In pictures: Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas
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Orthodox Christians around the world have been celebrating Christmas by attending church services.
While the majority of the Christian world celebrate Christmas Day on 25 December, for many of the world’s 200 million Orthodox Christians, the birth of Jesus Christ is marked on 7 January.
This is because they follow the Julian calendar, unlike Christian denominations which follow the Gregorian calendar.
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A woman in Syria’s capital Damascus receives Holy Communion at the Armenian Apostolic Church of Mar Sarkis. This is the first Christmas Syrians are celebrating since the fall of their long-time ruler – former President Bashar al-Assad.
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In Egypt, a priest representing the Coptic Orthodox Church – the Middle East’s largest Christian community – walks past worshippers at the Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church in Cairo.
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A young worshipper lights a candle during Orthodox Christmas Eve celebrations in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
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Earlier, believers and religious leaders gathered at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank, which is said to be the birthplace of Jesus.
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Ethiopian worshippers have been holding candles and singing hymns at Addis Ababa’s Bole Medhanialem Church.
EPA
Millions of Russians are celebrating Christmas and President Vladimir Putin (left) observed the festive season at Moscow’s St George’s Church.
EPA
Festive decorations can be seen in Moscow’s streets.
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In Serbia’s capital Belgrade, Prince Philip was pictured holding a burning oak branch or badnjak in a traditional ceremony.
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In the Armenian capital Yerevan, Armenian apostolic Christians attended a service at St Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral.
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Georgian Christians turned out to celebrate with candles in Tbilisi.
