Best photos this week: Stars, Christmas trees come up as world gears up for holiday season

In Rome, Pope Francis recites the Angelus noon prayer from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter's Square, adorned by the Vatican's Christmas tree and Nativity scene, Dec. 8, 2022. (AP)

December 9, 2022 13:59 IST

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In Rome, Pope Francis recites the Angelus noon prayer from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter's Square, adorned by the Vatican's Christmas tree and Nativity scene, Dec. 8, 2022. (AP)

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In Venice, a floating nativity scene designed by local greengrocer Francesco Orazio is a harbinger of Christmas to it's lagoon near Burano island. (Reuters)

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Painted by local greengrocer Francesco Orazio in Venice, the figures have been planted on wooden stakes with their feet emerging for just a couple of hours a day when the tide ebbs. (Reuters)

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In cities across Europe, officials are wrestling with a choice to send a message of energy conservation and solidarity with citizens squeezed by higher utility bills and inflation, or let the lights blaze in a message of defiance after two years of pandemic-suppressed Christmas seasons. In this AP photo, a 15-meter tall Christmas tree is seen lit in St. Mark's Square in Venice, Italy Dec. 6, 2022, in front of Palazzo Ducale and St. Mark's Basilica, left.

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Meanwhile, in Guatemala, a 5-metre replica of a devil burns during the annual celebration of the 'Burning of the Devil', a festivity associated with the Feast of the Immaculate Conception which honours the city's patron saint and marking the start of the Christmas season, in Guatemala City, Dec. 7, 2022. (Reuters)

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In South Korea, where Christmas is one of the biggest holidays, divers are seen performing during an event to promote the festival at the Aqua Planet 63 aquarium in Seoul, Dec. 8, 2022. (AP)

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In Malaysia, where Islam is the official religion, people are seen taking pictures with Christmas decoration at Shah Alam, Selangor, Dec. 8, 2022. (Reuters)

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As a part of celebrations in Malaysia, people check out an artificial Aurora Borealis light show, displayed as part of the Christmas festivities at a theme park in Shah Alam, Selangor, Dec. 8, 2022. (Reuters)

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In Lithuania, municipal workers clean the snow covered Cathedral Square at the Christmas Tree in Vilnius, Dec. 8, 2022 as snow continued to fall across the country with temperatures dropped to -3 degree Celsius. (AP)

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In war-torn Ukraine, a Christmas decoration is seen stuck to the door of a destroyed home in the village of Kamyanka, on the outskirts of Izium, Kharkiv region, Ukraine. (Reuters)