP/Getty Images
Santa dances in Medellin, Colombia.

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epa04528648 A picture made available on 14 December 2014 show Filipino spectators watch the giant lantern competition in San Fernando Pampanga, north of Manila, Philippines, 13 December 2014. Nine giant lanterns joined the annual giant lantern competition measuring from 18 feet to 20 feet in diameter and illuminated by about 3,500 to 5,000 light bulbs with multi-coloured designs and patterns. The festival features a competition of giant lanterns. Because of the popularity of the festival, the city has been nicknamed the 'Christmas Capital of the Philippines'. EPA/DENNIS M. SABANGAN
A lantern festival lights up Fernando Pampanga, Philippines. EPA

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People dressed as Father Frost, the equivalent of Santa Claus, take part in a charity run in central Moscow on December 21, 2014, aimed at collecting money for serious ill children. AFP PHOTO / DMITRY SEREBRYAKOVDMITRY SEREBRYAKOV/AFP/Getty Images
Volunteers run in a charity race in Moscow. AFP / Getty

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Elephant dressed as Santa Clause to celebrate Christmas in Thailand
An elephant helps distribute presents in Ayutthaya, Thailand.

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epa04534343 Chimpanzees open presents at the 'Christmas with the Chimps' event at Lion Country Safari in West Palm Beach, Florida, USA, 18 December 2014. Lion Country Safari, America's first cageless zoo, has held the annual event for 30 years with Santa Claus leaving presents and treats of fruits, vegetables and toys for the chimps. EPA/RHONA WISE
Chimpanzees open gifts at a West Palm Beach, Fla., zoo. EPA

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People take pictures inside a giant Christmas ball, part of New Year and Christmas holiday season decorations, in central Moscow, December 15, 2014. The 11.5-metre (38-foot) high ball claims a spot in the Guinness Book of Records as the biggest Christmas toy in the world, according to local media. REUTERS/Maxim Zmeyev (RUSSIA - Tags: SOCIETY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)
People take pictures inside a giant Christmas ball in Moscow. Reuters

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Workers decorate a Christmas tree at Lenin's Square as a plane passes by in Stavropol December 12, 2014. REUTERS/Eduard Korniyenko (RUSSIA - Tags: SOCIETY)
Workers decorate a tree at Lenin’s Square in Stavropol, Russia. Reuters

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Visitors to the National Zoo walk next to Christmas lights depicting a panda on December 8, 2014 in Washington, DC. "ZooLights", when the zoo is illuminated by over 500,000 LED lights, will run from November 28 to January 1, 2015. AFP PHOTO/ MANDEL NGANMANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images
Christmas lights illuminate the National Zoo in Washington. AFP / Getty

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The Doric columns of the floodlit, 5th Century BC Parthenon Temple on the Acropolis appear behind strings of Christmas street lights in Athens, on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2014. This year's Christmas and New Year celebrations in financially struggling Greece are overshadowed by a threatened political crisis, sparked by the election of the country's new president. The conservative-led government failed Wednesday to secure enough support for its nominee, and if the same happens in two more rounds of voting by Dec. 29, early national elections will have to be called just as the country is crawling out of a punishing six-year recession. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)
Christmas lights glow in front of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece. AP

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A Christmas pyramid is pictured next to the television tower at the Christmas market at Alexanderplatz square in Berlin November 24, 2014. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke (GERMANY - Tags: SOCIETY RELIGION TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)
A Christmas pyramid glows in Berlin. Reuters

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Models in Newport Beach, Calif., get festive poolside.
Models in Newport Beach, Calif., get festive poolside. SunOfHollywood.com / Splash

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The Salaj family Christmas light decoration extravaganza illuminate the estate on December 23, 2015, in Cazma, 100 kilometers east from Capital Zagreb. The Salaj family, from Grabovnica near Cazma, created a Christmas story on their estate, decorating it with a million and a half Christmas lights. For this year, the family have further expanded and decorated the property. In the festive atmosphere in the Croatian region the Salaj's Christmas story is the largest tourist attraction. Zlatko Salaj started the Christmas story project at Cazma in 2003, which has become a tourist brand of the Cazma area. AFP PHOTO/STRINGER-/AFP/Getty Images
Christmas lights glow in Cazma, Croatia. AFP / Getty

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HANOVER, GERMANY - DECEMBER 22: A Polar bear nibbles on fruit snacks hanging on a christmas tree at Hannover Zoo's 'Yukon Bay' on December 22, 2014 in Hanover, Germany. Chimpanzees and polar bears received early Christmas gifts today from zoo keepers two days before Christmas. (Photo by Alexander Koerner/Getty Images)
A polar bear snacks on fruit in a Hanover, Germany, zoo. Getty

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A man dressed as Santa Claus lights candles at a church in Bucharest, Romania on December 18, 2014. AFP PHOTO / ALEX NICODIMALEX NICODIM/AFP/Getty Images
A man dressed as Santa Claus lights candles in a Bucharest, Romania, church. AFP

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A Cotton-Top Tamarin inspects it Christmas cracker as they discover some gift-wrapped food treats and other tasty decorations in their exhibit at Taronga Zoo, in Sydney on December 9, 2014. Animals at the zoo were quick to pounce on the festive-themed enrichment items prepared by keepers, showing off their natural foraging skills to uncover the food inside while some seemed just as happy playing with the cardboard box packaging. AFP PHOTO/William WEST (Photo credit should read WILLIAM WEST/AFP/Getty Images)
Cotton-top tamarins inspect their Christmas crackers at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia. AFP / Getty

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People walk in front of a Christmas light installation in Nice, southeastern France, on December 18, 2014. AFP PHOTO / VALERY HACHEVALERY HACHE/AFP/Getty Images
Nice, France, looks awfully nice. AFP / Getty

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In this Monday, Dec. 1, 2014 photo, Christmas lights adorn a building on the banks of the Medellin river, in Medellin, Colombia. The city once wracked by drug violence has undergone massive social and economic transformation, and it’s now known in tourist circles for spectacular Christmas light displays that veil churches, buildings, parks and even the Medellin River with glittering cascades of color. (AP Photo/Luis Benavides)
The streets are lit in Medellin, Colombia. AP

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MADRID, SPAIN - DECEMBER 19: Christmas lights shine on Gran Via street on December 19, 2014 in Madrid, Spain as shoppers took to the streets in the Spanish capital ahead of the annual Christmas festivities. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
Christmas lights illuminate Madrid, Spain. Getty

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U.S. troops from the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) light candles during Christmas Eve celebrations at Bagram Airfield, north of Kabul, December 24, 2014. REUTERS/Mohammad Ismail (AFGHANISTAN - Tags: RELIGION MILITARY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)
Troops light candles on Christmas Eve at Bagram Airfield near Kabul, Afghanistan. Reuters

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