By Katie Vasquez
The place of Christ’s birth, quiet for Christmas.
No trees, lights, or decorations gracing the streets of Bethlehem.
Instead, Christmas in the Holy Land is looking different this year.
“There will not be any Christmas tree lightning, no toys, nothing,” said Lina Canavati, a Christian woman in Bethlehem. “But we’ll only focus on praying.”
The Christmas festivities have been canceled.
City and Church leaders called off their usual preparations to show solidarity for those suffering in Gaza.
“This time is so different,” Canavati said. “Parents are ashamed to buy gifts, toys, for their children, when there are a lot of families who cannot provide the basic needs of milk, food and a safe shelter for their children.”
Since the war between Israel and Hamas started on Oct. 7, Gaza officials said the death toll has risen to more than 15,000.
Those numbers include more than 6,000 children and 4,000 women.
“We’re witnessing the killing of kids and women and elderly people,” said Hanna Hanania, mayor of Bethlehem. “So we can’t celebrate while we are in this situation.”
The war and the canceling of the usual festivities is taking its toll on the holiday spirits and Bethlehem’s economy.
“The tourism industry was recovering in a very positive way after the pandemic,” said Majed Ishaq, general director of the Marketing Department, Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities of Palestine. “Now we can say that tourism is zero. Maybe during the war we had only two groups coming to visit Bethlehem.”
Gift shops like the one owned by Roni Tabash are open but no customers are coming.
“This is usually the busiest period for our work,” Tabash said. Now we come here and open not for work, because there is no work.
But Christmas in Bethlehem is now returning to its roots, while most festivities are canceled, all liturgical celebrations will continue, bringing the city of Christ’s birth back to the true reason for the season.
“To pray for God to have peace in the land of the peace, because Jesus Christ, the prince of peace, was born in Bethlehem and always we’re looking to have a real peace in our land,” Hanania said.
“Concentrating on prayer, concentrating on the meaning of Christmas more than concentrating on showing Christmas,” said Father Rami Asakrieh, Latin parish priest of Bethlehem.