In Pictures: Christmas celebrations begin worldwide but are muted in Bethlehem

People walk by the Church of the Nativity, traditionally believed to be the birthplace of Jesus, on Christmas Eve, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem (Mahmoud Illean/PA)

Christmas celebrations were getting under way across the world although in Bethlehem the ongoing conflict in Gaza cast a large shadow over festivities in the Holy Land.

In the midst of the usual pre-Christmas last-minute shopping and preparations, one man in Florida put the final touch to his Christmas tree on a sunny beach in Florida.