Philippines Christmas

Photos of the Week

Filipino Catholics attend the first dawn Mass in front of a water fountain at the Cultural Center of the Philippines building in Manila, Philippines on Sunday Dec. 16, 2012. Many Filipinos traditionally attend nine consecutive dawn masses before Christmas in this largely Roman Catholic nation. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

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Egypt Nightlife Boats parked waiting for customers on the Nile river, in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012. Boat rides for many Egyptians are part of the nightlife culture. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
France Christmas A Christmas tree is seen in the main hall of the Galeries Lafayette department store in Paris, Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2012. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Saturn Backlit In this image provided by NASA Tuesday Dec. 18, 2012 NASA's Cassini spacecraft has delivered a glorious view of Saturn, taken while the spacecraft was in Saturn's shadow. The cameras were turned toward Saturn and the sun so that the planet and rings are backlit. In addition to the visual splendor, this special, very-high-phase viewing geometry lets scientists study ring and atmosphere phenomena not easily seen at a lower phase. (AP Photo/NASA)
Fiscal Cliff Red lights illuminate Pennsylvania Avenue as the U.S. Capitol glows in the twilight, in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012, as talks continue on the looming fiscal cliff. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Kenya Elephants A herd of adult and baby elephants walks in the dawn light as the highest mountain in Africa Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, is seen in the background, in Amboseli National Park, southern Kenya, Monday, Dec. 17, 2012, . (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
Connecticut Scho... Kate Suba, left, Jaden Albrecht, center, and Simran Chand pay their respects at one of the makeshift memorials in honor of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012, in Newtown, Conn. A gunman opened fire at the school on Friday, killing 26 people, including 20 children before killing himself on Friday. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
Brazil Color Run... People dance after The Color Run 5K, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012. Runners start the race wearing white, but each kilometer of the race, volunteers throw different color powders on them. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)
Spain Financial ... A traffic light is seen as protestors march during a demonstration against regional government-imposed austerity plans to restructure and part-privatize health care sector in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012. Madrid proposes selling off the management of six of 20 public hospitals and 27 of 268 health centers. Spain's regions are struggling with a combined debt of 145 billion euro ($190 billion) as the country's economy contracts into a double-dip recession triggered by a 2008 real estate crash. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
Wreaths Across A... Police officer Terry Fitzgerald of Portland, Maine, carries wreaths as he helps lay holiday wreaths at graves at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., Saturday Dec. 15, 2012, during Wreaths Across America Day. Wreaths Across America was started in 1992 at Arlington National Cemetery by Maine businessman Morrill Worcester and has expanded to hundreds of veterans' cemeteries and other locations in all 50 states and beyond. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Oldest Galaxy In this image provided by NASA and taken by the Hubble Space Telescope shows previously unseen early galaxies including the oldest one at 13.3 billion years old. Launched in 1990, Hubble has peered deep in time to reveal distant and old galaxies. (AP Photo/NASA)
India Kumbh Fest... Indian Sadhus, or Hindu holy men, pour milk as an offering in the river Ganges, during a prayer ceremony for the success of Mahakhumbh festival in Allahabad, India, Monday, Dec. 17, 2012. Millions of Hindu pilgrims are expected to take part in the large religious congregation on the banks of Sangam, the confluence of rivers Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati, during the festival in January and February 2013, which falls every twelfth year. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
Philippines Chri... Filipino Catholics attend the first dawn Mass in front of a water fountain at the Cultural Center of the Philippines building in Manila, Philippines on Sunday Dec. 16, 2012. Many Filipinos traditionally attend nine consecutive dawn masses before Christmas in this largely Roman Catholic nation. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Santacon Festiva... Revellers dressed up in Santa outfits gather at Trafalgar Square in London during a Santacon festival parade through the streets of London, Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012. (AP Photo/Sang Tan)
Syrian Refugee C... Syrians warm themselves at a refugee camp in Azaz, Syria, Monday, Dec. 17, 2012. Thousands of Syrian refugees who fled their homes due to fighting between Free Syrian Army fighters and government forces, face cold weather as temperatures dropped to 2 degrees Celsius (36 degrees Fahrenheit) in Azaz. (AP Photo/Manu Brabo)
Ecuador Volcano Church steeples are silhouetted against the active Tungurahua volcano, seen from Huambalo, Ecuador, Monday, Dec. 17, 2012. The country's National Geophysics Institute says that a constant plume of gas and ash is rising about half a mile (1 kilometer) above the crater, with ash falling on nearby communities. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)
Syria Training R... In this Monday, Dec. 17, 2012 photo, Syrian rebels attend a training session in Maaret Ikhwan, near Idlib, Syria. The training is part of an attempt to transform the rag-tag rebel groups into a disciplined fighting force. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
Brazil Lighting ... People leave after attending a lighting Christmas tree ceremony in Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, Dec. 17, 2012. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
