The Christian religious holiday may not arrive until December 25, but secular and commercial festivities have been in full swing for almost a month already. Increasingly the non-religious aspects of the holiday are celebrated even in countries without a strong Christian tradition. Gathered here are images of preparations from around the world as it begins to look a lot like Christmas. -- Lane Turn
![Christmas approaches](https://cdn-ak-scissors.b.st-hatena.com/image/square/a783a87aef648bcfaeb9fb9a27f0a5069cce0c7e/height=288;version=1;width=512/http%3A%2F%2Finapcache.boston.com%2Funiversal%2Fsite_graphics%2Fblogs%2Fbigpicture%2Farchive%2F226450.jpg)