Bethlehem stars and other Christmas decorations were hung in Manger Square on 23 December in preparation for this year’s festivities in the West Bank town  

Bethlehem stars and other Christmas decorations were hung in Manger Square on 23 December in preparation for this year’s festivities in the West Bank town where Jesus was born. At the Church of the Nativity, hundreds of pilgrims and tourists patiently queued up for a glimpse of the underground manger where tradition holds that Jesus was born. They lit candles and said prayers at the site. Workmen added the final touches to the adjacent Roman Catholic St. Catherine’s Church where Midnight Mass was to be held on Christmas Eve.