ORTHODOX NATIVITY, EPIPHANY AND THEOPHANY CELEBRATIONS WORLDWIDE

Jerusalem: Palestinian Orthodox Christian School Children with Patriarch Theophilos after the Nativity Carol Service

Palestine: A boy sits on the top of a drum during the huge Nativity procession in Bethlehem

Palestinian Christian girls attend Christmas procession in Ramleh (Ramla) January 7, 2012.

A Palestinian Orthodox Christian girl attends Christmas services at the Saint Porphyrios Church in Gaza City January 7, 2012.

His All-Holiness presides over the Divine Liturgy on the great Feast of the Lord & Nativity at the Patriarchal Church of St. George

Egypt: Pope Shenouda III, the 117th Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark Cathedral, leads the Coptic Christmas eve Liturgy at the main cathedral in Cairo.

Ukraine: People light candles in a church to mark the Orthodox Christmas in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra church in Kiev.

Georgia: Children walk along a street during Alilo, a religious procession, as they celebrate the Orthodox Christmas in Tbilisi on January 7, 2012.

Latvia: A woman kisses an icon during the eve of the Nativity of Christ Liturgy in Riga

Macedonia: A child receives the sacraments during a Christmas liturgy in St. Clement Cathedral in capital Skopje.

Russia: Historical re-enactors dressed as Russian imperial soldiers from the French Invasion of Russia of 1812 fire a cannon during celebrations to mark the Russian Orthodox Christmas in St. Petersburg.

Serbia: People burn dried oak branches, which symbolize the Yule log, on Orthodox Christmas Eve in front of St. Sava church in Belgrade January 6, 2012.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Orthodox priests lead an Orthodox Christmas service at the Bosnian Orthodox church, in Sarajevo.

Romania: Men ride their horses during the annual race organized by Orthodox believers on Epiphany Day in the Romanian village of Pietrosani, 45 km (28 miles) north of Bucharest, January 6, 2012.

Armenia: Catholicos-Patriarch Karekin II leads Theophany Service at Holy Etchmiadzin

Kyrgyzstan: A boy holds a candle during an Orthodox Christmas service in a church in Bishkek on January 6, 2012.

Kosovo: A cat scratches his neck on a windowsill at the Visoki Decani Monastery prior to the visit of Serbian President in Decani on January 6, 2012

USA: Theophany celebration of blessing water.

UK: Nativity Liturgy of the British Orthodox Church

Bulgaria: Men jump into a lake in an attempt to grab a wooden cross on Epiphany Day in Sofia January 6, 2012. According to local custom, the first man to grab the cross, thrown into the water by an Eastern Orthodox priest in the annual event, will be healthy throughout the New Year.

Italy: Men dressed as "La Befana", an imaginary old woman who is thought to bring gifts to children during the festival of Epiphany, row boats down the Grand Canal in Venice, January 6, 2012. The orthodox Christian holiday of Epiphany is observed as the date when the Three Wise Men visited baby Jesus.

Greece: An Orthodox priest (C) prays during a water blessing ceremony on Epiphany Day in the port of Porto Rafti, some 40km (25 miles) northeast of Athens January 6, 2012.

Albania: An Orthodox believer lights a candle at a church during Orthodox Epiphany day celebrations in Durres, some 40 km (25 miles) from capital Tirana.

Alexandria: Pope and Patriarch Theodoros II honored on the Nativity day

Syria: Patriarch Ignatius Zakka Iwas seen during Nativity Liturgy

Lebanon: Catholicos Aram I leads Theophany Liturgy

Moldova; Nativity Liturgy in Orthodox Metropolis

India: A new born baby is baptized into Orthodox on Christmas day of 25th.

Poland: Homeless people are served food by the polish Church as part of the Nativity season.

Cyprus: Celebrations of the Feast of Epiphany

Finlad: An icon depicting Holy Theophany at the Finnish Museum

Belarus: Metropolitan Philaret of Minsk leading Nativity Liturgy

Orthodox worshippers, originally from Eritrea, dance outside the Church of the Nativity, traditionally believed by Christians to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, during Orthodox Christmas celebrations in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, early Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012.

An Orthodox priest blesses a horse on Epiphany Day before the annual race organized by believers in the Romanian village of Pietrosani, 45 km (28 miles) north of Bucharest January 6, 2012. Epiphany Day falls on January 6 every year and it celebrates the end of the Christmas season festivities in Romania.

Bulgarian men perform the traditional Bulgarian 'Horo' dance in the icy winter waters of the Tundzha river in the town of Kalofer, as part of the Epiphany Day celebrations on January 6, 2012. As a tradition, an Eastern Orthodox priest throws a cross in the river and it is believed that the one who retreives it will be healthy trough the year as well as all those who dance in the icy waters.

Australia and new Zealand: Candles lit in an Orthodox Christian Church.

Portugal: Portuguese Orthodox Nativity Liturgy at Cathedral of St. Martinho De Dume, Lisbon on 6th January 2012

Canada: Christmas lights on Ottawa's Parliament Hill have in recent times remained lit until early January to take into account Christmas Day according to the Julian calendar.

Malta: The Orthodox Theophany celebrations

Children take part in Nativity celebrations of Czech and Slovak Orthodox Church

A boy eats a caramel-covered apple during a traditional gathering by a bonfire, the night before Orthodox Nativity.