Most Orthodox Christian churches celebrate Christmas on 7 January. Here, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III, crosses himself on Christmas Eve in the Church of the Nativity in the West Bank town of Bethlehem.
Pope Tawadros II leads Midnight Mass at Cairo’s main cathedral, January 6, 2013.
Ethiopian Christian Orthodox women attend Christmas midnight mass at the al-Abasseya Cathedral, in Cairo.
People attend ceremonial burning of dried oak branches in Sabac, west of Belgrade
Christmas service in town of Verbovichi, south-east of Minsk. 6 Jan 2013
Russian Patriarch Kirill led a Christmas service at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Moscow.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Moscow
Fireworks formed part of the celebrations outside the new Orthodox Church of the Nativity in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk.
A Palestinian Greek Orthodox boy holds a candle as he attends Christmas services at the Saint Porfirios Church in Gaza City, 7 January 2013
Source: BBC WORLD NEWS
