JERUSALEM, Israel – It seems that each year, the Christmas season starts a little earlier, as many homes and businesses are already lit up for the holidays. That’s not an issue in Jerusalem, where different religions and backgrounds make up a unique melting pot.
The Christmas spirit manages to stay alive in the Holy City, with little fanfare. The tree lighting at Jerusalem’s YMCA and a towering Santa in the Old City reveal the signs of the season.
Kayla, a Jerusalem resident, noted, “What better place to celebrate the Savior than in Jerusalem?”
That is true, although it’s difficult to find much celebration here. Unlike in the U.S., homes and apartments aren’t lit up, stores don’t display holiday fare, and the few Christmas festivities that happen are much closer to December 25th.
Reverend David Pileggi, rector at Christ Church in Jerusalem’s Old City, explained, “The Christian community, we are such a small, small minority in this city. You know, there are virtually a million people who live in Jerusalem, and perhaps only 20,000 who can be counted as Christians.”
Kayla admitted, “It can be challenging for sure. But I think also, it just helps us get back to the true meaning of Christmas.”
In Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, Israeli residents are barred from entering the Arab-controlled city.
Fadi Suidan of the Jerusalem International YMCA told CBN News, “I’m a Christian Arab. I have Israeli citizenship. It’s illegal for me to go to Bethlehem. So, every time that I go to Bethlehem, I’m violating the law.”
Ghada Habesch and her friend Hala Khassram are also Arab Christians. Despite the setbacks, they cherish this time of year.
“It’s about Jesus,” Khassram stated. “It’s about the hope and joy He brings to the world.”
Habesch added, “It’s a very small community that we are living in, and it’s a very challenging community, but we consider ourselves the salt of the earth, as it said in the Bible. We are, we try to be, the light to others.”
Remnants of that light can be found at the “Ho Ho Holy Land,” a residence for “Santa” inside the Christian Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City.
Suidan observed, “Each quarter, you know, brings something different. But of course, this is the season. And I believe the Christian Quarter is the most beautiful quarter in the Old City in Jerusalem, not just because I’m Christian, (but) because of, you know – it’s the spirit.”
In the Christian Quarter, people can visit Santa while being reminded that “Jesus is the reason for the season.”
Rev. Pileggi advised, “To celebrate Christmas here, one has to be very intentional, and one has to make the effort to celebrate, to be joyful, to be focused on why we’re celebrating. And unlike the United States, we can’t rely on the atmosphere to carry us along.”
During the season, Christ Church sends carolers, conducts worship services, and hosts an open house attended by some 5,000 tourists, including Arab Muslims and Israeli Jews.
“We explain to local people that everything that we’re doing tonight, except for the Santa Claus and the elves and the mistletoe – the basic story that we find in the New Testament of Christmas is a very, very Jewish story.
And what you can’t see in Christmas lights and festivities, you can experience in history, such as the site where Christ Church stands in the Old City, reputed to be the very place where the Magi came to Herod asking, “Where can we find this newborn King?”
Kayla commented, “So one might worship in Bethlehem, one might worship in Nazareth. But I think worshiping at the place where the events occurred is a very, very powerful combination.”
During this special time, it gives Christians here the opportunity to savor in their hearts what they might not see with their eyes.
Kayla concluded, “It’s not about all the other flashy lights and all those things, but really about our Savior and about celebrating his birth and what it means that He came. It was God in flesh (who) came to this earth, and that’s what it’s about.”
