Pilgrims fill little town of Bethlehem for Christmas

Thousands flock to visit traditional birthplace of Jesus in festive rite.

BETHLEHEM, WEST BANK — Thousands of Christian pilgrims descended on the West Bank town of Bethlehem, the traditional birthplace of Jesus, ahead of Tuesday’s annual Christmas Eve celebrations.

Visitors converged on the town’s large Christmas tree in Manger Square, near the spot believed to mark Jesus’ birthplace. Uniformed Palestinian scouts wearing yellow and gold capes paraded past assembled visitors, the sound of drums and bagpipes filling the cool, clear air. Vendors hawked snacks and holiday gifts, adding to the festive atmosphere.

The Church of the Nativity, where Christians believe Jesus was born, was set to host Palestinian dignitaries and pilgrims from around the world for a midnight Mass.

Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the head Catholic cleric in the Holy Land, was greeted by prominent members of Bethlehem’s Christian community.

Pizzaballa said that he draws hope from the “desire, especially in the youth, to do something for their societies, families.”

“This is my hope, is that these people can make Christmas not just today, but every day, because that’s what we need,” he said.

Roger Hoagland, a Christian educator and missionary from Louisville, Kentucky, said he had come to lead a Baptist choir for a fourth time and described his visit as the experience of a lifetime.

“We love this opportunity,” he said. “We have 40 people and many of them are from the U.S. and other countries. They come to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.”

Christmas festivities are typically a boost for Bethlehem’s flagging economy and for the Holy Land’s dwindling Christian population.

Still, the celebrations capped the most successful year in history for Palestinian tourism, according to Tourism Minister Rula Maayah.

Bethlehem — located just outside of Jerusalem — has invested heavily in tourism. It’s built new hotels and tried to diversify itself by offering culinary and cultural destinations in addition to its traditional holy sites.

Maayah said the number of foreign tourists visiting the West Bank rose to 3.5 million in 2019, from 3 million last year.

At least 15,000 pilgrims were staying overnight in Bethlehem for Christmas, she said. “All hotels in the city are full today,” said Maayah, including hotels newly completed this year.

Most of Bethlehem is in the Palestinian-controlled area of the West Bank, but Israel’s imposing separation barrier runs through part of the city and is a constant reminder of the complex political reality.

“Our message this year is that Christmas is a message of joy,” Maayah said. “But of course we are celebrating Christmas while we are still under occupation. We hope that we will celebrate Christmas joyfully next year with the end of occupation so that we could celebrate like all other nations in our independent country without occupation.”

MAJDI MOHAMMED / AP A tiny wooden relic believed to be from Jesus’ manger is displayed in an ornate reliquary in the Church of the Nativity, traditionally believed by Christians to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. The relic recently was returned to Bethlehem 1,400 years after it was sent to Rome as a gift to the pope.