2023-12-24 17:47:17
Published24. December 2023, 6:47 p.m
Bethlehem: On Christmas Eve, the birthplace of Jesus seems deserted
Residents are actually used to crowds and a festive backdrop on this day. Because of the Gaza war, things look completely different outside the Church of the Nativity.
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Where it is usually teeming with people on December 24th, this year there are only a few cars: the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
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The celebrations at the place where Jesus Christ is said to have seen the light of day were canceled this year.
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The cancellation means a bitter loss for the local population – 70 percent of the income comes from tourism.
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That’s what it’s regarding
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The traditional Christmas Eve celebrations in Bethlehem were canceled this year.
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Festive lights and Christmas tree in front of the Church of the Nativity are missing.
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The town typically makes regarding 70 percent of its revenue from tourism.
Normally Bethlehem would be busy on Christmas Eve, but this year local celebrations of the birth of Jesus Christ were canceled because of the war in Gaza. The city in the West Bank where, according to Christian belief, Jesus was born appeared deserted on Sunday. Festive lighting and a Christmas tree, which are usually visible in the square in front of the Church of the Nativity, were missing. In addition, there were not many foreign tourists there. Dozens of Palestinian security forces patrolled the square.
“This year there is only darkness”
“This year, without the Christmas tree and without lights, there is only darkness,” said Franciscan monk John Vinh from Vietnam, who lives in Jerusalem. He always comes to Bethlehem at Christmas, but this year the experience was very sobering. He looked at a nativity scene in which the figure of little Jesus was wrapped in a white cloth – a reminder of the thousands of children who are said to have been killed in the Gaza war. The area was surrounded by barbed wire.
“We can’t justify putting up a tree and celebrating like normal when some people (in Gaza) don’t even have houses to go to,” said Ala’a Salameh, an owner of a falafel restaurant near the square .
Normally no chair is left empty on Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve is usually the busiest day of the year in Bethlehem. “Usually you can’t find a single chair to sit down on, we’re full from morning to midnight,” said Salameh. This time only one table was occupied. Journalists who wanted to escape the rain sat there. Salameh assumes that it will take another year following the end of the war for tourism in Bethlehem to return to normal.
The cancellation of the celebrations deals a severe blow to Bethlehem’s economy. Tourism accounts for regarding 70 percent of local income. Most of these are achieved during the Christmas season. According to local information, more than 70 local hotels were forced to close, leaving thousands of people unemployed.
Message of “sadness” instead of love
Since Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, reaching Bethlehem and other Palestinian cities in the West Bank has become more difficult. Drivers find themselves in long lines because they have to pass through military checkpoints. “Our message every Christmas is one of peace and love, but this year it is a message of sadness, grief and anger,” said Bethlehem Mayor Hana Hanijeh, referring to the war in the Gaza Strip.
American Stephanie Saldaña, who has lived in Jerusalem and Bethlehem with her husband, a priest, for 15 years, said the scaled-back Christmas was consistent with its original message. “We feel Christmas is more real than ever because we are waiting for the arrival of the Prince of Peace,” said Saldaña. “We are waiting for a miracle to stop this war.”
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