Bethlehem and Jerusalem have ushered in the Christmas season with public celebrations and glittering lights for the first time in two years, marking a poignant moment of hope in cities still grappling with the humanitarian and economic fallout of the Gaza war.
Multitudes assembled in Bethlehem’s Manger Square over the weekend to watch the city’s towering Christmas tree illuminate the night sky – an event suspended for two consecutive years as a gesture of solidarity with Gazans.
The ceremony, simple but deeply symbolic, drew together thousands of people, all eager to witness the return of a beloved local tradition.
Representatives of the Custody of the Holy Land, including Bethlehem parish priest Fr Rafael Tayem and Custos Fr Francesco Ielpo, joined the crowd in a long-awaited moment of relief and unity.
Mayor Maher Nicola Canawati of Bethlehem acknowledged both the joy and the moral complexity of resuming celebrations while suffering persists elsewhere.
“Some may say it’s not appropriate and others say it’s appropriate,” he said to a BBC reporter.
He continued: “But deep inside my heart, I felt that this was the right thing to do because Christmas should never be stopped or cancelled. This is the light of hope for us.”
After years of shuttered markets, silent streets and an industry devastated by the collapse of tourism, the city hopes the festivities will mark the beginning of recovery.
But challenges remain acute as the October 9 ceasefire has brought little economic or humanitarian relief.
According to the BBC, businesses are struggling and unemployment has soared since the 2023 Hamas-led attacks, which left tens of thousands of West Bank labourers barred from jobs in Israel.
Families reliant on public employees continue to be given partial salaries as the Palestinian Authority faces a severe financial crisis, exacerbated by Israel’s freeze of tax revenues — funds Israel says are tied to prisoner payments, though the Palestinian Authority says it has since reformed its welfare system.
With businesses struggling and families under strain, many Palestinian Christians expect an austere Christmas, even as public celebrations cautiously return.
Local residents, though, welcomed the change this year.
“This is where it all started, so this is where we can send the message to the world of what really Christmas should be about,” Nadya Hazboun, a local jewellery designer, told a BBC correspondent. “And this year, if Christmas is peaceful, then I hope it will bring a nice message for the whole world.”
The lighting ceremony was accompanied by speeches, music and cultural performances.
Andrea Bocelli sent an international greeting with a musical tribute, while the mayors of Bethlehem and Assisi addressed calls for hope and peace for Palestine and beyond.
Scouts launched the programme with a parade and the Palestinian national anthem, followed by a multimedia presentation titled From the Shadows of War, Peace Is Born.
Leaders of Catholic, Orthodox, and Armenian communities then offered a joint blessing before the tree was lit amid a jubilant countdown.
Though tourists remain scarce and many shops stand half-empty, some visitors – including pilgrims from Russia and Palestinian citizens of Israel – have begun to return.
Local tour guide Hamza told the BBC: “This is a tourist city; without tourism there is no life. We hope to have people coming back like before from … everywhere. We start with the Christmas tree lighting, and we’ll wait.”
In Jerusalem, Christmas festivities resumed on December 7 as students and families gathered for Terra Santa School’s annual Christmas Festival – another tradition paused in recent years.
The campus echoed with music, food stalls, photo booths and student performances, culminating in the lighting of the school’s rooftop tree.
One of the most heartwarming moments came from the choir of the Helen Keller School of Beit Hanina.
The school, which is headed by Fr Paulo Paulista and serves children with a wide range of disabilities, offered a heartfelt programme that drew sustained applause from the audience.
Their performance highlighted not only talent but the city’s commitment to inclusion and shared community life, as well as the receptiveness and warmth that Christmas embodies.
Throughout the afternoon, Terra Santa students performed poetry, music and short theatrical pieces – expressions of creativity that many families said they feared would never return to public life.
Despite uncertain economic prospects and ongoing regional tension, the return of Christmas lights in both Bethlehem and Jerusalem has brought renewed togetherness.
