Christmas Celebrations Return to Bethlehem

For the first time since 2022, the ancient city of Bethlehem has switched its Christmas lights back on!

This past weekend, thousands of visitors from across the West Bank and Israel filled Manger Square as the giant tree in front of the Church of the Nativity burst into color. After two years of war-induced silence, Bethlehem is daring to celebrate Christmas in public once more.

“This is where it all started, so this is where we can send the message to the world of what really Christmas should be about,” said Bethlehem Mayor Maher Canawati.

“And this year, if Christmas is peaceful, then I hope it will bring a nice message for the whole world.”

A City That Refuses to Let Hope Die

Bethlehem, which is majority Muslim but historically home to one of the world’s oldest Christian communities, typically draws an interfaith crowd for the lighting.

Local Christian and Muslim families attend along with visitors from across the West Bank and Israel. Families stood together with pilgrims watching scouts in kilts march and choirs sing carols in Arabic, English, and French.

An Economic Lifeline Slowly Breathing Again

Eighty percent of Bethlehem’s families depend on Christian pilgrimage and tourism, so when war erupted after the October 7th terrorist attacks by Hamas, that lifeline was severed overnight. This meant that for two years Christmas was cancelled and tourism was quashed.

“After two years of zero tourism, we finally feel things starting to come back,” Mayor Canawati said. “We took the decision to reignite the spirit of Christmas and to reignite hope. Palestinians love life. We are desperate for a peaceful solution.”

As the lights twinkled above Manger Square and children waved sparklers, Bethlehem sent its ancient yet ever-relevant message into the night: even in the shadow of conflict, the town where the Prince of Peace was born still chooses light over darkness.

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