Occupied Jerusalem- Al-Maqdisiyah remained silent, in front of the television screen around the clock to follow the news of the war that has been ongoing in the Gaza Strip for two and a half months, rejecting the idea of preparing for Christmas, the arrival of which she eagerly awaited every year.
This Jerusalemite woman did not set up or decorate the Christmas tree in her home, even though this is considered one of the most joyful customs and rituals of this holiday, according to her expression, and because the Christians of the world in general and the Christians of Palestine in particular are waiting for the advent of the birthday of Jesus Christ – peace be upon him – to celebrate in the city of Bethlehem and participate. In prayers.
But the celebrations faded and the preparations disappeared this year, as Khamshta does not mention that the courtyard of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem was never decorated with a tree and Christmas ornaments, nor does she mention that the movement of Christian pilgrims disappeared at this time of the year in the Holy Land.
Khamshta says, “Our country is sad on the anniversary of the birth of Christ this year, and our people are being subjected to massacres. How can anyone perform the rituals normally? My only wish is that peace be achieved and that we live freely and safely like the rest of the people of the world, and that our children enjoy reassurance and security.”
Ceremonial rituals have been cancelled
Like this lady, the Christians of Jerusalem in general and the Old City in particular will not wake up on the morning of Sunday, December 24, to the sound of the scout parade, which is organized every year before the departure of the procession of the Patriarch who leads the Christmas Mass in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, leaving the Latin Patriarchate in the Old City of Jerusalem.
On the occasion of Christmas, scout teams in Jerusalem usually hold two main parades. The first is organized in conjunction with the lighting of the Christmas tree inside the Old City, specifically near the “New Gate,” while the second is organized on the morning of December 24 every year.
The leader of the Arab Catholic Scouts group, Elias Habash, told Tel Aviv Tribune Net that this scouting group, which includes 250 individuals between children and adults, did not receive training for Christmas celebrations for the first time in many years.
“At this time of the year, we are at the peak of pressure and we train daily for long hours, but all of that has disappeared this year, and this does not hurt us as much as the situation the country is going through, which has completely changed everything,” Habash added.
He stressed that the Arab Catholic Scouts, which are headquartered in the Old City of Jerusalem, are continuing their scouting and volunteer activities, but have stopped all of their parade and entertainment activities since last October 7.
Is war buried?
Not only did the sound of scout training in Jerusalem fade away, but also the sound of the Christmas songs that blare from the balconies of Christian homes at this time of year, and was limited to one hymn: “On Christmas Eve, hatred is erased… On Christmas Eve, the earth blooms… On Christmas Eve, war is buried.” “On Christmas Eve, love grows.”
But the war has not yet been buried, and its noise has drowned out every sound for many weeks. Therefore, the holiday this year, according to Bishop Suhail Dawani, former head of the synod of the Arab Evangelical Episcopal Church in Jerusalem, is limited to religious rituals only.
Speaking to Tel Aviv Tribune Net, Dawani stressed that prayer this year will be for all those who suffer and those who face murder and violence, adding that the message of Christmas is always a message of love and peace, and the tongues of believers in churches will resound with hymns and meditations for that.
As for the coordinator of the World Council of Churches office in Jerusalem, Youssef Daher, he told Tel Aviv Tribune Net that about 9,000 Christians in Jerusalem, half of whom live in the Old City, were not happy with the arrival of Christmas in light of the state of sadness prevailing over the country.
Just as they did not celebrate, tourists did not arrive in the cities of Bethlehem and Jerusalem to enjoy the atmosphere of joy on the one hand and the spirituality that dominates the midnight mass of this holiday on the other hand, according to Daher.
Bethlehem
The city of Bethlehem is considered the destination of Palestinian Christians at this time of the year, as they head there before, during and after the Eid, but this year, like all other West Bank cities since the outbreak of the war, all of its entrances have been closed except for one entrance, which Palestinians spend long hours trying to pass through.
The Justice and Peace Committee of the Council of Primates of Catholic Churches in the Holy Land launched this year’s Christmas message, which stated: “We – Christians – feel our solidarity with all those who suffer in war, and Christmas remains a holiday of prayer for the tortured, and of contemplation of the deep meaning of the holiday.”
She continued, “This year, we walk toward the cave (in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem) to pray and ask for the joy that God promised us. We are the people of hope. We have placed our hope in God and in the birth of the Prince of Peace. We are certain that we are not and will never be alone and we know that God has chosen.” Our land, to dispel our darkness.”
He stated at the conclusion of the Christmas message: “We ask all those who celebrate Christmas in the whole world to pray with us… Pray for peace in Bethlehem, in Gaza, and in all the Holy Land. We pray together for the cessation of acts of violence, for the liberation of all prisoners, and for Permanent ceasefire.”
In about two weeks, the curtain will fall on Christmas this year, and Christians wonder whether it will also bring an end to the ongoing war on Gaza, and to the violations to which Christians in Jerusalem, led by the clergy, are exposed by settlers.