Christmas in Bethlehem: No joy, no trees, no celebrations

Christians around the world are getting ready for their Christmas celebrations with trees decorated with starts, bells and gifts, while in the Holy Land, where Jesus Christ was born, those spiritual and religious rituals that the people of Palestine and Bethlehem await every year will be missing.

Palestine usually witnesses mass celebrations of Christmas every year in Bethlehem, Beit Jala and Beit Sahour for all Christian denominations, including Latin, Greek Orthodox, Armenian, and Syriac. Celebrations are held twice, on December 25 and on January 7, depending on the denomination.

This year’s celebrations were canceled in support of the Palestinians who are being killed every day by Israeli occupation forces in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Palestinian theologist Munther Isaac, the pastor of Bethlehem’s Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church, announced the cancellation of Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem, saying on his X account on December 17, “We did this for ourselves to emphasize that Jesus is in Solidarity with those who suffered,” adding, “‘Christmas canceled’ in Bethlehem as pastor builds ‘rubble nativity’ for Gaza.”

“We did this for ourselves to emphasise that Jesus is in Solidarity with those who suffered”
'Christmas cancelled' in Bethlehem as pastor builds 'rubble nativity' for Gaza https://t.co/kojB8AQObU

— Munther Isaac منذر اسحق (@MuntherIsaac) December 17, 2023

The cancellation of the holiday celebrations aims to draw people’s attention toward Israel’s ongoing and systematic genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. “The cancellation of Christmas celebrations is not the news. The reason behind this cancellation is the news. The genocide in Gaza is the news,” said Isaac on X.

“If Jesus were born today, he would be born in Gaza under the rubble,” he said in a press conference on December 7. 

About 20,000 Palestinians have been killed in the indiscriminate Israeli bombardment of Gaza since October 7, including 8,000 children, while more than 52,000 others were injured.

In comments to Jusoor Post, Rania Elias, an independent administrative consultant for arts and cultural development and former director of the Yabous Cultural Center in Bethlehem, said that Christians in Jerusalem are not fully able to enjoy the holiday, as there are no Christmas trees, gifts or celebrations due to Israel’s genocidal war against the Gazans.

“This year, we will not celebrate Christmas in Palestine. The church was bombed in Gaza, as were the mosques. In mourning and respect for the blood of those who sacrificed for the homeland, we will not put up a Christmas tree and there will be no festive atmosphere. We will be content to spend our Christmas at home quietly, without celebrations, joyous ceremonies, and without gifts or a Christmas tree,” she said.

Elias added that this Christmas is an opportunity to send messages to the whole world and to everyone who celebrates Christmas, reminding them that Jesus Christ came to support the oppressed and achieve justice and truth, and the world has to do their role in supporting the oppressed Palestinians and raise their voices against injustice and occupation.

“Every day, we bid farewell to a martyr. The bodies of many of our people are still under the rubble. Children’s childhood is stolen. Mothers give birth to their children without medical assistance. Hundreds of thousands of people are displaced. Every day, the number of prisoners and detainees in the occupation prisons increases. And frenzied settler attacks in the cities of the West Bank are constantly on the rise, besides the attacks and demolition of homes, confiscation of lands, and desecration of holy places in Jerusalem. There is pain, suffering and mourning,” she said.

Elias noted that their prayers will be for the souls of the martyrs,ending the genocidal war in Gaza, and blessing the Palestinians with victory, justice, and freedom, as well as for the recovery of the detained bodies of the martyrs and the freedom of those imprisoned.

In response to a question about whether foreign Christian delegations will still come to Bethlehem after canceling the celebrations, Elias said that there is no religious tourism like other years.

“Hotels are closed, restaurants are empty of visitors, and delegations will not visit Bethlehem. Bethlehem is closed and surrounded by Israeli military barriers, just like other Palestinian cities, including sand barriers and other permanent iron barriers, surrounded from all sides. It is forbidden to enter and exit from the areas except during specific hours set by the occupier,” she explained.

“Who would take the risk and go to prayer at midnight? There is no security or safety because of the occupation besieging it. People fear of moving at night. Certainly, no foreign visitors or delegations will risk coming under these conditions for the sake of prayer. Even prayer is prohibited and dangerous under the occupation,” she continued.

On November 16, the Ramallah Municipality and the Ramallah Council of Churches also announced the cancellation of all Christmas celebrations held annually in the city. They added that only church services of prayers and supplications for the people in Gaza and martyrs will be held.

Other organizations like the Palestinian Youth Movement also announced the cancellation of the celebration, noting that it was not the first time a Christmas celebration had been canceled.

“🎄 NO CHRISTMAS AS USUAL DURING A GENOCIDE 🎄 Occupation forces are sniping Christians sheltering in besieged churches in Gaza and Christians in Bethlehem have declared celebrations are canceled. So too for us,” the movement said on December 17. 

Previously, in 2014, Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem were not as usual because of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, DW reported in December 2014.

Israeli attacks on Christians

Israeli soldiers fatally shot two Christians (a mother and her daughter) in Gaza’s Holy Family Parish, where a majority of Christian families were sheltering, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem stated on December 16, adding that Israeli forces also injured seven others who tried to protect the civilians in the parish.

On the same day, the Convent of the Sisters of Mother Theresa (Missionaries of Charity) was attacked by Israeli missiles, displacing 54 people with disabilities, the Patriarchate added.

On October 19, Israel bombed the historical Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza, killing at least 19 Palestinians who had been taking refuge there, Al Jazeera reported.

In Palestine, there are more than 50,000 Christians, including 1,000 in the Gaza Strip, according to Al Jazeera on November 1.