Children around the globe followed Santa, his reindeer and their presents-laden sleigh with the help of Norad Tracks Santa, a 3-D interactive website
HOLDING an icon of Baby Jesus, Pope Francis celebrates Christmas Eve Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, calling on nations to work for peace amid wars being fought in Ukraine and Israel. | Tiziana FABI/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Pope Francis kicked off global Christmas celebrations with a call for peace, as Israel's war on Hamas and Russia's invasion of Ukraine cast a shadow over one of the world's favorite holidays.
Having said earlier in the day that he was thinking of people "who are suffering from war — we are thinking of Palestine, of Israel, of Ukraine," the Pope struck a somber tone during his Christmas Eve Mass.
"Tonight, our hearts are in Bethlehem, where the Prince of Peace is once more rejected by the futile logic of war, by the clash of arms that even today prevents him from finding room in the world," the Pope said.
The biblical city in the occupied West Bank, where Christians believe Jesus Christ was born in a stable more than 2,000 years ago, effectively canceled the annual Christmas celebrations that normally draw thousands of tourists.
The town did away with its giant Christmas tree, marching bands, and flamboyant nativity scene this year, settling for a few festive lights. In the center of town, a huge Palestinian flag had been unfolded with a banner declaring, "The bells of Bethlehem ring for a ceasefire in Gaza."
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New Christmas Day
Ukraine, invaded by Russia nearly two years ago, is celebrating Christmas on 25 December for the first time, jettisoning the traditional Orthodox date of 7 January, which is feted in Russia, as a snub to Moscow.
In the southern Black Sea port of Odesa, churchgoers prayed and lit candles as priests in gold vestments held a Christmas Eve service in the Cathedral of the Nativity, decorated with fir trees and a nativity scene.
"We believe that we really should celebrate Christmas with the whole world, far away, far away from Moscow. For me that's the new message now," said one smiling parishioner, Olena, whose son is a medic on the front line.
The date change — moving away from the Julian calendar favored by the Orthodox Church — is part of moves since the invasion to remove traces of the Russian and Soviet empires.
Surfing Santas
In countries not afflicted by war, festive revelers donned Santa hats for a shot of holiday cheer — running a city race in Skopje, North Macedonia; surfing the waves in Florida; jogging on muddy wooded paths on the outskirts of Paris; dipping in the sea near the British port of Dover, and soaking with a drink in hand in Lake Geneva.
In Sydney, Australia, where the big day had already arrived, many residents and tourists headed to the beach, wearing woolly red hats despite the heat in the Southern Hemisphere's summer.
And children around the globe followed Santa, his reindeer and their presents-laden sleigh with the help of Norad Tracks Santa, a 3-D interactive website run annually by a joint US-Canadian military monitoring agency.
Prayers in Turkey
In southern Turkey, much of which was devastated by an earthquake in February, some faithful celebrated mass in front of the ruins of their church at Antakya.
"It's important for us to celebrate the birth of Jesus, but it's a very sad Christmas," said Vehbi Tadrasgil, 55, who lost his wife and two of his three children in the quake that killed at least 50,000 people in Turkey and more than 5,000 in neighboring Syria.
"I hope that their souls are here, I am certain that our prayers rise to them," he said.
Twenty kilometers down the coast in Samandag, a generator powered the lights on a tree in front of Saint-Ilyas church, which survived.
"After the earthquake, our community — 400 families — was annihilated. With this Christmas, we want to wish everyone rebirth, love, joy and peace. We must move forward, rebuild a new life," said Father Yumurta.
"They say that with the birth of the Child Jesus, a new life begins, a new beginning. For us too, here, it will be a new beginning," he said. WITH AFP
