Egypt's Coptic Christians around the world are getting ready to celebrate their traditional Christmas.

It comes less than a week after 23 people were killed in an attack on a church in the Egyptian city of Alexandria.

Egyptian activists have called on Muslims to form human shields in front of the churches as a gesture of solidarity, and security has been beefed up after threats against the churches were posted on the internet.

Al Jazeera's Ayman Mohyeldin has more from Cairo.