Bethlehem’s Manger Square was filled with Santa-hatted visitors and Scouts beating the drums to mark Christmas Eve. But, this year numbers were down as fears of coronavirus overshadowed celebrations.
It is the city that Christians believe Jesus was Born. This holiday has thousands of people filling the streets and hotels.
Israel is the only country that controls access to Bethlehem from the occupied West Bank. In an attempt to control the Omicron coronavirus strain, Israel closed all borders.
Kristel Elayyan (a Dutchwoman who was married to a Palestinian and came from Jerusalem to Bethlehem) said, “It’s very odd.”
Last night Christmas Eve, Bethlehem’s Manger Square, which marks the site of Jesus Christ’s birth, was remarkable quiet
This marked a drastic change from the celebrations held in this world-famous city before the outbreak of coronavirus.
As Bethlehem, a biblical city, prepares for the second consecutive Christmas Eve infected by the coronavirus to strike its halls, the Church of the Nativity was equally silent.
Christmas Day was greeted by small numbers and unfavorable weather.
Christians visited the Church of the Nativity yesterday. The famous Church of the Nativity would normally be jammed full.
Israel controls all access to Bethlehem within the occupied West Bank. To combat the Omicron coronavirus strain, Israel closed its borders to the outside world.
‘Before [the pandemic]You had people from all over the world coming to Christmas. Now you realize that not everyone who’s here is a tourist.
Bethlehem had to cut down celebrations because of pandemic. They held a virtual tree lighting ceremony and only a handful visiting scouts.
The celebrations this year were much more lively than usual, but only a fraction as large.
Elayyan expressed concern about the pandemic, saying that if it lasts for one year it is an enjoyable experience. “But this year, we don’t know what the future holds so it’s huge for those who live here.
The celebrations this year were brighter, but only a fraction as big, though Manger Square was lit with a variety of colors
On Christmas Eve, people walk through Manger Square outside the Church of the Nativity to soak in the holiday spirit
Rula Maayah (Palestinian tourism minister) was positive and said Bethlehem is now celebrating because of the vaccinations.
The Latin Patriarch in Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa stated that it was encouraging to see celebrations ‘certainly more joyous this year’ in his homily at midnight mass in St Catherine’s Church, Bethlehem.
He said that the Christmas participation was much higher than last year and it is encouraging.
As they moved through town, the rain didn’t make it easy for them to forget about the terrible pandemic.
Bethlehem received an average of three million people a year prior to the pandemic. Christmas was the busiest time for visitors, drawing around 10,000 people from all over the world.
It said that it had worked hard this year in order to attract local Palestinians from the Holy Land.
“We ask them to pray for them, and also for their prayers so that this all may be over soon and Bethlehem can once more have pilgrims.”
Three million people visited Bethlehem annually before the pandemic. The city saw 10,000 visitors to its hotels each Christmas, and the other half came from overseas.
It stated that it had worked hard this year in order to attract local Palestinians from the Holy Land.
Some hotels had a lot of people staying, however, about 25% of city-wide rooms were closed due to the pandemic. Elias Arja of the Palestinian Hotel Association said that there were still some hotel guests.
Many businesses closed their doors on Friday, even though Christmas Eve is the most important holiday for Bethlehemians.
The Church of the Nativity allowed visitors to sit alone and meditate in the Grotto, where Jesus was said to have been born.
Hudson Harder (21-year-old American student from Hebrew University in Jerusalem) observed that it was “surreal.”
“Of course there’s a selfish side where you think, “Oh, this is so nice!” but then on the flip side, it makes you feel bad for all of the stores and the loss of money.
Just steps from the basilica, the shopfront featured images of Francis and John Paul II.
Victor Epiphane Tabash owner said this was his 57th Christmas behind a counter. He said that Christmas is a boring holiday for him as well as many others in Manger Square.
In one of the most similar scenes to the pre-pandemic era, Palestinian scout groups paraded through Manger Square at the Church of the Nativity yesterday.
Hudson Harder, 21, a student at Hebrew University, Jerusalem, described it as’surreal.’ “Of course there’s a selfish side where you think, “Oh, this place is so empty”, but then on the flip side, it makes you feel sorry for all of the shops and the loss of money.”
Last night, marching bands representing Palestinian scout organizations paraded through Bethlehem wearing ochre costumes and beating navy blue drums.
The Palestinian flag was embroidered on each scout’s uniform, just above the pocket and below the yellow and blue tassles.
Victor Epiphane Tabash, a shop owner said that it was his 57th Christmas behind-the counter. He said that Christmas is a boring time for him as well as many others in Manger Square.
“Only scouts can give a little of the holiday feel,” Mr Tabash declared as the uniformed groups marched by, playing Christmas carols with drums, trumpets, bagpipes.
Pierbattista Pizzaballa is the apostolic administrator for the Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem. He arrives before Christmas Eve mass 2019.
The Church of St. Catherine is occupied by Christian clerics who lead the celebration of Christmas in Bethlehem. The town used to be packed on Christmastime before the epidemic.
Pierbattista Pizzaballa conducts the Christmas Eve service at the Church of the Nativity 2019, two weeks after the rest of the world heard about Covid-19.
A Christmas Eve procession of Christian clergy takes place at Manger Square, 2019, which leads to the Church of the Nativity. It is the historically accepted birthplace of Jesus Christ.
On Christmas Eve, a young girl dressed in Santa Claus costumes at Manger Square, which leads to the Church of Nativity. This is the traditional birthplace of Jesus Christ. It was the West Bank city of Bethlehem.
Christian Scouts Teams participate in the Christmas Eve procession that leads to the Church of the Nativity in 2019, the traditional birthplace of Jesus Christ. One of the few commonalities with Christmas festivities was this year’s marching band from the Scout teams.
He said that only the Scouts can give some of the Christmas spirit, while the uniformed groups marched by, blasting out carols with drums, trumpets, and bagpipes.
Tabash stated that exporting was the only way to maintain his business during the pandemic. No customers were able buy in person. The pandemic was compared to the intifadas, two earlier Palestinian uprisings.
“We have survived the wars, intifadas. He said that the coronavirus was worse.
Maram Saeed (a Palestinian woman living in Jerusalem) took a picture outside, with her husband and children, before a Christmas tree towering with gold and shining red spheres.
Saeed described it as a time for joy, after days of sadness.
She stated, “It’s certainly not a normal year. We have the fear for the worst. But, we still fear Covid.”
“When war is on, we can identify the enemy and who we are fighting. Covid is a tiny enemy we can’t see so it’s even worse.