Christmas preparations around the world

Take a look at how people and cultures around the world are preparing for Christmas. Pictured: Two women inspected Advent stars at a shop in a Christmas market in Berlin. Dozends of Christmas markets offer decorations around the holidays in central Berlin during Advent.

A tree was placed in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican.

People walked by a giant christmas ball displayed in Nice, France.

A Christmas wreath hung on a gate of the White House.

A boy had a snack outside the State Department Store, with St. Basil Cathedral in the background, and Red Square decorated for Christmas in Moscow, Russia.

Children bought cotton candy in a Christmas market in Paris.

A Christmas tree decorated with soccer balls and national flags stood in the grounds of the Costa do Sauipe Resort, venue for the Final Draw for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Costa do Sauipe, Brazil.

The 80-foot-tall Rockefeller Center Christmas tree was lit during the 80th annual lighting ceremony in New York.

The Wannalancit Mill smokestack in Lowell was lit up like a Christmas tree.

German baker Roman Wunderlich examined the degree of ripeness of his Christmas cake in an underground mine in Tannenbergsthal , Germany. Since September 2013, the cakes are stored 80 meters below surface in optimal conditions before getting sold during Christmas season.

Tourist visited the Christmas market in the Old Town Square in Prague.

A visitor passed by an artistic Christmas tree created by French designer Jean-Paul Gaultier on display during the exhibition ‘Les Sapins de Noel des Createurs’ (The Designers Christmas Trees) at the Hotel de Rothschild, in Paris. Every year, renowned personalities from the world of fashion, design or architecture, offer their Christmas tree vision for a charity auction.

British artists Helen and Colin David posed in front of ‘Red Velvet Tree of Love’ at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. They were commissioned to create the Christmas tree, which has 79 replica deer antlers.

A horse pulled a carriage past the Capitol Christmas tree in Nashville, Tenn.

Ornaments honoring Edward Munch’s “The Scream” awaited hanging along with Norwegian flags as part of an annual Christmas tree installed by the Royal Norwegian Embassy at Union Station in Washington.

Workers used a crane to assemble a giant plastic Christmas tree in the Castle Square in Warsaw, Poland.

Large Angry Birds balloons were carried down Hollywood Boulevard during the 82nd Annual Hollywood Christmas Parade in Los Angeles.

A group of Santas lined up on the Sydney Tower Eye SKYWALK with a backdrop of the Sydney landscape to launch Santa’s highest grotto. The enclosed observation deck at the Sydney Tower Eye has been transformed into an enchanted Christmas wonderland giving children and adults alike the chance to meet Santa.

Runners dressed in Father Christmas costumes took part in the annual 5K Santa Dash in Liverpool.

A child posted a letter to Santa in the Elf village in Ascot, England.