A Catholic faithful holds a figurine of baby Jesus during a religious procession on Holy Innocents Day in Antiguo Cuscatlan, on the outskirts of San Salvador, December 28, 2014. Festivities are held every December 28 in honor of children, termed the Holy Innocents, below the age of two who were ordered to be killed by King Herod, according to biblical passages. (Photo by Jose Cabezas/Reuters)

Pope Francis greets the crowd from his popemobile in downtown Rio de Janeiro. Pope Francis touched down in Rio de Janeiro on Monday, starting his first foreign trip as pontiff and a weeklong series of events expected to attract more than a million people to a gathering of young faithful in Brazil, home to the world's largest Roman Catholic population. (Photo by Ueslei Marcelino/Reuters)

Faithful carry a boat out to sea, filled with offerings to Yemanja, the African sea goddess, during a ceremony honoring the deity in Montevideo, Uruguay, Saturday, February 2, 2013. Thousands of worshippers come to the beach in Montevideo on her feast day, February 2, bearing candles, flowers, perfumes and fruit to show their gratitude for her blessings bestowed upon them. The belief in the goddess sprouts from Umbanda, a blend of religions that include African, Catholicism and Spiritism. (Photo by Matilde Campodonico/AP Photo)

A pilgrim crawls in front of the Navy band outside the Holy Church of Panagia of Tinos, on the Aegean island of Tinos, Greece, on Saturday, August 15, 2020. For nearly 200 years, Greek Orthodox faithful have flocked to Tinos for the August 15 feast day of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, the most revered religious holiday in the Orthodox calendar after Easter. But this year there was no procession, the ceremony – like so many lives across the globe – upended by the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Thanassis Stavrakis/AP Photo)

Alejandro Zelayaran, 43, dressed as Santa Claus, wears a protective face shield as he poses for a photograph on a street in Mexico City, Mexico, December 3, 2020. “Faith and hope must move the heart of the humanity”, said Zelayaran, who will don a face shield when he distributes dolls and other gifts at an orphanage in Mexico City. “I want to see families taking care of each other and knowing that even from afar, love and hope always survive”. (Photo by Edgard Garrido/Reuters)

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.

Attracting more than 450 entries from around the world, the winners are selected by a panel of expert judges including ZSL honorary conservation fellow and television presenter Kate Humble, and renowned ornithologist Bill Oddie. Here: Anoura Geoffroy’s tailless bat by Nicolas Reusens. The Perfect Moment category; Adult runner up. (Photo by Nicolas Reusens/ZSL Animal Photography Prize 2015)

A star-spangled spectator takes in a perfect Sunday afternoon, November 3, 2024 for stock-car racing. About 50,000 fans turned up for Sunday afternoon’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia. (Photo by Lauren Caulk/The Guardian)