Christmas celebrations to be held worldwide

People around the world have got ready to celebrate the birth anniversary of Jesus Christ with holiday traditions as unique as the countries they are from.

Although December 25th is the most well-known date for Christmas, diverse cultures and traditions have embraced their unique times to honor the birth of Jesus Christ.

The most spectacular holiday traditions from around the world are held in countries such as Finland, Croatia, Mexico, Russia, Argentina, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands and the US, among others.

For instance, Croatians release thousands of paper lanterns carrying their Christmas hopes and wishes into the sky a few days before the holiday.

In the US, Americans send out greeting cards, sing carols, give gifts, and get pictures taken with Santa Claus as part of the holiday season.

A sizeable minority group of Christians live in Iran. They freely hold their religious rites and celebrations in the country.

Over centuries, Iranian Christians have lived with other Iranians in full harmony and peace.