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.

Maya, 8, and Kishore, 13, pose for a wedding photo inside their new home, the day after the Hindu holy day of Akshaya Tritiya, called Akha Teej in North India. Despite legislation forbidding child marriage in India (Child Marriage Restraint Act-1929) and the much more progressive Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (2006) and many initiatives to prevent child marriage, marrying children off at a very tender age continues to be accepted by large sections of society. (Photo by Stephanie Sinclair/VII Photo Agency)

A woman wearing a face mask to protect against the spread of COVID-19 walks past a mask clad Acrocanthosaurus display at the Witte Museum, Thursday, January 28, 2021, in San Antonio. (Photo by Eric Gay/AP Photo)

Russian servicemen display military camouflage equipments during the joint military anti-terrorist command and staff exercise of the armed forces of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states Peace Mission-2021 at the Donguz training ground in the Orenburg region, Russia, 23 September 2021. More than 3.4 thousand servicemen from Russia, India, China, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and more than 600 units of weapons, military and special equipment are involved in the exercise Peace Mission-2021. (Photo by Maxim Shipenkov/EPA/EFE)

A participant tests his motorcycle ahead of the launch of the Rally of Morocco 2021, in the desert Zagora region, on October 7, 2021. The rally will be held from October 8 to 13, 2021. (Photo by Fadel Senna/AFP Photo)

The Eiffel Tour-the body language of balance. I came across this group of young adults from Sarajevo, Bosnia, having fun testing their balance two nights ago in on the Esplanade de Trocadero. (Photo and comment by Peter Turnley)

Visitors look at an artwork “Hierarchy of Prosperity” created by Indonesian artist Eko Nugroho during the VIP preview of the art fair “Art Basel” in Hong Kong, Tuesday, March 22, 2016. A set of gold-plated metal cubes, tapestries embroidered by unknown North Korean artisans and bales of cardboard waste are among the highlights of the Art Basel Hong Kong fair opening this week. (Photo by Kin Cheung/AP Photo)

A Malaysian woman walks past an advertisement outside a jewellery store at a shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur on August 25, 2015. Prices of crude oil and most other commodities rebounded in Asia on August 25 but stayed under pressure following a global sell-off sparked by the faltering economy in China, the world's top user of industrial metals and energy. Gold prices remained steady, boosted by prospects of increased demand due to its status as a safe haven in times of turmoil. (Photo by Manan Vatsyayana/AFP Photo)