Christmas ceremonies begin in the Holy Land

Natalie Portman
By Natalie Portman 3 Min Read
origin 1The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa celebrates Christmas Eve in the Church of the Nativity in the biblical city of Bethlehem in the West Bank. Ahmad Tayem/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Christians from all over the world celebrated Christmas, the feast that marks the birth of Jesus Christ, in the Holy Land on Saturday.

The traditional Christmas procession arrived in Bethlehem in the afternoon.

The procession to Bethlehem had left Jerusalem at noon (10:00 GMT), led by the head of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, Pierbattista Pizzaballa.

Pizzaballa walked the last part of the route to the place where Jesus is believed to have been born in Bethlehem. Once there, he was received by Christian representatives.

Tens of thousands of visitors are expected over the Christmas holidays, many more than in the last two years, when coronavirus restrictions were in place. The Israeli Ministry of Tourism said it expects around 120,000 pilgrims from around the world.

A huge Christmas tree with a star on top adorns the square in front of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, now a city in the West Bank.

Pizzaballa will celebrate midnight mass for you later on Saturday.

In their Christmas message, the patriarchs and church leaders of Jerusalem lamented what they called an increase in attacks on Christians, discrimination and a decline in the Christian population.

“Such a discouraging climate has led to a lack of hope, especially among our young Christians, who feel increasingly unwelcome” in the land of their ancestors, reads the message.

The percentage of Christians has continued to decrease in the Holy Land. Out of about 5 million Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, less than 2% are Christians.

According to the latest data from the Israel Bureau of Statistics, some 185,000 Christian Arabs live in Israel.

origin 1The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa celebrates Christmas Eve in the Church of the Nativity in the biblical city of Bethlehem in the West Bank. Ahmad Tayem/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

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