As Christmas Day was observed across the globe on December 25, 2025, millions participated in age-old traditions and new public festivities, even as geopolitical tensions and humanitarian crises cast a complex shadow over celebrations. This year’s gathering of believers and secular celebrants alike reflected both the resilience of holiday spirit and the persistent challenges facing the international community.
In Vatican City, Pope Leo XIV delivered his first Christmas message to the world from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, urging an end to ongoing conflicts and compassion for suffering populations. The American pontiff, elected earlier this year following the death of Pope Francis, used his “Urbi et Orbi” address to call for peace in war-torn regions including Ukraine and Gaza, and denounced the “senselessness” of war and the “rubble and open wounds” it leaves behind. He appealed for a renewed commitment to dialogue and reconciliation, invoking the spirit of Christmas to inspire global leaders and faithful alike to work towards harmony.
Across Syria, despite longstanding fears of violence, Christians in Damascus’s Old City lit up streets with festive lights and ornaments. The illuminated decorations and street vendors selling warm chestnuts drew families and residents who said they hoped the season would herald peace and a better future for the beleaguered nation.
In the United States, Christmas was marked both by celebration and stark political rhetoric. President Donald Trump took to social media to extend holiday greetings, adopting divisive language even as people across the country attended church services and family gatherings. Severe weather in California prompted authorities to declare emergency measures and evacuations in some regions, complicating holiday travel and festivities.
Australia’s Christmas was tinged with sorrow as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addressed the nation, reflecting on the recent terror attack during Hanukkah celebrations at Bondi Beach. While tourists and locals still made the most of the holiday season at the beach and beyond, leaders urged unity and resilience in the face of grief.
In the Middle East, Saudi Arabia showcased a noticeable shift in cultural expression. Christmas, historically a private celebration among expatriate communities, is increasingly visible in public venues such as shopping malls in Riyadh and Jeddah, where Christmas trees, lights, and holiday-themed menus now form part of the season’s attractions, even though the festival remains a private observance under local law.
In Türkiye, congregants gathered for Christmas Eve mass at the historic Church of Saint Peter, believed to be the site of early Christian worship dating back to the first century, reinforcing the country’s long-standing religious heritage.
In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Christmas address focused on the cost-of-living crisis and urged citizens to support neighbours and communities, while King Charles III called for kindness, unity, and respect during the holiday season. Britons marked the day with traditional celebrations, reinforcing the season’s message of hope amid global uncertainty.
Palestinians in Gaza marked what many described as the first meaningful Christmas celebration since conflict erupted, with community members lighting the Christmas tree at The Holy Family Church in Bethlehem. The occasion followed a temporary ceasefire, though Israeli strikes continued elsewhere, underscoring the fragility of peace in the region.
Back in India, Christmas festivities were in full swing across major cities, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending a morning service at the Cathedral Church of the Redemption in New Delhi. Ahead of the holiday, debates arose over public celebrations, but believers across the country embraced the season with family gatherings, church services, and charitable events.
As the world marked Christmas 2025, communities balanced joy with reflection, celebrating tradition while acknowledging the trials that continue to define much of the human experience. The message of peace, resilience, and hope remained central to observances, even as leaders and citizens grappled with the realities of conflict and hardship around them.
