Together alone as the world picks a path through festivities
Bethlehem ushered in Christmas Eve with a stream of joyous marching bands and the triumphant arrival of the top Catholic clergyman in the Holy Land, but few people were there to greet them as the coronavirus pandemic and a strict lockdown dampened celebrations in the traditional birthplace of Jesus.
Similar subdued scenes were repeated across the world as the festive family gatherings and packed prayers that typically mark the holiday were scaled back or cancelled.
In Australia, worshippers had to book tickets online to attend socially distanced church services. The Philippines prohibited mass gatherings and barred extended families from holding traditional Christmas Eve dinners. Traditional door-to-door children’s carols were cancelled in Greece.
On Christmas Eve in Italy, church bells rang earlier than usual. The Italian government’s 10pm curfew prompted pastors to move services forward, with ‘‘Midnight’’ Mass starting early as a couple of hours after dark.
Pope Francis, who has said people ‘‘must obey’’ civil authorities’ measures to fight the spread of Covid-19, fell in line. This year, the Christmas vigil Mass in St Peter’s Basilica was moved up from 9.30pm to 7.30pm. Normally, seats are quickly snapped up by both Romans and tourists, but the pandemic has reduced tourists in Italy to a trickle.
In keeping with social distancing measures, barely 200 faithful – instead of several thousand – spaced out in the basilica’s pews and wearing masks, attended Francis’s celebration of the Mass.
Celebrations elsewhere in Europe were cancelled or greatly scaled back as virus infections surge across the continent and a new variant that may be more contagious has been detected.
In Athens, Christmas Eve was eerily silent. In normal times, voices of children singing carols while tinkling metal triangles can be heard all day. The decadesold custom, in which children go house to house and receive small gifts, was banned this year.
Groups of children managed to honour the tradition by singing to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis by video link – including students from a school for children with hearing difficulties, who performed in sign language.
Throughout the pandemic, one of the hardest-hit churches in New York City has been St Peter’s Lutheran Church in Manhattan. Church leaders say more than 60 members of the congregation – which numbered about 800 before the pandemic – have died of Covid-19, almost all of them part of the community of some 400 who attended services in Spanish.
Despite their own heartbreaks, congregation members – many of them immigrants – donated coats, scarves and other winter clothes for more than 100 migrant minors at a detention centre in Manhattan.
While many other New York City churches have resumed inperson services, St Peter’s continues to offer its Masses online only. The schedule for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day included a bilingual jazz vespers service.
In Bethlehem, officials tried to make the most of a bad situation.
‘‘Christmas is a holiday that renews hope in the souls,’’ said Mayor Anton Salman.
‘‘Despite all the obstacles and challenges due to corona and due to the lack of tourism, the city of Bethlehem is still looking forward to the future with optimism.’’
Raw, rainy weather added to the gloomy atmosphere as several dozen people gathered in the central Manger Square to greet Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa. Youth marching bands playing carols on bagpipes, accompanied by pounding drummers, led a joyous procession ahead of the patriarch’s arrival early in the afternoon.
‘‘Despite the restrictions and limitations, we want to celebrate as much as possible, with family, community and joy,’’ said Pizzaballa, who was to lead a small Midnight Mass gathering later in the evening. ‘‘We want to offer hope.’’
Thousands of foreign pilgrims usually flock to Bethlehem for the celebrations. But the closure of Israel’s international airport to foreign tourists, along with Palestinian restrictions banning intercity travel in the areas they administer in the Israelioccupied West Bank, kept visitors away.
The restrictions have limited attendance to residents and a small entourage of religious officials. Evening celebrations, when pilgrims normally congregate around the Christmas tree, were cancelled, and Midnight Mass was limited to clergy.
The coronavirus has dealt a heavy blow to Bethlehem’s tourism sector, the lifeblood of the local economy. Restaurants, hotels and gift shops have been shuttered.
Rio de Janeiro’s beaches remained open, but a City Hall decree aimed at limiting gatherings prevented drivers from parking along the shore. Rain also kept beachgoers at home.
Thomas Azevedo and his 9-year-old son braved the bad weather to set up a small stand selling beer and caipirinhas made from fresh fruit. By early afternoon, he hadn’t sold a thing.
‘‘It’s not so much the rain – in previous years, it was full of tourists at Christmas. This year, there’s no-one,’’ said Azevedo, 28.
While many places around the globe were keeping or increasing restrictions for Christmas, Lebanon was an exception.
With its economy in tatters and parts of its capital destroyed by a massive port explosion in August, Lebanon has lifted most virus measures ahead of the holidays, hoping to encourage spending. Tens of thousands of expatriates have arrived home for the holidays, leading to fears of an inevitable surge in cases.
Lebanon has the largest percentage of Christians in the Middle East – about a third of its 5 million people – and traditionally celebrates Christmas with much fanfare.
‘‘People around us were tired, depressed and depleted, so we said let’s just plant a drop of joy and love,’’ said Sevine Ariss, one of the organisers of a Christmas fair along the seaside road where the explosion caused the most damage. –AP