Pope Francis held his first Christmas Eve mass in the Vatican on Tuesday by highlighting the role played by humble shepherds in the Nativity, as thousands flocked to the historic site of Jesus's birth in Bethlehem.
Santa Claus was officially cleared for entry into the United States on Monday as federal agriculture officials waived stringent livestock checks on his nine reindeer.
When Santa arrived at a school hosting children who fled Japan's nuclear disaster, he brought the usual presents, but he also bore something a little less ordinary -- a gourmet Christmas dinner.
Canada vowed Tuesday to defend the North Pole and Santa Claus, insisting the mythical figure is a citizen, after Russia ordered its military to step up its Arctic presence.