Christmas celebrations resume in Bethlehem
Manger Square and the narrow alleyways that surround it filled with the sound of drums and brass as Bethlehem’s scout troupes marched through in their pristine uniforms.
They sang Christmas carols and played traditional Palestinian music, combining a celebration of Christmas with their own national identity.
Amid Wednesday’s celebrations, held on Christmas Eve, there was a certain poignancy – this is the first time in two years that such festive scenes have returned to the city, believed to be the birthplace of Jesus.
Among those at the celebrations was Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, the highest-ranking Catholic official in Palestine and the wider region.
“Here in Bethlehem, from where I send the Christmas message not only to Bethlehem but to the entire world, I have noticed the presence of light,” Pizzaballa said. “And this is not just the light of the sun, but the light of your beautiful faces.
“We decided to be light, and the light of Bethlehem is the light of the world,” he added. “Today, we bring you peace, prayers, and hearts.”
Palestinians play bagpipes as they celebrate Christmas in Bethlehem’s Manger Square
Christmas Mass in Israeli-occupied Bethlehem
Acting Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa leads a Christmas Midnight Mass at Saint Catherine’s Church in the Church of the Nativity, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem, on December 24
