Capturing the true essence of Christmas, Lapland is the perfect place to take your family for the holiday period. Situated in the arctic regions of northern Sweden, Finland and Norway, there are a villages in each country around where you can enjoy the full festive experience.

Cat lounges and makes itself at home at the new Cat Café by Purina ONE on Wednesday, April 23, 2014 in New York. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Invision for Purina ONE/AP Images)

Four men ride a motorbike past sacrificial animals displayed for sale ahead of the Eid al-Adha festival at a livestock market in Sana'a, Yemen, 08 August 2019. Eid al-Adha is the holiest of the two Muslims holidays celebrated each year; it marks the yearly Muslim pilgrimage (Hajj) to visit Mecca, Islam's holiest place. Muslims slaughter a sacrificial animal and split the meat into three parts: one for family, one for friends and relatives, and one for the poor and needy. (Photo by Yahya Arhab/EPA/EFE)

“Sperm whale opening it's huge mouth, Ogasawara Islands, Japan. Sperm whales are the biggest carnivorous animals on the planet. Each teeth in the mouth of adult specimen weights more than 1 kilogram. Interestingly enough that modern marine biologists believe that these teeth despite being fearsome play little role in capturing and eating giant squid – with their main function being mainly ritual aggression between males!”. (Photo by Alexander Safonov)

The Perth-based photographer and journalist Frances Andrijich has travelled the Western Australian coast since the early 90s, capturing clotheslines in all their glory. In her images they take the roles of play equipment, Christmas trees and, in the summer, a homemaker’s dream. Andrijich admits she is hopelessly hung up on clotheslines; her latest book celebrates them under the spotlight of the Australian sun. Here: Vera Germanis hangs out underwear in Frances Andrijich’s grandparents’ backyard. This was the photographer’s first clothesline shot, taken in Midland Junction in 1991. (Photo by Frances Andrijich)

A member from the Iraqi security forces beats an Islamic State insurgent, who was captured in Tikrit April 1, 2015. Iraqi troops and Shi'ite paramilitary fighters were battling Islamic State on Wednesday in northern Tikrit, which officials described as the Sunni Muslim militant group's last stronghold in the city. (Photo by Alaa Al-Marjani/Reuters)

Star trails are pictured from a road in Singapore. These astonishing images of night sky are captured by Singapore based photographer Justin Ng. The pictures were taken between November 2013 to January 2014. It show's star trail caused by the earth's rotation and also can be achieved by zooming the DSLR lens inward or outward in small steps using a dedicated motorized zooming device. (Photo by Justin Ng/Barcroft Media)

Cormorant masters and boatmen prepare sea cormorants for the nights “Ukai” on July 2, 2014 in Gifu, Japan. In this traditional fishing art “ukai”, a cormorant master called “usho” manages cormorants to capture ayu or sweetfish. The ushos of River Nagara have been the official staff of the Imperial Household Agency of Japan since 1890. Currently six imperial fishermen of Nagara River conduct special fishing to contribute to the Imperial family eight times a year, on top of daily fishing from mid-May to mid-October. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)