How people decorate for Christmas around the globe
Brazil: South America's largest country is big on bold colors, and even the buses get the illuminated Christmas treatment in São Paulo. The "Feliz Natal" sign means "Merry Christmas" in Portuguese. Click through the gallery for more pictures of Christmas decor around the world:
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Colombia: In Cali, family members light candles during Día de las Velitas (Day of the Little Candles). This traditional Colombian celebration marks the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. People light candles in their homes and on streetlights as well as visit cemeteries to decorate the graves of their dead with flowers, lanterns and candles.
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Denmark: Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen is favorite playground for Danes and tourists. And they go all-out each year decorating this longtime amusement park for Christmas. Along with enjoying the lights and other holiday decorations, kids can ride a special Elf Train.
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Denmark: Classic and tasteful Christmas baubles go on sale. The website Scandinavia Standard says Danes tend to go for minimalist holiday decor in their homes, with white, red, gold, silver and green the main colors. Many families also light candles on their Christmas tree.
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Egypt: Christians make up about 10% of Egypt's population, and they enjoy the decorating and festivities as people do all over the world. Here, Christmas stock is displayed at a store in the Shubra district of Cairo, which has a large Coptic Christian community.
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Germany: Strollers get a full-on electric show at a home in Walschleben, which is in the central part of the country. The owner of the home estimated he used around 130,000 light points and starts setting up in the middle of October. It's more likely you'll find subdued decorations in most German homes, with an emphasis on Advent wreaths and Christmas trees. Read more about Advent traditions around the world.
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Greece: People walk past a traditional Christmas boat decorated with colorful lights docked in the Thermaic Gulf off the shores of Thessaloniki. Greeks are increasingly turning to decorating small Christmas boats instead of trees.
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India: It's Saxophone Santa in Navi Mumbai (formerly known as New Bombay). Christians make up only 2.3% of India's population, but that's still about 28 million followers. You'll find Santas and other secular items in shops, while you're likely to find poinsettias in churches.
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Kenya: Shoppers take photos with their mobile phones of musically inclined Santa Claus dolls in Nairobi. The website WhyChristmas says "houses and churches are often decorated with colorful balloons, ribbons, paper decorations, flowers and green leaves" during Christmas.
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Mexico: Colorful, multicolored stars are displayed for sale in Mexico City. Other common decorations in Mexico during the Christmas season include pinatas, poinsettias, nativity scenes and table centerpieces, often in earth tones.
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New Zealand: Like many places, homeowners in New Zealand love to decorate with a multitude of Christmas lights. They are particularly enthusiastic about this lights craft on Franklin Road in Auckland, drawing large crowds. Can't make it? Check out this YouTube video.
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New Zealand: More from Franklin Road, where reindeer have made their way from the Arctic! If you're in New Zealand for Christmas, it's their first month of summer -- no need to bundle up.
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The Philippines: Policarpio Street in Mandaluyong City is one of the most visited roadways during Christmas because of the grandiose and well-lit houses with different Christmas themes.
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The Philippines: San Fernando is the birthplace of the Philippines' giant Christmas lantern and home to the annual Ligligan Parul (Giant Lantern Festival). Each lantern stands about 20 feet high and features 5,000 or so lights.
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Russia: Christmas baubles coated in ice hang on a tree in Manezhnaya Square in Moscow. The Russian Orthodox Church still uses the old Julian Calendar, so Christmas for most Christians in Russia falls on January 7. Nesting dolls with a Christmas theme are a popular decoration.
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Sweden: Thousands of lights decorate moose statues in Stockholm. The capital of Sweden strings up lights and decorations around more than 30 streets, squares and marketplaces, glistening and glimmering of Santas, moose, stars and other decorations.
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United States: A boat decorated in Christmas lights travels down a river in Venice, Florida. Christmas boat parades are popular in warmer winter locations such as Florida, California and South Carolina.
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United States: Asheville, North Carolina, has a well-deserved reputation for a funky arts and crafts scene and lively neighborhoods -- so it's natural to see homes all decked out for the holidays here. Biltmore estate is a popular place to go see classic Christmas decorations.
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United States: In Santa Fe, New Mexico, a window display features an antique Santa Claus doll, Western shirt and a "jackalope," a mythical animal of North American folklore described as a jackrabbit with antelope horns.
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United Kingdom: They're all about tradition here, and the Christmas windows at Harrods are crowd favorite. Londoners and visitors flock to the department store to see what creative displays will go up next.
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Vatican City: A 2,000-year-old story combines with a modern message with a crib and Christmas tree in St. Peter's Square. The crib was the work of Maltese artist Manuel Grech, with a reference to the tragedy of migrants who drowned in the Mediterranean while fleeing violence in the Middle East.