(KRON/CNN)–Pope Francis led the Vatican’s traditional midnight Christmas mass.
Before addressing the 40,000 revelers who crowded into St. Peter’s Square, the pontiff used his Christmas remarks to draw attention to conflicts around the world, and to call for urgent assistance in Aleppo.
For the first time in two years, Christians in Bartella, Iraq, a town near Mosul,were able to hold Christmas mass.
The town had been held by ISIS until recently.
In Honduras, a nativity scene populated with current events.
Fidel Castro’s death and the Chapecoense soccer team’s plane crash were depicted along with the “American dream” featuring President-elect Donald Trump and a massive wall between the Mexican
and American border.
Across the United States, families decorate trees and set up light displays on their homes and in their yards to celebrate.
These North Carolina neighbors have a good natured feud over Christmas lights —
One spends weeks setting up his Christmas display while the other puts a “ditto” sign in his yard.
“He used to have an RV and we really wanted him to park it in the yard,” said homeowner Norman Kaplan.
A man in Pennsylvania did just that Dan Hartman recreated a scene from ‘Christmas Vacation’ complete with RV, wood-paneled station wagon and cousin Eddie!