HOLIDAY ROUNDUP

HOLIDAY ROUNDUP

Inside on Christmas

k On large bases and in small outposts across Iraq, American troops marked Christmas with special meals and chapel services. A6

k American soldiers were not the only ones celebrating Christmas in Iraq, Iraqi Christians quietly marked the day with a present from the government, which declared Christmas an official holiday for the first time. A6

k Christmas is celebrated around the world with a variety of customs, as shown in photographs from England, Afghanistan, India and Belarus. A7

k With the world beset by armed conflicts and staggering economies, Pope Benedict XVI called for “authentic solidarity” to prevent global ruin. A9