--- title: 18 Surprising Photos of Christmas Around the World description: Here are some unusual and unexpected celebrations canonical: https://time.com/3647198/surprising-christmas-photos-holidays-around-the-world/ author: TIME Photo article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-12-25T21:47:08.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:48:13.822Z og:title: 18 Surprising Photos of Christmas Around the World og:description: Here are some unusual and unexpected celebrations og:url: https://time.com/3647198/surprising-christmas-photos-holidays-around-the-world/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3734110c71eae69d/69877737cd1bba54b86f4603/6-christmas-surprising.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2500 og:image:height: 1406 og:image:alt: A competitor in Christmas fancy dress jumps into the sea during the 105th Barcelona Traditional Christmas Swimming Cup at the Old Harbour of Barcelona on Dec. 25, 2014 in Barcelona, Spain. The Copa Nadal is organised by the Barcelona Swimming Club and in og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 18 Surprising Photos of Christmas Around the World twitter:description: Here are some unusual and unexpected celebrations twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3734110c71eae69d/69877737cd1bba54b86f4603/6-christmas-surprising.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 18 Surprising Photos of Christmas Around the World > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME The Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition The Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors. 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A competitor in Christmas fancy dress jumps into the sea during the 105th Barcelona Traditional Christmas Swimming Cup at the Old Harbour of Barcelona on Dec. 25, 2014 in Barcelona. The Copa Nadal is organised by the Barcelona Swimming Club and involves competitors swimming across some 200 metres of water in the harbour. David Ramos—Getty Images by [TIME Photo](https://time.com/author/time-photo/) ## TIME Photo Dec 25, 2014 9:47 PM UTC  A competitor in Christmas fancy dress jumps into the sea during the 105th Barcelona Traditional Christmas Swimming Cup at the Old Harbour of Barcelona on Dec. 25, 2014 in Barcelona. The Copa Nadal is organised by the Barcelona Swimming Club and involves competitors swimming across some 200 metres of water in the harbour. David Ramos—Getty Images  Alexei Trifonov, a member of the "rescuer" state regional service, dressed as Santa Claus, gives a sweet to a girl as he congrastulates employees of the Russian Emergencies Ministry and their children ahead of New Year and Christmas celebrations in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia on Dec. 24, 2014. Ilya Naymushin—Reuters  Andean bear twins Tupa und Sonco open their Christmas gift box with fruit and vegetables in their enclosure in the zoo in Frankfurt on Dec. 25, 2014. Arne Dedert—AP  A man dressed as Santa Claus drives a vehicle during Christmas day in Sidon, South Lebanon on Dec. 25, 2014. Ali Hashisho—Reuters  Owners of Harley-Davidson motorcycles wearing Santa Claus costumes ride along a street to give presents to elders at a nursing home during a promotional event celebrating Christmas in Guangzhou, Guangdong province on Dec. 24, 2014. Reuters  A group of salesmen walk along a street with an alpaca used for product promotion in Beijing on Dec. 25, 2014\. Christmas, once banned in China, has exploded in the atheist nation in recent years, with marketers using everything from saxophones to smurfs to get shoppers to open their wallets. Wang Zhao—AFP/Getty Images  Christians attend the mass service at a flooded church in Bandung, in western Java island, on Dec. 25, 2014. Timur Matahari—AFP/Getty Images  People spray synthetic snow at each other to usher in Christmas along Orchard Road on Dec. 25, 2014 in Singapore. Suhaimi Abdullah  Members of a local parachute club wearing Santa Claus costumes fly past residential buildings to drop presents to pedestrians during a promotional event celebrating Christmas in Guiyang, Guizhou province on Dec. 24, 2014. China Stringer Network/Reuters  A man with a Christmas gift walks across snow during heavy snowfall in downtown Moscow on Dec. 25, 2014. Pavel Golovkin—AP  Visitors take photos in front of an inflatable snow man and Santa Claus on Bondi Beach on Christmas Day on Dec. 25, 2014. Peter Parks—AFP/Getty Images  A Palestinian girl dressed in a costume joins a Christmas Eve celebration at Manger Square outside the Church of the Nativity, built atop the site where Christians believe Jesus was born, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem on Dec. 24, 2014. Majdi Mohammed—AP  Ruben Torres, dressed in a Santa Claus outfit, and fishermen stand on a boat on Christmas Eve along the coast of Valparaiso city, northwest of Santiago on Dec. 24, 2014\. Every year, the fishermen organize a Santa Claus boat trip as people wait on the shore to receive their Christmas presents and well-wishes. Rodrigo Garrido—Reuters  A couple poses for a "selfie" next to a light installation for Christmas celebrations in the Andalusian capital of Seville, southern Spain on Dec. 23, 2014. Marcelo del Pozo—Reuters  Children carry a snake made out of rags and paper mache as they take part in the traditional dance of "Los Gigantes," or "The Giants," during Christmas celebrations on Christmas Eve in Antigua Guatemala on Dec. 24, 2014. Moises Castillo—AP  The water-skiing Santa and a Reindeer are seen along the Potomac River off Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, not far from Washington on Dec. 24, 2014 during the annual water-skiing Santa event. Paul J. Richards—AFP/Getty Images  NORAD tracks Santa as he starts his journey on Dec. 24, 2014\. Santa Claus has embarked on his annual Christmas Eve mission to deliver presents to millions of children after a smooth take-off from his North Pole base, at least according to U.S. military officials who track his reindeer-powered sleigh. North American Aerospace Defense Command/Reuters  Pakistani Christians gather in an alley of a Christian neighborhood decorated with festive lights for Christmas in Islamabad, Pakistan on Dec. 24, 2014. 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