People gather during the lighting of the Christmas tree ceremony at the Manger Square, next to the Church of Nativity in the background, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. Credit: EPA/ATEF SAFADI via AMNA
Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus according to the Bible, saw its Christmas tree lighting return this year after a two-year pause, bringing a rare moment of joy amid the ongoing shadow of the Gaza war.
The ceremony, held beside the Church of the Nativity, restores a central tradition that many locals and officials see as a symbol of how life and faith must continue even amid ongoing conflict.
For the first time since the Gaza war began in 2023, the giant Christmas tree in Manger Square has been lit again, drawing a crowd of locals, clergy, and a limited number of visitors who chose to visit the town.
The Bethlehem tree had not been lit for two years
During the height of the war, Bethlehem cancelled all public Christmas celebrations, including the traditional tree lighting, leaving the square dark and largely empty over two consecutive festive seasons.
The decision reflected both solidarity with Gaza and the harsh reality of a city whose tourism-driven economy had all but collapsed under regional violence and travel fears. The choice to bring celebrations back, even in a toned-down form, was contested among residents, with some arguing that festivity felt out of step while suffering and tension remained so visible in their community of fellow Palestinians in Gaza.
Others felt that a complete absence of joy would deepen the psychological toll of the conflict, insisting the city needed a visible moment of unity, normality, and shared hope.
Mayor Maher Canawati has spoken of “two difficult years” marked by silence, unemployment and shuttered businesses in a city where most livelihoods depend on pilgrims and tourists. He has framed the decision to relight the tree as a moral choice as much as a practical one, arguing that Christmas should not be halted because it represents a “light of hope” that people in Bethlehem cannot afford to lose.
Where is Bethlehem and why is it important?
Bethlehem is a small city in the West Bank, in the Palestinian territories, located about 8–10 kilometres (5-6 miles) south of Jerusalem in the Judaean Hills.
It is globally significant as the traditional birthplace of Jesus, with the Church of the Nativity and its pilgrimage route recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city is also central in biblical history as the hometown of King David and a site mentioned in ancient Near Eastern records, giving it a history that predates Christianity by many centuries.