HOLY LAND — After a forced absence that lasted two years, the city of Bethlehem has regained its festive glow. On Saturday evening, the Christmas tree in Manger Square was lit, marking the start of a season that has long stood as a universal symbol of peace and hope.
This year’s celebration—attended by clergy, Palestinian officials, diplomats, and crowds of residents and visitors—carried added significance. The City of the Nativity, burdened first by the pandemic and then by a war whose heavy shadows still hang over the land, has once again proclaimed its light.
Bethlehem Municipality chose this year’s theme from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah: “Arise, shine, for your light has come.” A message meant to affirm that, despite the wounds, Christmas remains a space for hope at a time when the sky feels weighed down with questions.
Bethlehem Mayor Maher Canawati said in a speech during the ceremony that the city “has lived through difficult years, beginning with a pandemic that shut down the world, followed by a war that threatens our very presence on this land.” He stressed that lighting the tree this year is not merely a festive act but a declaration of will, adding: “Light will prevail no matter how deep the darkness becomes, and Bethlehem will remain everyone’s home—safe and open, as it has always been.”
Despite the ongoing situation in the region, the return of the celebrations has brought back a warmth long absent from the narrow alleys of the ancient city, allowing it to reclaim something of its annual rhythm that draws attention each December.
The city, which has long stood witness to the succession of both holidays and upheavals, seemed on the night of the illumination to be catching its breath—telling the world that there is still room for light in this place.