A host of varied celebrations have been taking place across the world to mark Christmas Day.

The first places to have entered into Christmas were Samoa and Kiribati's appositely-named Christmas Island.

A whole day later, Samoan Islands on the other side of the international Date Line will finally enter their own Christmas Day.

Christmas 2016 around the world: in pictures Show all 14 1 /14 Christmas 2016 around the world: in pictures Christmas 2016 around the world: in pictures A member of the Iraqi security forces holds a lit candle at Christmas Mass in a church won back from Isis on the outskirts of Mosul REUTERS/Ammar Awad Christmas 2016 around the world: in pictures German tourists Mimi Wiebeling (L) and Pauline Lapetite carry surfboards as they walk into the surf wearing Christmas hats at Sydney's Bondi Beach on Christmas Day in Australia, December 25, 2016. David Gray Christmas 2016 around the world: in pictures A soldier dressed as Santa Claus waves from a military helicopter during a football match to commemorate the Christmas Truce of 1914 at the ISAF Headquarters, in Kabul, Afghanistan Omar Sobhani Christmas 2016 around the world: in pictures A crane of the Hanjin Scarlet container ship pulls up donated food, supplies and gifts as volunteers deliver them to the stranded crew aboard the ship. Several maritime groups and members of Victoria's Filipino community gathered up more than a ton of Christmas provisions for the 16-member crew of the container ship Darryl Dyck Christmas 2016 around the world: in pictures Chimpanzees examine their gifts at the Lion Country Safari in Loxahatchee, USA Allen Eyestone/Palm Beach Post via AP Christmas 2016 around the world: in pictures A Palestinian protester dressed as Santa Claus runs to avoid tear gas during clashes with Israeli border police officers, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem Nasser Nasser Christmas 2016 around the world: in pictures A Christian gives final touches to a mural of Santa Claus in preparation for Christmas celebrations in Karachi, Pakistan Shakil Adil Christmas 2016 around the world: in pictures People gather by a Christmas tree near damaged buildings during Christmas eve in al-Hamidiyah neighbourhood in the old city of Homs, Syria December 24, 2016 Omar Sanadiki Christmas 2016 around the world: in pictures Divers dressed as Santa's Elves swim with a Manta Ray in an aquarium on Friday, Dec. 23, 2016, at the South East Asia Aquarium of Resorts World Sentosa, a popular tourist attraction in Singapore Wong Maye-E Christmas 2016 around the world: in pictures An Indian street vendor sells Santa hats and masks ahead of Christmas in Ahmadabad, India Ajit Solanki Christmas 2016 around the world: in pictures A boy skis along a street near Montreal, Canda Graham Hughes Christmas 2016 around the world: in pictures A girl holds a costume received during a toy distribution program with Miguel Pizarro, deputy of the Venezuelan coalition of opposition parties (MUD), at the slum of Petare in Caracas, Venezuela December 20, 2016 A girl holds a costume received during a toy distribution program with Miguel Pizarro, deputy of the Venezuelan coalition of opposition parties (MUD), at the slum of Petare in Caracas, Venezuela December 20, 2016 Christmas 2016 around the world: in pictures Sri Lanka has unveiled a towering Christmas tree, claiming to have surpassed the world record for the tallest artificial Christmas tree AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena Christmas 2016 around the world: in pictures The sunrise over Bingham, Nottinghamshire, as severe weather warnings remain in place for Christmas Neil Squires

Festivities across the globe include people gathering around lit Christmas trees in war-torn Syria.

Meanwhile, the crew of the Hanjin Scarlet container ship, which has been stranded since August, took delivery of some festive cheer. The sailors are stuck on a ship just off the Canadian coast, caught in a battle between owner and creditors, but were brought a roast pig and other treats and gifts by sympathetic locals.

In Australia, people on Bondi Beach stripped off to nothing but Santa hats and their surfing costumes. It's currently 23°C there, and could reach 35°C later in the week.

It's the hottest ever 25 December in England, while Storm Conor brings flood alerts and wind warnings across Scotland and the North West. Some parts of England will hit 15°C, even as snow is expected to fall in Scotland later today.

Red skies, said to come before storms, were snapped as the country woke up on Christmas Eve.

In inflation-stricken Venezuela, presents were distributed to children, including nearly 4 million toys seized from a private company accused of price-gouging.

The government in Sri Lanka, meanwhile, splurged $80,000 on a 73 metre high Christmas tree, which they are touting as the world's largest.

People snapped selfies in front of the tree, which is decorated with more than 1 million natural pine cones painted red, gold, green and silver and 600,000 LED bulbs.

Worshippers in Bethlehem, where Jesus Christ is said to have been born, also took photos of themselves as they prayed and sung hymns in the Church of the Nativity.

Pictures also show Christians in a recently-liberated town near the Isis stronghold of Mosul, in Iraq, celebrating Christmas in their own church for the first time since 2013. A new cross and a plastic Christmas tree have been erected at the church, which was desecrated by militants.