Orthodox Christians from across the globe have celebated Christmas.
Orthodox Christians in Russia, Serbia, Ukraine and other Orthodox countries observe a different religious calendar, and for them January 6 is Christmas Eve.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attended midnight Mass in a church in the village of Turginovo, about 150 kilometres (90 miles) northwest of Moscow, on Wednesday night.
Russian news reports said the church was where his parents had been baptised.
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirlill, led a seprate Mass at Moscow's sprawling Christ the Saviour Cathedral, a service broadcast live on state television.
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev was among those in attendance at the cathedral, which was destroyed under Soviet dictator Josef Stalin then reconstructed after the fall of Communist rule.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi on Wednesday attended Christmas Mass at Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Cairo, where he vowed to fix all Coptic churches damaged in sectarian attacks.
He spoke while standing alongside Pope Tawadros II, the leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria.
After a deadly dispersal of Islamist sit-ins following the military removal of former President Mohamed Morsi in mid-2013, angry protesters attacked a number of Coptic churches and homes in different parts of Egypt.
Most Copts supported el-Sissi as well as the removal of Morsi from power.
Egypt's Orthodox Coptic Christians make up about 10 per cent of the country's 90 million people.
Orthodox Christians in the West Bank town of Bethlehem celebrated Christmas on Thursday.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas attended a midnight Mass to celebrate the occasion.
Serbia's Orthodox Christians marked Christmas Eve on Wednesday by burning dried oak branches at sermons held outside churches.
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In the Serbian capital, Belgrade, hundreds of worshippers gathered outside Saint Sava Church - the biggest Orthodox church in the Balkans - to burn oak branches, the Yule log symbol.
This young tree symbolises Christ and his entry into the world.
The centuries-old tradition is performed by church dignitaries.
Holy midnight liturgy is held at midnight celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.
