Birthplace of Jesus Christ, Bethlehem cancels Christmas celebrations

The birthplace of Jesus Christ, Bethlehem, has cancelled Christmas celebrations, while reports also have it that the roads and shops are shut, market square is empty, and the town centre will be silent for tourists.

Penpushing reports that recalled that the Church of the Nativity, built where Mary is believed to have laid her firstborn among the animals in the stable, is usually busy with visitors by now but this year contrary is the case.

The Christmas is traditionally a boom time in Bethlehem, which is located on the West Bank in Palestine, and usually crowds of tourists and pilgrims throng the streets, keen to visit where Jesus is said to have been born.

Penpushing further reports that the cancellation of Christmas celebration in Bethlehem has been traced to the fact that pilgrims from across the world are staying away, unwilling to risk being caught in the conflict between Palestine and Israel in Gaza.

This was also believed that it’s a signal to a possible business downturn during the festive period, while it is recalled that the war broke out on 7 October between Israel and the Hamas group in Gaza, but sources said there is more to the town’s decision to cancel Christmas.

Penpushing also reports that the Church leaders and the city council in Bethlehem decided in November to abandon festive celebrations as a mark of solidarity with the people of Gaza, while findings showed that there has also been a surge in violence in the West Bank since the outbreak of conflict in Gaza.

The rector of Dar al-Kalima University in Bethlehem, an arts and culture college, Mitri Raheb in reaction to the development described the cancellation of Christmas as a sign of mourning for the thousands of civilians murdered in Gaza.

Penpushing reports that Rahem highlighted parallels between the recent war and when Jesus was born, just as investigation, however, showed that many people living in Bethlehem have links to Gaza through family, whether they are Muslim or Palestinian Christians.

‘The Christmas story is a Palestinian story par excellence. It talks of a family from Nazareth whom the Roman Empire forced to evacuate from the north of Palestine to the south, to Bethlehem. Jesus was born to this displaced family.

‘There was no place for him at the inn, so he was born in a manger. The situation in Palestine and the Roman occupation 2,000 years ago was difficult. King Herod ordered the massacre of all the children in the Bethlehem area. Over 8,000 children have been murdered in the Israeli airstrikes in Gaza within five weeks.”

Penpushing further reports that as at the time of filing these reports record from the Gaza Ministry of Health showed that, at least 18,000 people have been killed in Gaza since October, including 8,000 children.

The impact of the conflict on the Bethlehem economy is enormous, and even before the church leaders and city council officials cancelled the festivities, many pilgrims stayed away from Bethlehem, while the churches of Bethlehem have cancelled their celebrations, they are open only for prayers and services; one church has created a nativity display showing baby Jesus in a manger surrounded by bomb site rubble.

Penpushing also reports that, the Pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church, Munther Isaac said, If Christ were to be born today, he would be born under the rubble and Israeli shelling, stressing that the ugly development has caused pain for them.

‘If Christ were to be born today, he would be born under the rubble and Israeli shelling. We send this powerful message to the world celebrating the holidays. Bethlehem is sad and broken. We are all in pain about what is happening in Gaza, feeling helpless and overwhelmed by our inability to offer anything.”

FOOTNOTE: You want to share story with us? You want to advertise with us? You need publicity for product, or service, or   event? Contact us on WhatsApp +2348073463653 or email [email protected]