India Kumbh Fest... Hindu devotees bathe and perform morning rituals at Sangam, the confluence of Rivers Ganges and Yamuna, in Allahabad, India, Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2012. Millions of Hindu pilgrims are expected to arrive here in January for the Maha Kumbh festival, a religious congregation which takes place once in twelve years. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
New Years Times ... The Waterford crystal ball that will drop in New York's Times Square to usher in 2013 is previewed on Monday, Dec. 17, 2012. The ball will have 288 new crystal panels with doves chiseled into them to mark the theme "Let There Be Peace." (AP Photo/Verena Dobnik)
Cambodia Daily L... A local young worker rows his wooden boat at a fish farm at the outskirt of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2012. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
India Snow A young boy uses a stick to walk through a snow covered mountain at Nathatop, about 119 kilometers (74 miles) from Jammu, India, Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2012. Many parts of northern India received snowfall in recent days, closing roads and hindering transport in some parts of the region including the main highway in Jammu and Kashmir. (AP Photo/Channi Anand)
Fiji Cyclone A local boy clears debris after Cyclone Evan blew through the area in the village of Sanasana, east of Natadola Bay on the Coral Coast in Fiji, Tuesday, Dec. 18 2012. In the background is the destroyed 'bure' of the village chief, Chief Sailaisa. Cyclone Evan caused havoc throughout Fiji when it passed through the island on Monday night. Winds of over 200 kmh and torrential rain caused widespread damage to villages and holiday resorts. No fatalities have been reported, while power and communications remain down in parts of the country. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)
France Christmas... Christmas lights are displayed on the "Place Massena" in Nice, southern France, Monday, Dec. 17, 2012.(AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau)
Kazakhstan Russi... The Soyuz-FG rocket booster with Soyuz TMA-07M space ship transporting U.S. astronaut Thomas Marshburn, Russian cosmonaut Roman Romanenko and Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield to the International Space Station blasts off from the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)
India Kashmir Po... New recruits of the Jammu and Kashmir police participate in a parade in Sheeri, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) north of Srinagar, India, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012. About 900 police officers have completed a nine-month training session in handling non-lethal weapons for controlling street protests in Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
Connecticut Scho... A Newtown resident who identified himself only as Andrew, holds roses as he visits a memorial for the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims, Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2012, in Newtown, Conn. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Lithuania Weathe... A pedestrian walks a dog along the banks of the Neris river as the temperature drops to -14 degrees Celsius (7 Fahrenheit) in Vilnius, Lithuania, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2013. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)
India Kumbh Fest... An Indian laborer fixes high tension electric power lines as part of preparations for the Mahakumbh festival in Allahabad, India, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012. Millions of Hindu pilgrims are expected to take part in the large religious congregation on the banks of Sangam during the Mahakumbh festival in January 2013, which falls every 12th year. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
Israel Fashion W... A model wears a creation of Israeli designer Hagit Witman by her brand “Fishndag” during a show at the Tel Aviv fashion week in Israel, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
Mississippi Weat... Traffic moves across the Mississippi River bridge in Vicksburg, Miss., Tuesday evening, Dec. 18, 2012. Unlike some northern areas along the river, the water levels have risen and with recent rains are expected to continue to climb. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Philippines Wome... Filipino women gesture while dancing during the launch of the "One Billion Rising Philippines" campaign in Manila, Philippines on Wednesday Dec. 19, 2012. The event is a global campaign to stop violence against women. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Alabama Christma... The state Christmas tree graces the front entrance to the Alabama Capitol in Montgomery, Ala., Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2012. The current capitol building once served as the Confederate Capitol while Montgomery served as the first political capital of the Confederate States of America in 1861, before being moved to Richmond, Virginia. Meeting in the Senate Chamber, the Provisional Constitution of the Confederate States was drawn up by the Montgomery Convention on February 4, 1861. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
India Kumbh Fest... Hindu holy men who have arrived ahead of the month-long Mahakumbh festival perform morning rituals "Sangam," the confluence of rivers Ganges and Yamuna in Allahabad, India, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012. Millions of Hindu pilgrims are expected to arrive here in January for the religious congregation which takes place once in twelve years. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
Winter Storm A local resident clears snow from his driveway after an overnight snowfall left many schools and businesses closed for the day, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012, in Urbandale, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Germany Traditio... Mila Fuerst colors candles in a 150 years old family candle making factory in Munich, southern Germany, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012. Every year before Christmas time candles are bestsellers in Germany for Advent wreaths and Christmas trees to festively illuminate homes. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Philippines Arme... A company of Scout Rangers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines take part in a rehearsal Thursday Dec. 20, 2012 for the celebration of the founding of the country's armed forces at its headquarters at suburban Quezon city northeast of Manila, Philippines. The 120,000-strong Armed Forces of the Philippines celebrates its 77th anniversary Friday showcasing its military hardware and with a theme: Unity and Preparedness: Straight Path To Peace. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)
