The Dickensian Christmas festival returns to Rochester, UK for it's annual Christmas festival on December 3, 2023. The festival included The Seven Poor Travellers Procession and the candle lit Grand Parade. The festival has been held in Rochester since 1988 in celebration of the time Charles Dickens lived in the Kent town from 1817 to 1822. (Photo by Martin Dalton/Rex Features/Shutterstock)





An environmental activist from Brazil wearing a traditional outfit has his face painted at the COP28 United Nations climate summit in Dubai on December 3, 2023. (Photo by Karim Sahib/AFP Photo)





Faithful during Pope Francis's weekly general audience in Paul VI Hall, Vatican City, 06 December 2023. (Photo by Fabio Frustaci/EPA)





History enthusiasts, dressed as soldiers, fight during the re-enactment of Napoleon's famous battle of Austerlitz near the southern Moravian town of Slavkov u Brna, Czech Republic on December 2, 2023. (Photo by David W. Cerny/Reuters)





Kazakhstan's Kristina Radayeva (C) and Spain's Alicia Fernandez Fraga (R) vie for the ball during the preliminary round Group G match between Spain and Kazakhstan of the IHF World Women's Handball Championship in Frederikshavn, Denmark on November 29, 2023. (Photo by Henning Bagger/Ritzau Scanpix via AFP Photo)





Cindy Santos, 39, stands among a crowd at a bar in Brooklyn, New York, U.S., March 5, 2019. (Photo by Jillian Kitchener/Reuters)





People wearing Santa Claus hats take part in the Santa Swim in aid of charity at the marina of the Grand Hotel Excelsior in Floriana, Malta on December 3, 2023. (Photo by Darrin Zammit Lupi/Reuters)





Hong Kong activist Agnes Chow arrives at a court in Hong Kong, Monday, November 23, 2020. One of Hong Kong’s best-known pro-democracy activists, who moved to Canada to pursue further studies, said she would not return to the city to meet her bail conditions, becoming the latest politician to flee Hong Kong under Beijing's crackdown on dissidents. (Photo by Vincent Yu/AP Photo)





Military cadets sit on a bench before taking part in the National Day parade in Bucharest, Romania, Friday, December 1, 2023. Tens of thousands of people turned out in Romania's capital on Friday to watch a military parade that included troops from NATO allies to mark the country's National Day. (Photo by Vadim Ghirda/AP Photo)





An Afghan girl crafts Nuristani carving at a workshop in Herat, Afghanistan, 29 November 2023. A group of four girls is dedicated to preserving the ancient art of Nuristani carving in Herat. Over the past three years, they have worked hard to produce colorful and intricate carvings, while also training numerous individuals in this traditional craft. Despite receiving daily orders from various provinces, they have noticed a decline in business compared to previous years. Nuristani carving has a rich history dating back to the Timurid period, and these girls are among the few in Herat working to keep this art form alive. (Photo by EPA/EFE/Stringer)





A swimmer goes for a dip in freezing temperatures at the Serpentine Lake in Hyde Park, central London on December 1, 2023, as temperatures in the capital dip below zero for another night. The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for parts of the UK with freezing temperatures and snow expected in large areas. (Photo by Ben Cawthra/London News Pictures)





Performers promote Beats on Pointe, an Australian production that combines classical ballet and breakdance, in Meadows Lane, Edinburgh on August 20, 2022. The show is running nightly at Assembly Hall throughout the Edinburgh Fringe festival. (Photo by Duncan McGlynn/The Times)





It may be in the middle of a war but there is still time for some sartorial elegance in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital on February 5, 2023. (Photo by Jack Hill/The Times)





Performers in costume arrive to take part in the main Parade Day of the Notting Hill Carnival in west London on August 27, 2023. (Photo by Henry Nicholls/AFP Photo)





One of the “Las Doncellas” (White Virgins), holds a basket covered with white cloth transporting a loaf of bread on her head, as she prepares for the “Bread Procession of the Saint”, the ceremony in honor of Saint Domingo de La Calzada (1019-1109) who helped poor people and pilgrimage, in Santo Domingo de La Calzada, northern Spain, Wednesday May 11, 2022. It has been 2 years since the last proceesion due to COVID-19 restrictions. (Photo by Alvaro Barrientos/AP Photo)





Festivalgoers carry inflatable mattresses in the rain on the first day of the Glastonbury festival in the village of Pilton, in Somerset, southwest England, on June 21, 2023. The festival takes place from June 21 to June 26. (Photo by Oli Scarff/AFP Photo)





People shelter inside a subway station during a Russian missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine on March 9, 2023. (Photo by Alina Yarysh/Reuters)





A person taking a selfie on Wednesday, June 28, 2023 with a life-sized bronze statue of the character Indiana Jones which has been unveiled as the latest addition to the Leicester Square's “Scenes in the Square” statue trail, immortalising the hero played by Harrison Ford with his whip and fedora from the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark. (Photo by Stefan Rousseau/PA Images via Getty Images)





British billionaire, Sir Frederick Barclay arrives at the high court for his divorce settlement with his ex-wife, Lady Hiroko Barclay in London, UK on July 7, 2023. In 2021 a court ordered Barclay to pay her £100m. (Photo by Mark Thomas/Rex Features/Shutterstock)





Irpin resident Halyna (surname withheld) explains how she lived throughout the Russian invasion hiding in a cellar. She and neighbours are still living in their destroyed apartments which have no electricity amenities or roof. She and other residents cook on an open fire outside their devastated apartment block. May 19, 2022 in Irpin, Ukraine. As Russia concentrates its attack on the east and south of the country, residents of the Kyiv region are returning to assess the war's toll on their communities. The towns around the capital were heavily damaged following weeks of brutal war as Russia made its failed bid to take Kyiv. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)