IMMAGINI DEL NATALE NEL MONDO

A selection of Christmas images from across the globe.

The Sugar Plum Fairy, Sharon Wehner, prepares to take the stage during a production of The Nutcracker by the Colorado Ballet, Tuesday December 21, 2010. This is the Colorado Ballet's 50th Anniversary Season and the 50th year presenting the classic story of Clara and the Nutcracker Prince in the Land of Sweets. (Craig F. Walker/ The Denver Post)

Catholic worshipers sing during a Christmas Eve Mass at the official Catholic church, South Cathedral in Beijing, China, Friday, Dec. 24, 2010. (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan)

This photo taken Thursday, Dec. 23, 2010, a horse cart passing by an illuminated Church in Ahmadabad, India. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

A Russian tourist touches a column inside the Church of the Nativity, where many Christians believe Jesus Christ was born, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, Thursday, Dec. 23, 2010. So far this year, 1.4 million tourists have visited the traditional birthplace of Jesus and 90,000 are expected during the Christmas season, a significant increase over last year, according to Israeli government figures. The numbers of visitors have been rising steadily in recent years. (AP Photo/Tara Todras-Whitehill)

One year old twins Declan, left and Dylan, right, Keefe lasted about 5 seconds on Santa's lap before mom Maria Keefe had to come get them. Parents Maria and Chris, not shown, waited almost 2 hours in line to see Santa at Flatirons Mall in Broomfield, Colorado. Santa, aka Robert Ferguson, has been Santa for over 7 years. Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post

Snow covers the medieval Graslei, in Ghent, Belgium, Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2010. (AP Photo/Yves Logghe)

Choristers - aged between 10 and 13 - proceed from the nearby King's College School to the chapel at King's College, Cambridge, Thursday Dec. 23, 2010, to take part in final rehearsals for the annual Christmas Eve Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. Enthusiasts camped on an icy pavement to be sure of a place in the congregation at the annual festival - first staged in 1910 - which attracts fans from around the world and is broadcast to millions by the BBC. (AP Photo/Sean Dempsey)

US specialist Charlie Labonte from Apache Troop 1-75 Cavalry 2nd Brigade 101st Airborne Division, seen wearing a Santa hat, walks past tents at Sabloghay camp in Zari district of Kandahar province on December 22, 2010. (BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP/Getty Images)

One of the high points of the winter sleigh ride is roasting marshmallows on an open fire. From left to right are William Orange with his daughter Valerie, Jim Posever holding his 3 year old daughter Elise, Krista Gililland, in purple, Lisa Posever holding son Kai, 18 months and Chole Wolz, 9. The Orange's are from Round Rock, Texas and the Posever's are from Lakewood, Colorado. Hot Cocoa sleigh rides, marshmallows, lots of snow, Christmas carols and big beautiful draft horses are all part of the sleigh rides offered by Sombrero Stables at Snow Mountain Ranch just outside of Tabernash near Granby, Colorado. The stables, run by ranch manager Brian Buchanan, have a total of 15 draft horses including Belgians and Percherons. They offer daily hot cocoa sleigh rides as well as a dinner sleigh ride through out the season. Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post.

Indonesian Christians hold candles as they pray during a Christmas eve mass at a cathedral in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia on Friday, Dec. 24, 2010. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

A girl gestures to ask a boy to keep silent during a Christmas Eve Mass at the official Catholic church South Cathedral in Beijing, China, Friday, Dec. 24, 2010. (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan)

Chinese worshippers walk in front of a Catholic church after the Christmas Eve mass in Beijing on December 24, 2010. The Vatican and China have not had formal diplomatic ties since 1951, when the Holy See angered Mao Zedong's Communist government by recognizing the Nationalist Chinese regime as the legitimate government of China. (LIU JIN/AFP/Getty Images)

A young girl dressed as an angel attends the Christmas Eve mass at a Catholic church in Beijing on December 24, 2010. The Vatican and China have not had formal diplomatic ties since 1951, when the Holy See angered Mao Zedong's Communist government by recognizing the Nationalist Chinese regime as the legitimate government of China. (LIU JIN/AFP/Getty Images)

A Christmas tree which has been decked out with $11 million (euro8.3 million) worth of gold and precious stones, stands at the lobby of the Emirates Palace hotel, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2010. The hotel's general manager, Hans Olbertz, was quoted in local newspapers Thursday as saying the 43-foot (13-meter) faux fir has 131 ornaments that include gold and precious stones including diamonds and sapphires. The $11 million symbol of the season has become the latest extravagance at the Emirates Palace hotel, which boasts its own marina, heliport and a vending machine that pops out small gold bars. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Cara Cooper, waits offstage while Clara and the Nutcracker Prince, Asuka Sasaki and Christopher Ellis, dance in a production of The Nutcracker by the Colorado Ballet, Tuesday December 21, 2010.(Craig F. Walker/ The Denver Post)

A full moon rises behind a Christmas tree made of lights mounted on the roof of a hotel-casino in downtown Reno, Nev. early in the evening on Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2010. (AP Photo/Reno Gazette-Journal, David B. Parker)

