Last week, Christmas markets opened across Germany, and with a few weeks left until Christmas, illuminated holiday displays, parades, and colorful markets are starting to light up the night. From the Americas to Europe, Asia, and elsewhere, gathered below is a collection of holiday cheer and light, wrapped up in 25 photographs.
Christmas Markets and Christmas Lights
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![A night view of a bustling Christmas market in a city square in Germany]()
Read moreVisitors walk around the annual Christmas market at Römerberg Square on the market's opening day, on November 27, 2023, in Frankfurt, Germany. #
Thomas Lohnes / Getty -
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![People walk past paths of light and illuminated trees.]()
Read moreMembers of the public experience an artwork entitled Sea of Light on the Christmas at Dunham Massey festive-light art trail, at the National Trust property near Altrincham, England, on November 16, 2023. #
Oli Scarff / AFP / Getty -
![A vendor works on a lantern beside many other lit lanterns hanging on a display wall.]()
Read moreA vendor works on a Christmas-star lantern, locally known as parol, at a street market in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, on November 29, 2023. #
Eloisa Lopez / Reuters -
![Santa's sleigh and fireworks appear above a tall Christmas tree in front of a stage.]()
Read moreSanta's sleigh and fireworks appear above the Christmas tree at the 22nd annual “Christmas at the Grove” Tree Lighting Celebration, in Los Angeles, California, on November 13, 2023. #
Rodin Eckenroth / Getty for Caruso -
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![People dressed as Santa ride in a tram.]()
Read moreMembers of Brazil's Santa Claus school travel on a bonde ("tram") as they take part in their graduation ceremony, ahead of the Christmas season, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on October 31, 2023. #
Ricardo Moraes / Reuters -
![Christmas decorations in a hallway in the White House]()
Read moreDecorations adorn the Cross Hall during a media preview of the "Magic, Wonder, and Joy"–themed holiday decorations at the White House, in Washington, D.C., on November 27, 2023. #
Kevin Lamarque / Reuters -
![People look at decorative lights hanging over a narrow river channel.]()
Read morePeople enjoy a Christmas-light display in Parques del Río, in the city of Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia, on November 25, 2023. Across Medellín, lighting displays will feature 9 million LED bulbs and 27,000 handcrafted figures. In celebration of Disney's centenary, 14 of its iconic stories and characters will take center stage along the river corridor. #
Juancho Torres / Anadolu / Getty -
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![Santa and elf characters ride on a sleigh-shaped parade float.]()
Read moreA man dressed as Santa Claus gestures during the 97th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, in Manhattan, New York City, on November 23, 2023. #
Mike Segar / Reuters -
![Children dressed in Frosty the Snowman costumes dance during a Christmas parade.]()
Read moreChildren dressed in Frosty the Snowman costumes dance during the annual Christmas Parade in La Paz, Bolivia, on November 24, 2023. #
Juan Karita / AP -
![An overview of a traditional Christmas market in a city square in France]()
Read morePeople gather on the opening day of the traditional Christmas market at Kleber Square, in Strasbourg, France, on November 24, 2023. #
Patrick Hertzog / AFP / Getty -
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![Visitors walk around Christmas-market stalls.]()
Read moreVisitors walk around the annual Christmas market at Römerberg Square on the market's opening day, on November 27, 2023, in Frankfurt, Germany. #
Thomas Lohnes / Getty -
![A person prepares food on a grill in a market stall.]()
Read moreA worker prepares meat dishes for visitors at the Christmas Market in Krakow's Main Square, on November 24, 2023, in Krakow, Poland. #
Omar Marques / Anadolu / Getty -
![A worker carries a fir tree after it was cut down at a tree farm.]()
Read moreA worker carries a fir tree after it was cut down during the harvest at Pimms Christmas Tree Farm, in Matfield, England, on November 28, 2023. #
Ben Stansall / AFP / Getty -
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![A gardener checks many rows of poinsettia plants.]()
Read moreA gardener checks poinsettia plants in the greenhouse of Florcenter, in Olomouc, Czech Republic, on November 24, 2023. #
Lukas Kabon / Anadolu / Getty -
![People take pictures of a brightly lit Christmas tree.]()
Read morePeople use their smartphones to capture images of the newly illuminated Christmas tree at Syntagma Square, in Athens, Greece, on November 23, 2023. #
Angelos Tzortzinis / AFP / Getty -
![Ballet dancers rehearse together onstage.]()
Read moreDancers from the Northern Ballet perform during the final dress rehearsal of The Nutcracker at the Grand Theatre in Leeds, England, on November 28, 2023. #
Lee Smith / Reuters -
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![Lights in the shape of angels hang over a London street.]()
Read moreChristmas lights are displayed along Regent Street on November 16, 2023, in London, England. #
Carl Court / Getty -
![People look at a holiday window display featuring a large sculpture of a bird.]()
Read morePeople look at a holiday window display outside the luxury department store Printemps on Boulevard Haussmann, in Paris, France, on November 20, 2023. #
Mustafa Yalcin / Anadolu / Getty -
![A very tall Christmas tree stands along the National Mall, with the Washington Monument visible behind it.]()
Read moreThe U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree shines following the lighting ceremony on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol, on November 28, 2023, in Washington, D.C. This year’s tree is a 63-foot Norway spruce from Monongahela National Forest, in West Virginia, and is decorated with approximately 5,000 handcrafted ornaments made by the Shawnee Tribe and communities across West Virginia. #
Kevin Dietsch / Getty -
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![People walk along a tunnel of lights, past holiday decorations.]()
Read moreVisitors walk Kew Gardens' festive "Christmas at Kew" light trail on November 14, 2023, in London, England. #
Dan Kitwood / Getty -
![Many tuba players perform, wearing Christmas-y hats and coats.]()
Read moreMusicians perform holiday songs during the 50th anniversary of "TubaChristmas" at Downtown Crossing, in Boston, Massachusetts, on November 25, 2023. #
Joseph Prezioso / AFP / Getty -
![Dancing Pikachus perform on a stage in front of a Christmas tree and a giant inflatable Pikachu.]()
Read moreDancing Pikachus perform holiday songs at Central World Shopping Mall during its "Light Up Christmas Tree Celebration" kickoff event, on November 27, 2023, in Bangkok, Thailand. #
Lauren DeCicca / Getty -
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![An officer dressed as Santa Claus directs traffic.]()
Read moreThe traffic enforcer Ramiro Hinojas, dressed as Santa Claus, directs vehicles along Macapagal Avenue, in Pasay, Metro Manila, on November 28, 2023. #
Jam Sta Rosa / AFP / Getty -
![A giant Christmas tree is displayed inside a tall atrium in a department store.]()
Read moreA giant Christmas tree is displayed inside the Galeries Lafayette department store, in Paris, on November 23, 2023. #
Bertrand Guay / AFP / Getty -
![A visitor with a smartphone photographs an illuminated Christmas tree.]()
Read moreA visitor with a smartphone photographs an illuminated Christmas tree on the first day of the annual Christmas market at Red City Hall, in Berlin, Germany, on November 27, 2023. #
Sean Gallup / Getty -
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