Performers dressed as Ded Moroz, the equivalent of Santa Claus, and his granddaughter Snegurochka (Snow Maiden) take on shoe covers as they visit the Republican Scientific and Practical Centre of Pediatric Surgery in Minsk, Belarus, December 28, 2016. (Photo by Vasily Fedosenko/Reuters)

Heesco, Windsor. Born and raised in Mongolia and now living and working in Melbourne, Heesco is well known for his skill in rendering photo-realistic portraits. They speak to the viewer in a way that the subtext is enjoyable to decipher. Just what is the Blue Lady’s message? The sunglasses might mask the confronting gaze but her body language fills in the gaps. Heesco’s characters often wear traditional jewellery and clothing that remind us of his Mongolian cultural heritage. (Photo by Lou Chamberlin/The Guardian)

Black-headed gulls sit on pickets at a riverside in Tokyo, Japan, December 27, 2015. (Photo by Toru Hanai/Reuters)

These Arab recruits line up in a barracks square in the British Mandate of Palestine, on December 28, 1940, for their first drill under a British solider. Some 6,000 Palestinian Arabs signed up with the British Army during the course of World War II. (AP Photo)

A pilgrim enters the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe on their hands and knees to honour the Virgin Mary in Mexico City, Mexico on December 11, 2022. (Photo by Jorge Nunez/Zuma Press Wire/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Nigerian make-up artist, Mary Oni, creates artwork on her chest using make-up, in her home in Lagos, Nigeria on January 26, 2022. (Photo by Seun Sanni/Reuters)

Revelers perform during the Myths and Legends parade in Medellin, Antioquia department, Colombia on December 8, 2021. (Photo by Joaquin Sarmiento/AFP Photo)

Vanessa Low of the ACT competes in the Women's PA Senior Long Jump Final during the 2025 Australian Open and Under 20 Athletics Championships at WA Athletics Stadium on April 10, 2025 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)