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, who is 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.”
The suspension of Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem in 2023 and 2024 was in solidarity with fellow Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel has killed more than 70,000 in its genocidal war. Israel has also increased the ferocity of its raids on Bethlehem and the occupied West Bank, where more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israelis in the past two years.
Attacks from the Israeli military and settlers alike have not spared Palestinian Christians, with attacks on Gaza’s only Catholic church killing three in July, and a predominantly Christian town in the West Bank in the same month.
A ceasefire in Gaza that began in October has brought some respite, even as Israel continues its violations and attacks on the Strip, killing hundreds of people. The Israeli army also continued its military raids in the occupied West Bank.
And even as the festive atmosphere lightened the mood in Manger Square, the reality of the war was not absent. Israeli military raids and checkpoints continued, with Israeli forces arresting three young men from the nearby refugee camps of Dheisheh and Aida just hours before the celebrations began.
Pizzaballa, who has just returned from Gaza, was quick to reference the suffering of Palestinians.
“In Gaza … I witnessed total destruction,” he said. “But amid Gaza’s destruction, I felt a passion for life. In the midst of nothingness, people created reasons for joy and celebration. They reminded us that we can return and rebuild again despite human destruction.”
“We will be able to celebrate in Gaza and Bethlehem,” Pizzaballa continued. “We will return to rebuild everything anew.”
Tough journey
About 1,500 people – both Palestinians and foreign visitors – attended the Christmas celebrations, which have become one of the biggest symbols of Christian life in the region, even as the percentage of Palestinian Christians living in the West Bank gets smaller as a result of the Israeli occupation, among other factors.
George Zalloum, from occupied East Jerusalem, was one of the Palestinian Christians who had made the journey to Bethlehem.
He told Al Jazeera that he was enjoying the atmosphere, but that it was tinged with sorrow.
“Today’s atmosphere is half joy and half sadness, because we have brothers who are still dying in Gaza due to the ongoing bombardment and killing there,” Zalloum told Al Jazeera. “We hope the war will end, the killing will stop, peace will prevail in the Holy Land, and that these holidays … will continue.”
Other Palestinians travelled to Bethlehem from cities and villages across the West Bank, but their journeys highlighted the difficulties placed on them by Israel.
Many waited for hours at checkpoints surrounding Bethlehem, even as the physical distance between their homes and the city was not long.
“It is true that the atmosphere of joy, love and peace has returned to us, but the road to Bethlehem was difficult,” said Hussam Zraiqat, who travelled to Manger Square from Birzeit, near Ramallah. “We spent a long time at an Israeli military checkpoint, but thank God, we arrived.”
Read more: https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2025/12/25/half-joy-half-sadness-christmas-celebrations-resume-bethlehem
By Monjed Jadou | aljazeera.com
