'Tis that time of the year...
IMAGE: Santa gets ready outside a church in Kochi. Photograph: Sivaram V/Reuters
IMAGE: A father holds up his son Aadhan, wearing a Santa costume, during the celebrations in Kochi. Photograph: Sivaram V/Reuters
IMAGE: People dressed in Santa Claus costumes travel on a camel cart ahead of Christmas celebrations in Karachi, Pakistan. Photograph: Akhtar Soomro/Reuters
IMAGE: Biologist Felippe Luna, dressed as Santa Claus, applies tonic immobility to a shark at the AquaRio aquarium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photograph: Pilar Olivares/Reuters
IMAGE: Students wait for gifts from an elephant dressed in a Santa Claus costume ahead of Christmas celebrations at a school in Ayutthaya, Thailand. Photograph: Artorn Pookasook/Reuters
IMAGE: The elephant Santa gives out gifts to the students in Ayutthaya, Thailand. Photograph: Artorn Pookasook/Reuters
IMAGE: Guatemalan firefighter Hector Chacon, dressed as Santa Claus, rappels down the Belize Bridge to give toys to children at the Jesus de la Buena Esperanza neighbourhood in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Photograph: Cristina Chiquin/Reuters
IMAGE: A police officer from the traffic squad dressed as Santa Claus rides on a motorcycle through the streets of Lima, ahead of Christmas, in Lima, Peru. Photograph: Sebastian Castaneda/Reuters
IMAGE: Participants wearing Santa Claus outfits pose for photos before their event to hand out gifts and clean up the street to celebrate Christmas in Tokyo, Japan. Photograph: Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com
Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com
