The Ebola epidemic that continues to ravage Sierra Leone resulted in muted Christmas celebrations in the West African nation this year. br br The Sierra Leone government has imposed a three-day lockdown on the Northern Province in a bid to slow the spread of Ebola. Only small groups of Christians were allowed to attend Christmas church services while family gatherings, beach parties, concerts and dances were forbidden.br br Traffic restrictions were in place with only vehicles on Ebola-related assignments permitted on roads.br br Ebola has devastated three West African countries since March. According to the World Health Organisation, more than 1,000 confirmed Ebola cases were reported in Sierra Leone over the past three weeks. Two neighboring countries recorded much lower figures.br br Officials said the lockdown could be extended if necessary.br br ----------------------------------------­---------------------br br Welcome to TomoNews, where we animate the most entertaining news on the internets. Come here for an animated look at viral headlines, US news, celebrity gossip, salacious scandals, dumb criminals and much more! Subscribe now for daily news animations that will knock your socks off.