Photos: See the world light up for the holidays

From Beirut to Ottawa, holiday lights are being strung. On Christmas trees, sure, but also across city buildings, bursting in the sky, and on massive ice sculptures in subzero climates. Below, this series of photos reveals the allure of winter lights at the darkest time of the year.

Ottawa, Canada

Milan, Italy

Monte Carlo, Monaco

Dallas, USA

Beirut, Lebanon

Gavle, Sweden 

Bogota, Colombia

Brussels, Belgium

Bethlehem, West Bank

Einsiedeln, Switzerland

Munich, Germany

Bad Tatzmannsdorf, Austria

Harbin, China