Christmas Celebrations

We had the chance to see some amazing things on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Early Christmas Eve morning, Justin and I ventured through a private entrance to the cave where Jesus was supposedly born. Hundreds of tourists stood waiting to enter the cave from the other entrance.

We were able to watch a Christmas Eve ceremony where the priests bless the wine and bread that was used for midnight mass. It was amazing to watch, let alone be down in the cave standing next to a 14-point gold star pinned to the spot Jesus was born. When most people see this star, they drop to their knees and either touch it with their hand or kiss it. The cave smells like damp incense mixed with too many warm bodies.

We also watched a parade on Christmas Eve. Hundreds of Scouts marched through the cobblestone streets playing their drums. (Yes, the modern day version of "Little Drummer Boy.")

We watched the Latin Patriarch march into the church behind a processional of priests. These priests were pilgrims from all over the world. They sang songs in Latin as they marched. It was beautiful.

Christmas Eve was pumped with a lot of energy as the entire world saw Manger Square celebrations live on television. The small square, which is usually deserted, was jam packed. The media reports 60,000 tourists there that night, but I didn't see that many tourists. I mostly saw Palestinians out having a good time.

We ended our Christmas Eve with a party on Manger Street outside of a church. A group of Bethlehem Bible College students held an outdoor concert. It was so popular that the street was blocked with the crowd of people.

Christmas day was a bit more relaxed as we visited friends we had made during the course of the week. Our friend Mary prepared tea for us, s she did everyday. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day is the main day of business for her and her family. They do about 70 percent of their yearly business on these two days as tourists flock to this small city to celebrate Jesus' birth.