The holiday in the Biblical city, revered by Christians as the birthplace of Jesus, typically draws thousands of people from all over the world. But this year there are few tourists in the city as Bethlehem prepares to celebrate Christmas in the shadow of war.
Despite the tense atmosphere in Bethlehem, some Christmas traditions continue as usual. City guide Mawgorzata Zarina told Polsat News about them.
– These are special times for this city. Today, Christmas is a cry of hope that something will change. The conflict between Israel and Hamas has been going on for more than 400 days, she said.
As our guide added, there is nothing you need in this city. – There's no hope there. She stressed that Christmas celebrations there were always solemn.
Christmas in Bethlehem. “Everyone is invited to Midnight Mass.”
– There is a large Christian population living in that city. That's where it stands out. The city is waiting for this day. Cameras around the world are focused on Bethlehem, Zarina said.
– Unfortunately, there are very few tourists in the city now. This leaves residents with no choice. They make a living from tourism and have 56 hotels there. For 30,000 inhabitants – the guide explained.
As Zarina emphasized, everyone is invited to Midnight Mass in Bethlehem. – There are no tickets for this mass. In the church of St. Katarzyna has a capacity of 2,000 people. people. The solemn liturgy will last about three hours, she added.
Video: Christmas in the city where Jesus was born
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conflict in the Gaza Strip. “The message of Bethlehem is a message of peace.”
Since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip, starting October 7, 2023, tourism to Israel and the Israeli-occupied West Bank has sharply declined.
For Palestinians in the West Bank, the Palestinian economy has shrunk by 25 percent after Israel banned most of its 150,000 people from entering the country. Due to the difficult situation, Mayor Anton Salman announced a special appeal.
– The message of Bethlehem is a message of peace and hope. These days, we too are sending messages of peace and hope to the world. But we urge the world to end our suffering as a Palestinian people, to end the occupation and restore our rights, to achieve our identity and freedom, and to protect ourselves from the dangers posed by continued Israeli aggression. He said he called on the world to give them a chance to protect themselves. While saying Christmas greetings.
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