Christmas trees around the world – in pictures

David Cameron, the British prime minister, turns on the Christmas tree lights at No 10 Downing Street in London. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Workers in Beirut decorate a Christmas tree with the message 'Merry Christmas and Happy New Year' in three languages: English, French and Arabic. Photograph: Hussein Malla/AP

An employee of Japanese jeweller Tanaka Kikinzoku Jewelry unveils a 150 million yen (£1.2m) Christmas tree in Tokyo. Photograph: Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP/Getty Images

A tree on the ground floor of the Galeries Lafayette department store in Paris. Photograph: Ian Langsdon/EPA

Hundreds of people gather on the traditional Christmas market of Frankfurt, Germany, that was opened with the lighting of the tree. Photograph: Michael Probst/AP

Thai workers decorate a giant Christmas tree in a shopping mall in Bangkok. Photograph: Pornchai Kittiwongsakul/AFP/Getty Images

People gather in front of the 30-metre high tree during the lighting ceremony in central Sofia, Bulgaria. Photograph: Vassil Donev/EPA

A Christmas tree built of Lego bricks is on display at St. Pancras International station in London. Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA

Visitors walk by a giant Christmas pyramid at the Christmas market in Berlin. Photograph: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

A worker installs a steel tree outside a shopping mall in Beijing. Photograph: Andy Wong/AP

The Rockefeller centre Christmas tree in New York City. Photograph: Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images

A street vendor dressed as Minnie Mouse sells balloons by Puerta del Sol Square's Christmas tree in Madrid. Photograph: Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images

An illuminated tree stands in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. Photograph: Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters

David Oakley, curator of the Christmas display for the Royal Collection, puts the finishing touches to a tree that is suspended from the ceiling at Windsor Castle. Photograph: Steve Parsons/PA

The giant tree in Strasbourg's Christmas market. Photograph: Frederick Florin/AFP/Getty Images

A trumpeter plays during the illumination of the Christmas tree and opening of the Christmas market in Prague. Photograph: Michal Cizek/AFP/Getty Images

Fireworks explode over an 85-metre-long floating Christmas tree at the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas neighbourhood in Rio de Janeiro. Photograph: Felipe Dana/AP

A girl poses for photographs in front of a Christmas tree decorated with teddy bears in Seoul, South Korea. Photograph: Jo Yong-hak/Reuters

Fireworks light up the sky to launch the Christmas tree display along a bay walk in Palawan city, Philippines. Photograph: Romeo Ranoco/Reuters

The White House tree is displayed in the Blue Room of the White House in Washington. Photograph: Ron Sachs/Corbis

A Norwegian Christmas tree lights up Trafalgar Square. Photograph: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

The National Christmas Tree is pictured with the White House in the background in Washington DC Photograph: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP