Bethlehem Celebrates Christmas After Two Years of Gaza War

By Manisha Sahu
America News World

December 25,2025

Bethlehem, revered by Christians around the world as the birthplace of Jesus Christ, witnessed an emotional and symbolic revival of Christmas celebrations this year as thousands gathered in the city after two years of war-induced silence. The return of public festivities on Christmas Eve brought rare moments of joy, hope, and resilience to a city deeply scarred by conflict, economic hardship, and uncertainty linked to the Israel-Hamas war and its wider impact on the West Bank.

Dressed in traditional attire, children participate in the 40th annual Christmas parade as it makes its way toward the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth, Israel. (AP Photo)

On December 24, Manger Square — the heart of Bethlehem — filled with families, children, clergy, scout bands, and visitors. A towering Christmas tree, absent during the past two years of violence, once again stood illuminated, becoming a powerful symbol of renewal. For many residents, this marked the first time since the war began that Christmas felt like Christmas again.

A City Emerging From Mourning

For the past two years, Bethlehem had cancelled its traditional celebrations in solidarity with Gaza, where the war caused massive destruction and loss of life. Instead of music, parades, and lights, Manger Square had displayed a somber nativity scene showing baby Jesus surrounded by rubble and barbed wire — a stark reminder of the suffering unfolding just miles away.

This year, however, the mood shifted. While grief and caution remained, there was also a collective desire to reclaim the city’s spiritual identity. “It’s not about forgetting what happened,” said one resident. “It’s about choosing life and hope again.”

A Message of Light and Unity

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and the top Catholic leader in the Holy Land, formally opened the celebrations during the traditional procession from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. His arrival was met with applause and emotion as he addressed thousands gathered in Manger Square.

Calling for “a Christmas full of light,” Cardinal Pizzaballa said he brought greetings from Gaza’s small Christian community, where he had celebrated a pre-Christmas Mass just days earlier. Despite the devastation he witnessed there, he said he sensed a powerful desire to rebuild and heal.

“We, all together, decide to be the light,” he told the crowd of Christians and Muslims alike. “And the light of Bethlehem is the light of the world.”

His words resonated deeply in a city where faith, history, and hardship intersect daily.

Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the highest-ranking Catholic leader in the Holy Land, arrives at the Church of the Nativity—traditionally regarded as the birthplace of Jesus—on Christmas Eve in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. (AP Photo)

Economic Struggles Linger

Despite the festive atmosphere, the scars of war remain visible, especially in Bethlehem’s fragile economy. According to local authorities, around 80% of the city’s residents — the majority of whom are Muslim — depend on tourism-related businesses such as hotels, tour guiding, handicrafts, and restaurants.

During the war years, tourism nearly collapsed. The city’s unemployment rate surged from 14% to an alarming 65%, forcing many families to seek alternative livelihoods or leave Bethlehem altogether. Mayor Maher Nicola Canawati said earlier this month that nearly 4,000 residents have migrated elsewhere in search of work.

“This celebration gives people hope,” the mayor said, “but the economic recovery will take time.”

Stories of Survival and Hope

For local tour guides Georgette and Michael Jackaman, Christmas Eve was especially meaningful. Coming from Christian Bethlehem families with generations-long roots in the city, they described this year’s celebration as the first “real Christmas” for their two young children, aged two-and-a-half years and ten months.

During the war, the couple reinvented their livelihoods by launching an online platform to sell Palestinian handicrafts, helping support artisans who had lost their income. “We had no choice but to adapt,” Georgette said. “But today feels like the beginning of normal life returning.”

Visitors, though still few, added to the atmosphere. Mona Riewer, a tourist from France, said she ignored warnings from friends and family who urged her not to travel. “I wanted to understand what people here have gone through,” she said. “Being in Bethlehem helped me feel the true meaning of Christmas — hope in very dark situations.”

Tensions Beneath the Celebrations

Even as celebrations returned, the broader political and security situation remains tense. Despite a ceasefire in Gaza that began in October, violence in the West Bank continues. Israeli military raids, aimed at cracking down on militants, have intensified, while attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians have reached their highest levels since the United Nations began collecting data in 2006.

Travel restrictions remain a major challenge. Irene Kirmiz, who grew up in Bethlehem and now lives in Ramallah, said her family had to leave home at 5 a.m. and wait more than three hours at Israeli checkpoints to attend the scout parade. Before the war, the same journey took just 40 minutes.

“It’s very emotional,” she said. “People are trying to bounce back, to celebrate peace and love, even when it’s so difficult.”

A Community Holding On

The scout parade, a cherished Bethlehem tradition, returned with music and color after two years of silent marches held in protest against the war. Scout bands from across the West Bank filled the streets with drums and bagpipes, Palestinian flags fluttering alongside tartan cloth.

For many families, the parade symbolized resilience. “My children were ecstatic,” said Fadi Zoughbi, who previously worked in tourism logistics before losing his job during the war. “Seeing the bands again reminded us of who we are.”

Church leaders, who had previously urged restraint and prayer over festivities, acknowledged the importance of this year’s celebrations while continuing to call for peace. In earlier statements, they emphasized the spiritual essence of Christmas and appealed for a “just and lasting peace for our beloved Holy Land.”

Regional and Global Reflections of Resilience

Beyond Bethlehem, Christmas celebrations across the Middle East reflected similar themes of endurance. In Nazareth, northern Israel, children in traditional costumes participated in parades and live Nativity scenes under a bright winter sun. In Syria, hundreds of worshippers prepared to return to a Greek Orthodox church near Damascus that was targeted by a deadly suicide attack earlier this year, lighting a neon Christmas tree in its courtyard as a sign of defiance against fear.

Around the world, festivities also carried messages of solidarity and charity. In Florida’s Cocoa Beach, hundreds of surfers dressed as Santa Claus rode waves instead of sleighs in a 17-year-old annual tradition. The event raised funds for the Florida Surf Museum and a nonprofit supporting cancer patients, drawing thousands of spectators in festive attire.

A Fragile Yet Powerful Return

For Bethlehem, this Christmas was not about extravagance, but about presence — the simple act of gathering again. While challenges remain immense, residents say the return of celebration itself is a victory.

Palestinian scout groups march through Manger Square near the Church of the Nativity—traditionally believed to be the birthplace of Jesus—on Christmas Eve in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. (AP Photo)

“Christmas has always been about hope,” said one elderly resident watching the lights in Manger Square. “And after everything we have lived through, hope is what we need most.”

As the lights of Bethlehem shone once more, they carried a quiet message to the world: even in places shaped by conflict, the human spirit continues to seek peace, faith, and renewal.