US EditionThousands Flock to Bethlehem to Revive Christmas Spirit After 2 Years of War in Gaza
Bethlehem's Christmas celebrations return after a two-year hiatus due to the Gaza war, with unemployment having soared to 65%, officials said.
- On Dec. 24, 2025, thousands of local residents and Christian pilgrims flocked to Bethlehem's Manger Square for tree-lighting and processions near the Church of the Nativity.
- The two-year pause in festivities followed the outbreak of war and restrictions linked to the Gaza conflict, as public Christmas traditions halted after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack; a fragile ceasefire that began in October allowed Bethlehem Mayor Maher Nicola Canawati to cautiously resume festive customs.
- Religious pageantry returned, with the giant Christmas tree, scout bands and bagpipe bands, and a nativity scene with rubble and barbed wire, while Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa said, `After two years of darkness, we need light`.
- Restoring pilgrims and visitors is framed by locals as essential to revive jobs and businesses, with Bethlehem Mayor Maher Nicola Canawati warning that tourism halted for two years and unemployment hit 70%, forcing about 4,000 people to leave Bethlehem.
- In recent months, Christian pilgrims have slowly returned, and officials tie the revival to a U.S.-backed ceasefire, with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas expected at midnight Mass.
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Radio-Canada
lequotidien.luAs in other countries in the Middle East, Christians represent a minority in the Holy Land.
After two years of very limited celebrations due to war, thousands of people welcome the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem in Bethlehem.
Thousands Flock to Bethlehem to Revive Christmas Spirit after 2 Years ...
During the last two seasons, the sacred city renounced its decorations, parades and traditional music in mourning for the thousands of human losses in the Gaza Strip.
Christmas has been celebrated again in Bethlehem, the cradle of Jesus, thanks to the truce in Gaza. At the beat of drums and under a shining sky, young Palestinians have paraded on Wednesday through the streets of Bethlehem to start the first festive Christmas after two years overshadowed by the war in the Gaza Strip. Throughout the fighting, which began with Hamas’ savage terrorist attack on Israel in October 2023, a gloomy tone has marked Chri…
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