SHOTLIST:

VATICAN (DEC. 15, 2025) (ANADOLU - ACCESS ALL)

1. VARIOUS OF NIGHT SHOTS OF PARTICIPANTS ATTENDING CEREMONY WITH TORCHES

2. CROWD GATHERING AROUND GIANT CHRISTMAS TREE

3. VARIOUS OF ILLUMINATED CHRISTMAS TREE

4. VARIOUS OF PARTICIPANTS ATTENDING EVENT AND TAKING PHOTOS VATICAN - DECEMBER 15: Hundreds gathered in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on Monday, Dec. 15, for the annual ceremony marking the lighting of the Christmas tree and the unveiling of the nativity scene, a long-standing tradition that attracts pilgrims and visitors ahead of the holiday season.

This year’s centre piece is a 25-metre spruce sourced from Alto Adige in northern Italy, rising above the square as the Vatican’s Christmas celebrations officially began.

Among the oldest Christian holidays, Christmas is celebrated on Dec. 25 by adherents of the Gregorian calendar, including Protestants, Catholics, and some Orthodox Christians. In contrast, Orthodox Christians who follow the Julian calendar commemorate the event on Jan. 7.