Christmas festivities in Bethlehem have returned with the first public tree lighting at the Church of the Nativity since the start of the Gaza War, in what local leaders say is a glimmer of hope after two very hard years.
"It's been a bad two years of silence; no Christmas, no jobs, no work," Bethlehem Mayor Maher Canawati told the BBC. "We're all living here from tourism and tourism was down to zero."
Public Christmas celebrations were last held in December 2022.
On October 7, 2023, the Gaza War began, and most celebrations that year were canceled out of respect for those killed. The only Christmas celebrations were strictly religious in nature.
Bethlehem is located in the West Bank, Palestinian territories, about six miles south of Jerusalem. The Church of the Nativity, also known as the Basilica of the Nativity, is the traditional location of Jesus' birth and was a very popular pilgrimage location.
Today, Bethlehem's population is about 30,000 people, most of whom are Muslims. About 2% of Bethlehem's population is Christian.
Resuming Christmas celebrations was controversial, said Canawati, as the situation in Gaza is still not entirely resolved and the Christian community there is still at risk.
"Some may say it's not appropriate and others say it's appropriate," he told the BBC.
"But deep inside my heart, I felt that this was the right thing to do because Christmas should never be stopped or cancelled. This is the light of hope for us."
This year's tree lighting was held on a relatively short notice. The ceasefire was signed in mid-October, giving the Bethlehem Peace Center at Manger Square only a few weeks to plan an event that draws thousands of people.
“The Bethlehem Peace Center staff did a great job. The lighting is a huge event to put together in such a short time. Bethlehem is Christmas and Christmas is Bethlehem. We have been waiting for it despite everything going on in Gaza, we are looking for hope and peace,” Ranya Malki Bandak, the director of the Bethlehem Peace Center at Manger Square told The Catholic Standard.
“We can’t forget everything (that is happening in Gaza), it is not easy, but this is for peace and love and Christmas here,” she said.
“People are so happy waiting for it. We are seeing a few tourists coming, and we are starting to see signs of life after that. We have to light a candle despite everything, to light a candle for everyone. This land is light. Bethlehem is Christmas, and we hope for a better situation next year.”
