The final Tuesday of 2025 offered a vivid tableau of global human experience, captured through the lenses of photojournalists and curated by The Guardian's picture editors. From festive celebrations and sporting spectacles to political demonstrations and stark environmental realities, the day's images spanned continents and emotions.
Celebrations and Cultural Rituals
In Edinburgh, Scotland, the ancient spirit of Shetland's fire festival came to the capital. Members of the South Mainland Up Helly Aa Jarl squad raised their torches aloft at the Meadows, leading the city's iconic Hogmanay torchlight procession. The scene, photographed by Murdo MacLeod, connected Scotland's Norse heritage with its modern New Year traditions.
Elsewhere, communities marked the turn of the year in diverse ways. In Kathmandu, Nepal, members of the Indigenous Gurung community performed in traditional attire during the Tamu Lhosar new year festival. Meanwhile, on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, worshippers gathered to pay tribute to Iemanjá, the sea goddess of the Afro-Brazilian Umbanda religion.
A particularly unusual year-end ritual unfolded in Chorrillos, Peru. A group of shamans and healers from across Peru's regions performed ceremonies by the sea, holding images of world leaders including North Korea's Kim Jong-un, Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro, and China's Xi Jinping as part of their predictions for the coming year.
Sport, Spectacle, and Infrastructure
The sporting world provided one of the day's most electrifying images. In Sydney, Australia, during a Big Bash League Twenty20 cricket match, a guitarist for the Sydney Thunder team took to the field with a firework shooting from his instrument, creating a dramatic spectacle captured by Mark Kolbe.
In Mohe, China, tourists participated in a traditional winter fishing event, showcasing unique local customs and folk arts. A milestone of modern infrastructure was also reached, as the Hefei-Sixian section of the Hefei-Xinyi high-speed railway officially opened in China's Anhui province, with Xinhua photographers documenting the new passenger waiting hall at Hefei West station.
Political Statements and Human Realities
Political tensions surfaced in several frames. In Mogadishu, Somalia, crowds waved Somali flags at a rally denouncing Israel's recent recognition of the breakaway Somaliland region. A display of military readiness came from an undisclosed location in China, where People's Liberation Army ground forces conducted long-range live-fire drills targeting waters north of Taiwan.
The images also documented stark contrasts in human conditions. In Al-Mawasi, Gaza, a displaced Palestinian woman navigated a flooded street amid cold winter conditions, highlighting the ongoing humanitarian challenges. Conversely, in Cape Town, South Africa, a moment of leisure was found as a person dived from a springboard at the Sea Point swimming pool.
From the snow-covered Baltic Sea beach in Haffkrug, Germany to pilgrims on camels at the foggy Sangam confluence in Prayagraj, India, the collection served as a powerful reminder of our shared, yet vastly different, planetary experience on Tuesday, 30 December 2025.
