Without a Christmas tree or decorations adorning the Church of the Nativity, which is revered as the birthplace of Jesus Christ, holiday cheer was absent in the West Bank city of Bethlehem in Israel on Tuesday.
In the center of Bethlehem, the Terra Sancta Scout Troop, wearing red scarves, marched through the main market street where vendors sell nougat and shawarma.
The sweet sound of children singing Christmas carols filled the air, a stark contrast to the garbled messages on the posters they held: “We want life, not death”, and “Stop the killing in Gaza now!”
For the second year in a row, the Christmas celebration in Bethlehem was overshadowed by war.
A large Christmas tree usually stands in Manger Square, opposite the Church of the Nativity which was built over the cave where Christians believe Jesus was born 2,000 years ago.
But like last year, the government of Bethlehem decided to choose a few celebrations in honor of the Palestinians who are suffering in Gaza.
For Christians in the Holy Land, who number about 185,000 in Israel and 47,000 in the Palestinian Territory, prayer can provide comfort and hope for a better future.
“We will pray and ask God to solve our problems, to give this part of the world the peace we are waiting for, the peace that Jesus brought to the world,” said Anton Salman, the mayor of Bethlehem.
Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem who led mass in Gaza on Sunday, shared the same message of hope as he prepared to lead midnight mass in Bethlehem.
“I just arrived yesterday from Gaza. I saw everything being destroyed, poverty, disaster,” he said.
But I saw life again – they never give up. So don't lose heart either. No,” Pizzaballa added while speaking outside the Betelehem Peace Center, a cultural center.
“We are strong, we are light, not dark,” he said, standing next to a Palestinian flag. “Next year, we want to see the biggest Christmas tree.”