Miss Universe 20... Miss USA, Olivia Culpo, waves to the crowd after being crowned as Miss Universe during the Miss Universe competition, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
France World Cup... Skiers perform during the men's ski cross World Cup event of Val Thorens, French Alps, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)
Bolivia Christma... People walk past a Christmas tree in front of San Francisco Church in La Paz, Bolivia, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)
Ghana Argentine ... Argentina's three-masted navy training tall ship ARA Libertad, which was seized on Oct. 2 as collateral for unpaid bonds dating from Argentina's economic crisis a decade ago, sets sail from the port in Tema, outside Accra, in Ghana, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012. Argentina appealed to the U.N.'s International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea for the ship's release, arguing that as a warship the Libertad is immune from being seized, and in an expedited ruling on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012 the court ordered its unconditional release. (AP Photo/Gabriela Barnuevo)
Brazil Slum Sant... A police officer dressed in a Santa Claus costume, with the blue color representing the police, walks in Macacos slum after arriving in a police helicopter in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012. The Pacifying Police Unit, or UPP, organized for Santa to visit the pacified slum to hand out Christmas gifts to young residents. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
Annual Winter So... People embrace by the ancient stone circle of Stonehenge, in southern England, as access to the site is given to druids, New Age followers and members of the public on the annual Winter Solstice, Friday, Dec. 21, 2012. Doomsday hour is here and so still are we. According to legend, the ancient Mayans' long-count calendar ends at midnight Thursday, ushering in the end of the world. Didn't happen. "This is not the end of the world. This is the beginning of the new world," Star Johnsen-Moser, an American seer, said at a gathering of hundreds of spiritualists at a convention center in the Yucatan city of Merida, an hour and a half from the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
Guatemala Mayan ... People gather around a sacred fire at the Mayan archeological site of Iximche during a ceremony marking the end of the 13th Oxlajuj B'aktun in Tecpan, Guatemala, early Friday, Dec. 21, 2012. The end of the 13th Oxlajuj B'aktun marks a new period in the Mayan calendar, an event only comparable in recent times with the new millennium in 2000. While the Mayan calendar cycle has prompted a wave of doomsday speculation across the globe, few in the Mayan heartland believe the world will end on Friday. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
Romania Revoluti... Honor guard soldiers stand during the commemoration of the 1989 anti-communist uprising at the Heroes Cemetery in Bucharest, Romania, Friday Dec. 21, 2012. The uprising, which left more than 1.000 dead, ended the rule of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, 23 years ago. Revolution fighters and relatives of the dead ones scuffled briefly with riot police when they tried to prevent the laying of wreaths on behalf of the country's president and government .(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
India Kumbh Fest... Seagulls fly as Indian people ride a boat at Sangam, the confluence of Rivers Ganges Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati, in Allahabad, India, Friday, Dec. 21, 2012. Millions of Hindu pilgrims are expected to take part in the large religious congregation on the banks of Sangam during the Mahakumbh festival in January 2013, which falls every 12th year. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
Newly Renovated ... Computer graphics images are projected on the wall of Tokyo Station in Tokyo, Friday, Dec. 21, 2012. The light up event is to promote the newly renovated station as new tourist spot. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)
'Marilyn in New ... A commuter inspects the Sam Shaw's photographs during the "Marilyn in New York" exhibit at the 42nd St. subway station for the B,D,F,M and 7 lines, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012 in New York. The exhibit is part of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's “Arts for Transit” program. The show opened Thursday and will be up for a year. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
End of Mayan Cal... The sun rises behind the Kukulkan temple in Chichen Itza, Mexico, Friday, Dec. 21, 2012. Ceremonial fires burned and conches sounded off as dawn broke over the steps of the main pyramid at the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza Friday, making what many believe is the conclusion of a vast, 5,125-year cycle in the Mayan calendar. Some have interpreted the prophetic moment as the end of the world. The hundreds gathered in the ancient Mayan city, however, said they believed it marked the birth of a new and better age. (AP Photo/Israel Leal)
Nigeria Pipeline... Fire fighters try to contain flames a from a burning oil pipeline in Ijeododo in the outskirts of Lagos, Nigeria Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012. The oil pipeline belonging to Nigeria National Petroleum Cooperation exploded near Nigeria's largest city as thieves tried to siphon oil from it Monday. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)
Europe Christmas... Shoppers stroll through downtown Duisburg, Germany, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012. Analysts and shopkeepers say sales have been slow so far this season. But many are hoping for a late push the final weekend before Christmas. “Every year it comes later,” said Joachim Stoll, who co-owns Leder-Stoll OHG, a leather and luggage retailer just off the glittering Zeil pedestrian shopping quarter in Frankfurt, Germany. “People wait longer and longer, even after Christmas.” As in the U.S., Christmas sales are vital to shopkeepers: British non-food retailers can make up to 50 percent of their profits in the end-of-year push. In Germany, Christmas business can mean 30 percent of annual sales for holiday-heavy sectors like toys. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)