A sad Christmas in the birthplace of Christ.

Bethlehem canceled its Christmas celebrations, arguing that lighting Christmas trees and decorating with lights was "inappropriate" given the ongoing fighting in Gaza.

On a sunny afternoon in mid-December, hundreds of tourists stop to admire or take photos of the giant Christmas tree in Manger Square, next to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. As the daylight begins to fade, festive lights illuminate the town center. Visitors can easily spot bands beginning performances at a nearby restaurant.

But that was the scene at Christmas 2022. This year, everything is quiet. People aren't decorating Christmas trees, the tree lighting event has been postponed, and the lights in Manger Square aren't hung up. This is the first time Bethlehem has seen anything like this. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the authorities still lit up the Christmas tree.

A nun walks through the Navidad church in Bethlehem on December 2. Photo: Reuters

West Bank officials said the festive, glittering atmosphere was "inappropriate" given the current circumstances and "removed all celebratory activities to honor the deaths and show solidarity with the people of the Gaza Strip." Bethlehem confirmed it was "not in the mood to celebrate Christmas this year," but Mass and prayers still took place.

Bethlehem, with a population of approximately 25,000, is located nearly 10 km from Jerusalem in the Palestinian-administered West Bank. Both sites are considered holy pilgrimage destinations for Christians. While Bethlehem is the birthplace of Jesus, Jerusalem is where he was crucified. Therefore, during the Christmas season each year, both areas are always packed with tourists .

Following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th and the subsequent war in the Gaza Strip, the town has seen a decline in tourists.

The tradition of decorating a Christmas tree to mark the beginning of the Christmas season each year in Manger Square is believed to date back to the British rule of Palestine. At that time, a naturally growing pine tree next to the local police station was adorned with numerous decorations.

Christmas with a Christmas tree and decorations in Bethlehem in previous years. Photo: Telegraph.

Mazin Qumsiyeh, a professor at Bethlehem University and director of the Palestine Natural History Museum, said that in the past, people did not have a tradition of decorating Christmas trees, and Christmas was considered the only religious holiday. In recent years, the Christmas trees placed in the square have become larger, made of plastic, and adorned with many decorative lights.

This year's quiet Christmas is seen as "a message Bethlehem is sending to the world ." People affected by the conflict are experiencing days of sadness. "That's exactly what the world should see and realize this is not normal," Bethlehem stated.

Tourism is a vital sector of the Palestinian economy , accounting for approximately 15% of GDP, according to The Guardian . In 2022, hotels in the town were fully booked during Christmas week, welcoming 120,000 international visitors, nearly matching the 150,000 visitors before the pandemic in 2019. After two years of hardship due to the pandemic, nearly 8,000 Palestinian tourism workers hoped 2023 would be a boom year. However, the war between Israel and Hamas has dashed those hopes.

(By Anh Minh , based on Telegraph and Guardian )

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