Here are 9 countries sacrificing the holidays and locking down over the festive period

Christmas lights hang over an empty street in Bautzen, Germany, on December 18, 2020.Sebastian Kahnert/picture alliance via Getty Images

• A number of countries have announced strict lockdown measures spanning Christmas and New Year's.
• Coronavirus cases are still rising in many countries, with holiday travel and celebrations providing a breeding ground for the virus.
• Here are 9 countries enforcing new measures.

A number of countries have chosen to drastically curtail Christmas and New Year's celebrations in the face of rising COVID-19 cases.

The trend is particularly apparent in mainland Europe, where curfews, lockdowns, and limits on private and public gatherings have been reintroduced.

Here are 9 countries where Christmas 2020 and New Year's 2021 will be like never before.