Under the Shadow of War in Gaza, Jesus’s Traditional Birthplace Is Gearing Up for a Subdued Christmas
Officials in Jesus's traditional birthplace decided to forgo celebrations due to the Israel-Hamas war.
Bethlehem Pastors Arrive in DC, Urge Lawmakers To Embrace Cease-Fire, Peace Plan
'All we want for Christmas is a constant and comprehensive cease-fire and an end to this war,' said the Rev. Munther Isaac, pastor of Bethlehem’s Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church.
Bethlehem Welcomes Christmas Tourists After Pandemic Lull
Christmas is normally peak season for tourism in Bethlehem, located in the Israeli-occupied West Bank just a few miles southeast of Jerusalem. In pre-pandemic times, thousands of pilgrims and tourists from around the world came to celebrate.
Finding Bethlehem
Contributing writer Sarah Blackwell explores the many ways family traditions and rituals are an important part of faith formation for children. Traditions and rituals allow us to look back and appreciate what has come before as well as contemplate what our own legacy will be.
Christmas in Bethlehem: Gilded Treasures, but Few Tourists
Ahead of Christmas, a towering wooden screen — once blackened with soot from millions of worshipers’ candles — is being restored to its gilded glory in the Church of the Nativity, built at the site where many believe Jesus was born. But few visitors are expected
Christians in Israel Face Bleak Christmas Season Due to COVID-19
Like most Holy Land Christians, Hagop Karakashian’s ceramic shop in the Old City here has always relied heavily on the presence of Christian pilgrims, especially in December. But the narrow alleyways of his shop’s ancient neighborhood are painfully empty this year.
Lockdown Looms Over Christmas in Bethlehem
The Palestinian prime minister on Thursday (Dec. 17) announced a two-week lockdown in the West Bank that appears certain to curtail Christmas celebrations in the town of Jesus’s birth.
Christmas Tree-Lighting in Bethlehem a Muted, Virtual Event
Only a few dozen people attended the lighting of the Christmas tree in the biblical city of Bethlehem on Saturday (Dec. 5), as coronavirus restrictions scaled back the annual event that is normally attended by thousands.
Coronavirus Robs Biblical Bethlehem of Christmas Cheer
The coronavirus has cast a pall over Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem, all but shutting down the biblical town revered as Jesus’s birthplace at the height of the normally cheery holiday season.
Palestinians May Limit Christmas Celebrations in Bethlehem
The Palestinian Health Ministry has recommended strict limits on Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem this year due to the coronavirus outbreak. Celebrations in the biblical town revered by Christians as Jesus’s birthplace are usually attended by thousands of people from around the world.