Bethlehem marked another sad Christmas Eve on Tuesday in the birthplace of Jesus under the shadow of war in Gaza.
The joy that usually descends on the West Bank during Christmas week was nowhere to be found. The festive lights and giant tree that usually decorates Manger Square were absent, along with the crowds of foreign tourists.
Palestinian spies march silently through the streets, away from their usual brass marching band. Soldiers set up barricades near the Church of the Nativity, built on the site where Jesus is believed to have been born. A little boy stood with a bunch of balloons for sale, but gave up because there were no customers to buy them.
The cancellation of Christmas celebrations is a huge blow to the city’s economy. Tourism accounts for 70% of Bethlehem’s income – almost all of it from Christmas time. The number of tourists visiting Bethlehem has dropped from a pre-COVID high of around 2 million in 2019 to less than 100,000 in 2024, said Jiries Qumsiyeh, spokesman for the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism.
The escalation of violence in the West Bank, where more than 800 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire and scores of Israelis killed in mortar attacks, has brought tourism to a standstill. Palestinian officials have not released details on how many civilians were killed and how many were combatants.
Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the leading Roman Catholic priest in the Holy Land, was welcomed by the local community as he crossed the Israeli military checkpoint from Jerusalem for pre-Christmas celebrations at the Church of the Nativity, traditionally accepted by Christians as the birthplace of Jesus Christ, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. (AP Photo)
Since the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas that sparked the war, access to and from Bethlehem and other West Bank cities has been limited, with long lines of motorists waiting to pass through Israeli military checkpoints. These restrictions have prevented approximately 150,000 Palestinians from leaving the area to work in Israel, causing the Israeli economy to shrink by 25%.
In the October 7 attack in southern Israel, Hamas-led forces killed around 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took more than 250 Israeli hostages. Israeli officials believe that around 100 hostages are still being held in the Gaza Strip.
Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the top Roman Catholic priest in the Holy Land, noted closed shops and empty streets and expressed hope that next year will be better.
“This should be the last such a sad Christmas,” he told hundreds of people gathered in Manger Square, where tens of thousands would normally gather.
Pizzaballa held a special Christmas Eve Mass at the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza City. Several Palestinian Christians told The Associated Press that they have been turned away from church since the war began in October last year because of insufficient food and water.
“We hope that next year on that day we will be able to celebrate Christmas in our homes and go to Bethlehem,” said Najla Tarazi, a displaced woman who prayed for an end to the war. “We don’t feel happy.”
Bethlehem is an important center in the history of Christianity, but Christians make up only a small part of the approximately 14 million inhabitants spread throughout the Holy Land. There are about 182,000 in Israel, 50,000 in the West Bank and Jerusalem and 1,300 in Gaza, according to the US State Department.
In some places, worshipers find connection despite difficult times.
Scouts line up during a traditional Christian procession to the Church of the Nativity, traditionally believed to be the birthplace of Jesus, on Christmas Eve in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. (AP Photo)
Visitors flock to the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral
Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris celebrated its first Christmas Eve Mass since a devastating fire destroyed the medieval landmark in 2019.
About 2,000 people attended the afternoon Mass – one of four held on Tuesday – including worshipers and other visitors who marveled at the restoration of the recently reopened church. Some American visitors to Paris made the trip to make sure they could attend Christmas Eve services at Notre Dame.
“They did an amazing job,” said visitor Aly Beinert. “It looks good. It destroyed us.”
The Archbishop of Paris reopened the great wooden doors of Notre Dame on Dec. 7 with three loud knocks, guests including President-elect Donald Trump, US first lady Jill Biden, Britain’s Prince William and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Syrians come together for a rare moment of joy
In Saydnaya, Syria, a large crowd gathered near a historic monastery on Christmas Eve to witness the lighting of a towering tree decorated with green lights.
The celebration provided a rare moment of joy in a city wracked by more than a decade of war and a notorious prison, where tens of thousands were imprisoned. Families and friends stand by the lighted tree – some wearing Santa hats, others watching from rooftops – while a band plays happy music and fireworks light up the sky.
“This year is different – there is joy, victory and the new birth of Syria and the new birth of Christ,” said Houssam Saadeh, one of the attendees. Another, Joseph Khabbaz, expressed hope for unity among all Syrian sects and religions, dismissing the recent destruction of the Christmas tree as “isolated incidents.”
American families honor victims of school shootings
At City Church in Madison, Wisconsin, lead pastor Tom Flaherty urged the congregation at a candlelit Christmas Eve service to open their hearts to God’s grace.
“Happiness is found in what happens. “Happiness comes from a very deep place, and it doesn’t matter what’s going on around you,” Flaherty said. So number one, happiness comes from God’s love, and forgiveness.
Eight days earlier, there was a deadly shooting at a school on a churchyard.
Over the weekend, the church held a funeral for Rubi Patricia Vergara, a 14-year-old who died when another student opened fire. A teacher was also killed and others were injured before the gunman shot himself and died in hospital, police said.
Nigerian worshipers pray at the Church of the Nativity, traditionally believed to be the place where Jesus was born, on Christmas Eve, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. (AP Photo)
Travel issues and family reunification in some US cities
American Airlines temporarily suspended flights across the US on Tuesday due to a technical problem as It’s Christmas Tour season has gone into overdrive. The winter weather threatened many potential problems for those planning to fly or drive.
In Virginia, hundreds of sailors and their loved ones received an early Christmas present when the USS Cole docked at its home port in Norfolk after seven months at sea. Families piled up in coats and blankets, wept tears of gratitude and carried signs with the names and pictures of the sailors.
Volunteers in Colorado Springs, Colorado, answered calls Tuesday from children wanting to know Santa’s whereabouts. At least 100,000 children call the North American Aerospace Defense Command each year to track Santa’s whereabouts. NORAD’s beloved tradition of tracking Santa dates back to the Cold War, when a Colorado newspaper accidentally printed Santa’s phone number connecting children to the joint US-Canadian defense command.
Spanish services bring holiday cheer to seafarers
In the port of Barcelona, ​​Spain, volunteers from the religious service Stella Maris visited seven ships docked there on Christmas Eve to bring scenes of the Nativity and the local specialty of turrón (nougat candy) to seafarers.
Volunteers have met sailors from India, the Philippines, Turkey and elsewhere, said Ricard RodrÃguez-Martos, a Catholic deacon and former merchant marine captain who heads the Stella Maris in this major Mediterranean port.
Heavy snow hits the Balkans
A snowstorm in the Balkans shut down drivers from power lines on Tuesday, but others saw its beauty.
“I’m actually glad it’s falling,” said driver Mirsad Jasarevic in Zenica, Bosnia. “We haven’t had snow at Christmas for 17 years here, and now it’s time for a nice white Christmas.”
Why should you buy our Subscription?
You want to be the smartest in the room.
You want access to award-winning journalism.
You don’t want to be misled and misinformed.
Choose your subscription package