In pictures: Christmas around the world

More than a billion Christians around the world are celebrating the festival of Christmas. Here is a selection of pictures marking the occasion.

An elderly woman lights a candle during the Christmas Holy mass at the St Alexander Nevski Cathedral in Sofia, Bulgaria on Christmas Day, 25 December 2014EPA

A worshipper lights a candle during Mass at the St Alexander Nevski Cathedral in Sofia, Bulgaria

U.S. soldiers from the 3rd Cavalry Regiment pose for a photograph while eating a Christmas day lunch at forward operating base Gamberi in the Laghman province of Afghanistan December 25, 2014Reuters

American soldiers pose for a selfie during Christmas lunch at forward operating base Gamberi in Afghanistan

An alpaca is used during a sales promotion in Beijing on December 25, 2014. Christmas - once banned in China - has exploded in the atheist nation in recent years, with marketers using everything from saxophones and smurfs to steam trains to get shoppers to open their walletsAFP

An alpaca is used for enticing shoppers in Beijing, China, where Christmas was once banned

In this picture taken on December 24, 2014 Christians hold candles during the mass service in Surabaya, in the eastern Java island. Millions of Christians in Indonesia celebrated Christmas eve in the most populous Muslim country.AFP

Thousands of Christians hold candles during a mass in Surabaya, Indonesia, which is also the most populous Muslim country in the world

The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fouad Twal carries a statuette of baby Jesus during a Christmas Midnight Mass at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, the West Bank, 25 December 2014EPA

Jerusalem's Latin Patriarch, Fouad Twal, carries a model of a baby Jesus during Mass at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem

An Indian Christian holds a crucifix during Christmas prayers at St Mary's Garrison church, in Jammu, India, Thursday, Dec. 25, 2014AP

An Indian Christian holds a crucifix at St Mary's Garrison church in Jammu, northern India

The Salaj family Christmas light decoration extravaganza illuminate the estate on December 23, 2015, in Cazma, 100 kilometres east from Capital ZagrebAFP

The Salaj family in the town of Cazma, Croatia, have turned their estate into a massive Christmas light installation featuring 1.5 million lights

Pakistani Christians pray as they celebrate Christmas in Karachi, Pakistan, 25 December 2014EPA

Pakistani Christians sing hymns as they celebrate Christmas at a church in Karachi

A sculpture featuring cows as reindeers attached to a sleigh with Santa Claus is seen in a paddock located on the outskirts of the southern New South Wales town of Berry on Christmas Day December 25, 2014Reuters

A sculpture featuring Father Christmas and a group of cattle is seen in New South Wales, Australia, on Christmas Day

A man looks at a Christmas tree, with pictures of the 43 missing trainee teachers, next to an altar in the Ayotzinapa Teacher Training Raul Isidro Burgos College in Ayotzinapa, on the outskirts of Chilpancingo, Guerrero, December 24, 2014. Mexican authorities on December 7 said that mounting evidence and initial DNA tests confirmed that 43 trainee teachers who were abducted in Iguala by corrupt police on September 26 were incinerated at a garbage dump by drug gang members.Reuters

A man inspects a tree in Guerrero, Mexico, which bears the names and pictures of 43 trainee teachers who went missing near there in September

A crib made out of rubble and a Christmas tree are set on a roundabout in the regime-held Hamedieh neighbourhood in the Syrian city of Homs on December 22, 2014, as Christians around the world prepare to celebrate the holy day.AFP

An impromptu nativity scene and tree are made using rubble in the heavily-damaged Hamedieh neighbourhood of Homs, Syria