The former tower of the city wall is decorated as a candle in Zell an der Mosel, Germany, Thursday, Dec. 23, 2010. (AP Photo/dapd, Harald Tittel)

Christmas shoppers make their way through a shopping mall in the western German city of Oberhausen on December 22, 2010. German retailers believe the crucial Christmas season could be the best for years, a retail body said, with sales expected to rise by 2.5 percent in Europe's top economy. (ROLAND WEIHRAUCH/AFP/Getty Images)

This photo taken Thursday, Dec. 23, 2010, an Indian cyclist rides past an illuminated Church in Ahmadabad, India. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

Children wearing Santa hats light candles at the Sacred Heart Cathedral on Christmas Eve in New Delhi, India, Friday, Dec. 24, 2010. Christians in India make up just over 2 percent of its one billion population. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)

A man adjusts lights reading Merry Christmas at St Paul's church in Amritsar on December 24, 2010. Despite Christians comprising a little over two percent of the billion plus population in India, with Hindus comprising the majority, Christmas is celebrated with much fanfare and zeal throughout the country. (NARINDER NANU/AFP/Getty Images)

Indonesian Christians attend the Christmas Eve mass at a church in Jakarta on December 24, 2010. (ADEK BERRY/AFP/Getty Images)

The 'Lights of Christmas' are featured at St Mary's Cathedral on December 17, 2010 in Sydney, Australia. Sydney celebrates Christmas with dazzling light projections on city landmarks such as St. Mary's Cathedral, Town Hall and the Hyde Park Barracks Museum. (Photo by Jeremy Ng/Getty Images)

Members of a Palestinian Christian band rest on the side of the road after performing in a Christmas parade, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem on Friday, Dec. 24, 2010. Thousands of tourists, pilgrims and clergy converged on Bethlehem on Friday as the town of Jesus' birth prepared to celebrate Christmas Eve. (AP Photo/Tara Todras-Whitehill)

A cross is seen backdropped by the Church of Nativity, traditionally believed by Christians to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, during a Christmas parade in the West Bank town of Bethlehem on Friday, Dec. 24, 2010. Thousands of tourists, pilgrims and clergy converged on Bethlehem on Friday as the town of Jesus' birth prepared to celebrate Christmas Eve. (AP Photo/Nasser Shiyoukhi)

A nun prays at the Church of the Nativity, believed to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem on December 24, 2010 as the Holy Land prepares to mark Christmas. (MUSA AL-SHAER/AFP/Getty Images)

People dressed as Santa Claus pack the bar at Stitch, a lounge in New York's fashion district, during SantaCon on Dec. 11, 2010. The annual combination Christmas gathering and pub crawl is billed as a "nonsensical" event by its organizers. (Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times)

A Pakistani Christian couple arrive in Catholic church decorated with festive lights in preparation for Christmas in Peshawar, Pakistan on Friday, Dec. 24, 2010. (AP Photo/Mohammad Sajjad)

Tabitha Gray, 9, of Blackhawk, Colorado, makes sure to whisper in Santa's ear what she wants for Christmas so as not to be heard by others. Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post

A Pakistani man and a woman ride a mototcycle in an alley of a Christian neighborhood decorated with lights on Christmas eve in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Dec. 24, 2010. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)

Driver/wrangler Sarah Hubbell-Engler drives Lady and Sadie, two Percherons through the snow during a sleigh ride. Smiling in the back is David Lazzaro who came to Colorado from Austin, Texas with his family to visit his grandparents for the Christmas holiday at Snow Mountain Ranch near Granby, Colorado. Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post.

Pope Benedict XVI receives the Roman Curia for the annual Christmas greetings at the Clementina Hall on December 20, 2010 in Vatican City, Vatican. (Photo by Eric Vandeville-Pool/Getty Images)

A sandsculptor prepares a Santa Claus sandcastle at Durban's North Beach on December 23, 2010. (RAJESH JANTILAL/AFP/Getty Images)

An elephant dressed in a Santa Claus costume gives out gifts to students to mark the Christmas season at a school in Ayutthaya province on December 24, 2010. The event was held as part of a campaign to promote Christmas in Thailand. (PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL/AFP/Getty Images)

A Santa Claus hat is seen on a stand for body armour amid tents of US soldiers at Sabloghay camp in Zari district of Kandahar province on December 22, 2010. (BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP/Getty Images)

Snow covers the rooftops of buildings in central London, on December 20, 2010. Thousands of stranded travellers faced a nervy battle to get home for Christmas as snow and ice caused chaos at European airports Monday. International hubs London, Paris, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Brussels struggled to clear a backlog of passengers stranded over the weekend as holidaymakers tried to reach their destinations on time for December 25. (CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images)

In this Dec. 22, 2010 photo, Maura Webster of Marlborough, Mass., tries to catch a snowflake on her tongue while carrying her daughter Emma, 4, after Christmas shopping at Shopper's World in Framingham, Mass. (AP photo/The Boston Globe/Bill Greene)

Fonte