Bethlehem, the town where Jesus was born, has officially canceled Christmas for the first time in years due to the Israel war massacre. The town has announced that the usual decorations for the city will be taken down, and the typical celebrations won’t take place “in honor of the martyrs and in solidarity with our people in Gaza.”
The shocking move means there will be no Christmas tree put up or any decorative lights in Manger Square, the exact spot where Jesus was said to be born. This is the first time they’ve been canceled since the modern celebrations started, and even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the square was still decorated. A spokesman for the Bethlehem municipality confirmed that the standard plans for Christmas had been completely scrapped ahead of December 25th.
The spokesman said, “The reason is the general situation in Palestine; people are not really into any celebration. They are sad, angry, and upset. Our people in Gaza are being massacred and killed in cold blood. Therefore, it is not appropriate at all to have such festivities while there is a massacre happening in Gaza and attacks in the West Bank. Bethlehem should send out its own message of condolence and mourning.”
A Christmas “mass and prayers” are still set to take place, but no lights or decorations will be up anywhere in the area. Bethlehem is a historic town with 25,000 people living there, but sits just six miles south of Jerusalem in the Palestinian-patrolled West Bank. Due to the rich religious history, Christians from all around the world go on a pilgrimage to Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity to celebrate the birth of Christ.
However, since Hamas’ brutal October 7th massacre and the horrors of war in Gaza, the town has been empty of visitors and sat neglected in a usual bustling town. Fighting is still ongoing in Gaza, and the Israeli military recently blew up a government building just days after vowing there was “no hiding” place for the terror group. Dramatic footage posted to social media shows an explosion at the building before it becomes engulfed in a raging blaze, sending thick plumes of smoke into the sky.
Over 11,000 people, including 4,500 children, are said to have been killed in Gaza since Israel began its retaliatory strikes and ground operations, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Israel’s bombardment and siege of the Strip was sparked by Hamas’s bloody cross-border killing spree on Israel, which saw 1,200 slaughtered and some 230 hostages dragged into Gaza.
Please continue to pray for a resolution to this conflict and pray that all hostages are returned to their families.