By Movieguide® Staff
Bethlehem will resume its Christmas celebrations this year following a two-year pause due to the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict.
“From the heart of Bethlehem, the birthplace of Christ, the city of peace — once again, we ignite the flame of hope and raise our prayers for peace,” Bethlehem’s mayor, Maher Canawati, announced on Instagram.
He continued, “Let us celebrate together the message of Christmas. Glory to God in the highest — on Earth, peace, goodwill to all. Bethlehem keeps the light alive.”
On Dec. 6, Bethlehem will hold a Christmas tree lighting in Manger Square, named for the manger where Jesus lay after his birth.
Related: Why We Need to Let God Enter Our Hears This Christmas
Robert Jeffress, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, spoke to Fox News about Bethlehem’s resumption of their Christmas celebrations, saying it’s encouraging to see the city observing the birth of “the most important person in history.”
“While we rejoice in this temporary peace agreement, which has led to a cessation of hostilities in the area, we should recognize that such a peace is only temporary,” he continued. “The Bible teaches there will be no lasting peace in the Middle East until the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, returns to Earth to establish his kingdom.”
Canawati recently shared the conversation he had with Pope Leo XIV about the ongoing conflict, saying, “People have been leaving Bethlehem, leaving Palestine because of what’s happening and what’s going on.”
“I had a good time explaining to the Pope how important it is to intervene in what’s happening in Palestine, in Gaza, in Bethlehem, and to preserve the living stones of the Holy Land, because the Holy Land without the living stones is just a mere museum,” he continued. “Always, before I talk about Bethlehem, I always pray. And that was my first sentence to the Pope: to intervene so we can stop this war, stop what’s happening to our people in Gaza. And I think this is the top priority that we actually talked about, and he agreed.”
In 2019, then-mayor Anton Salman told Time Magazine that Bethlehem was expecting 1.4 million visitors that holiday season.
“I have been mayor for 2.5 years. I have celebrated Christmas for three seasons and each season, [celebrations] are more organized and more attractive for the local community and for tourists,” he said.
Many tourists are expected to visit Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity, built “over the grotto that is believed to be the site of the manger in which Jesus was born in Bethlehem,” per the Encyclopedia Britannica.
The Encyclopedia Britannica shared that the Church of the Nativity is “the oldest church in the Holy Land,” built “about 326” after being commissioned by Roman emperor Constantine I.
“The Church of the Nativity was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2012, and since that time painstaking restoration of the structure and its interior has been undertaken, including to the main altar,” the site concluded.
Christians around the world are rejoicing in the news that the city of Bethlehem is able to celebrate Christmas this year!
Read Next: 25 Meaningful Ways To Prepare For Christmas
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