An ambulance drives towards the building of Philosophical Faculty of Charles University in downtown Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday, December 21, 2023. Czech police say a shooting in downtown Prague has killed an unspecified number of people and wounded others. (Phoot by Petr David Josek/AP Photo)





Two dancers rest during a folklore festival in La Paz, Bolivia, 02 December 2023. A parade with indigenous and folklore dances from Bolivia marked the beginning of the activities for the celebration of the Great Power festival which takes place in 2024. It will be five years since it was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and half a century of the association that organizes it. About 25 fraternities of folklorists demonstrated the most representative dances that are presented during the festival. (Photo by Esteban Biba/EPA/EFE)





A clown poses for a picture next to a soldier during the National Day of the Salvadoran Clown, celebrated every first Wednesday of December, in San Salvador on December 6, 2023. (Photo by Camilo Freedman/AFP Photo)





Winter Solstice celebrations at Stonehenge on December 22, 2023. Revellers including modern day druids and pagans gather at Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain to celebrate the first day of winter – the shortest day and longest night of the year. (Photo by Guy Corbishley/Alamy Live News)





Members of a Guatemalan dance group dressed in traditional clothes and using masks perform the traditional “El Torito” (Little Bull) dance during the procession in honor of Santo Tomas in Chichicastenango, Guatemala, on December 20, 2023. (Photo by Emmanuel Andres/AFP Photo)





Revelers perform during the Festival of Light in San Jose, Costa Rica, on December 16, 2023. (Photo by Ezequiel Becerra/AFP Photo)





Participants take part in the so-called “Bearded Men” parade in the streets of Slawatycze village, eastern Poland, 29 December 2023. “Bearded Men” is an old local tradition, passed from generation to generation. In last three days of December, costumed citizens of Slawatycze say goodbye to the old year and make wishes for the New Year. (Photo by Wojtek Jargilo/EPA/EFE)





Divers dressed as Mother Christmas and Santa Claus wave to a young visitor from inside a shark tank at the AquaRio marine aquarium, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, December 23, 2023. The performances have become an annual Christmas tradition. (Photo by Bruna Prado/AP Photo)





Al Ahli's Joury Ismail controls the ball during the warm up before the women's Premier League soccer match between Al Ahli FC and Al Ittihad FC at the Al- Ahli Club stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, December 14, 2023. At the same time, a women's soccer project has quietly and steadily grown since the a wider reset in the Saudi soccer federation in 2019. A national team was launched and the Saudi Women's Premier League is now in its second season with eight teams. (Photo by Manu Fernandez/AP Photo)





People throw confetti during a confetti test ahead of New Year's Eve in Times Square, Friday, December 29, 2023, in New York. (Photo by Yuki Iwamura/AP Photo)





Participants parade through the streets during the annual Whitby Krampus run on December 02, 2023 in Whitby, England. The Whitby Krampus Run is a costumed street parade bringing the Krampus to life. Led by St Nicholas, the Krampus, a horned beast who traditionally carries sticks to beat naughty children, follow behind marching to the beat of drums. (Photo by Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)





Catherine, Princess of Wales attends The “Together At Christmas” Carol Service at Westminster Abbey on December 08, 2023 in London, England. Spearheaded by The Princess of Wales, and supported by The Royal Foundation, the service is a moment to bring people together at Christmas time and recognise those who have gone above and beyond to help others throughout the year. (Photo by The Royal Foundation)





Clowns take part in the annual pilgrimage to the Guadalupe Basilica to ask for work and health, in Mexico City on December 21, 2023. (Photo by Alfredo Estrella/AFP Photo)





Disguised runners pose for a picture before the 98th 15-km Sao Silvestre international race in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on December 31, 2023. (Photo by Miguel Schincariol/AFP Photo)





Pope Francis presides over the First Vespers and Te Deum, the rite of thanksgiving for the end of the year, in Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Sunday, December 31, 2023. (Photo by Andrew Medichini/AP Photo)





Miriam Jimenez, 32, dressed up as the Virgin Mary of a calendar, poses for a photo as she celebrates the New Year in Coin, near Malaga, southern Spain on December 31, 2023. (Photo by Jon Nazca/Reuters)





European Parliament President Roberta Metsola reacts as France's President Emmanuel Macron kisses her during a European Union leaders summit, in Brussels, Belgium on December 14, 2023. (Photo by Yves Herman/Reuters)





This photograph taken on December 31, 2023, shows the Arc de Triomphe illuminated for the New Year celebrations in Paris. (Photo by Bertrand Guay/AFP Photo)





Pope Francis during an audience to the children of Santa Marta Paediatric Dispensary at the Paul VI Hall, at the Vatican on December 17, 2023. (Photo by Vatican Media/Catholic Press Photo via Reuters)