By Mohammad Najim
BETHLEHEM, December 25, 2013 (WAFA) - Twinkling lights, glittering Christmas trees, crowds from home mingling with international visitors were all present at the same time at Manger Square in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve.
The festive scenes in this holy city, the cradle of Christianity, came to life as choirs from all over the world sang Christmas carols in Arabic, English, Spanish, Latin, French, Indonesian and several African languages to entertain the crowds who battled the chilly afternoon and evening weather to celebrate Christmas at the place where it all has started.
“It is really an unrivalled experience,” said Geng Bo from China as he walked with his wife around Manger Square outside the Church of Nativity, which houses the grotto where Jesus Christ was born. “You see crowds everywhere and amazing celebrations.”
Geng expressed hope that the Palestinian people will be free the next time they celebrate Christmas in the Holy Land.
“We support the Palestinian people in their peace talks and
we support their freedom,” he said.
Joy and hope could be seen on the faces of those coming from
all corners of the world to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem.
In spite of the tight security measures in Bethlehem and at the Church, yet movement of people continued smoothly.
President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Bethlehem later in the afternoon, where he attended a Christmas dinner and met well wishers and official visitors before attending the midnight Mass at St. Catherine Church led by Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal.
Twal led the annual procession from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, which started around noon at the Latin Patriarchate in the Old City of Jerusalem.
His motorcade first stopped at Mar Elias monastery on the way to Bethlehem where he was greeted by the mayor of Beit Jala before continuing through the Israeli army checkpoint separating Bethlehem from its neighbor to the north, Jerusalem.
After crossing the 8-meter high concrete wall encircling Bethlehem, Twal was met by Palestinian officials, who escorted him to Manger Square where the scouts met him and walked in front of him playing festive music until they reached the Church of Nativity.
M.N./M.S.
