Thousands of people traveled from nearby towns and villages to attend Bethlehem’s annual Christmas Eve tree lighting ceremony, which was canceled the last two years.
Thousands of people traveled from nearby towns and villages to attend Bethlehem’s annual Christmas Eve tree lighting ceremony in the city’s historic Manger Square. Historically an event filled with joy and wonder, it was the first such ceremony since the war in Gaza began in 2023. But hardly any tourists were in attendance.
For more than two years, international tourists and Christian pilgrims have largely stayed away following Hamas’ deadly terrorist attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. As the war in Gaza raged, church leaders canceled Bethlehem’s public Christmas celebrations.
But this year, for Bethlehem Mayor Maher Canawati, the Trump administration-brokered ceasefire was reason enough to try to bring the faithful back to where the Christmas story began.
«Bethlehem, you know, we are living from tourists, from tourism and from pilgrims who come to stay in our hotels, to eat in our restaurants, to buy our souvenirs that we’re producing here», Canawati said.
