IN PICTURES: Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas

West Bank: Local children dressed as Father Christmas arrive at Church of the Nativity in central Bethlehem (MEE/Rich Wiles)

Bagpipers are sprayed with fake snow during the pre-service procession (AA)

West Bank: Orthodox clergies arrive at church to celebrate Orthodox Christmas Eve (AA)

West Bank: Youth groups share in the festivities by handing out sweets (MEE/Rich Wiles)

West Bank: A man holds a crucifix outside the Church of the Nativity, on the site where Jesus is thought to have been born (MEE/Rich Wiles)

West Bank: A member of the Palestinian security forces hands out flowers in front of the Church of the Nativity (MEE/Rich Wiles)

Lebanon: A religious leader processes into an Armenian-Orthodox church in Beirut (AA)

Egypt: The Grand Imam of al-Azhar, Egypt's main Sunni Islamic centre, chats to the Coptic Orthodox Pope during a celebration in Cairo (AA)

Egypt: The Coptic Pope, Tawadros II, led celebrations at St Mark's Cathedral in eastern Cairo (AA)

Turkey: The Pope of Turkey's Greek Orthodox church throws a gilded cross into the icy waters of the Bosphorus in Istanbul (AA)

Turkey: As snow fell, Orthodox priests braved the icy water to rescue the thrown cross (AA)

Todor Pasev, happy and cold after his winter swim (AA)

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