Last Updated: December 29, 2022, 17:13 IST
The COVID-19 pandemic has kept out-of-country tourists from Bethlehem for the past two years, which has been devastating to the city’s economy.
After a two-year hiatus brought on by the pandemic, Bethlehem finally experienced a flurry of holiday activity this year
After two years of pandemic-induced lull, this Christmas finally saw a throng of festive activity in Bethlehem. The city, believed to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, saw thousands of pilgrims travelling from all over the world to attend the Christmas procession and midnight Mass. The huge gathering and big celebrations are signs of Bethlehem rebounding from the tourism setbacks of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Church of Nativity, which faithful Christians believe is the exact location where Jesus Christ was born, was extremely lively on Sunday, December 25.
The town was all decked up for the preparation. People filled the Manger Square adjacent to the Church of Nativity, and music from bagpipes and drums could be heard throughout the town.
Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the top Roman Catholic clergyman in the Holy Land, led the Christmas procession in Bethlehem, reported Al Jazeera. Speaking in the context of the conflict in Ukraine and recent Israeli-Palestinian violence, he said, “we are living in very difficult challenges…but the message of Christmas is a message of peace.”
“We will be very clear in what we have to do and what we have to say in order to preserve the importance of unity and reconciliation among all,” Pizzaballa added.
The clergyman remarked the Palestinian issue no longer appears to be the focus of the world’s attention. “This, too, is a form of violence, which hurts the conscience of millions of Palestinians, left increasingly alone and who, for too many generations, have been waiting for an answer to their legitimate desire for dignity and freedom,” he said.
The Christmas celebrations and pouring in of tourists have lifted up spirits in Bethlehem, where tourism has been rather muted for the past two years. Tourism income is this place’s economic lifeline, and a spike in the number of visitors (compared to the past two Christmas) has helped hotels, restaurants, and souvenir shops have noted some brisk business this festive season.
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