In a city synonymous with the birth of Jesus, Christmas is typically a time when Bethlehem is full of visitors. But with war raging, the city's Christian leaders have canceled public celebrations.

For Palestinians, Christmas in Bethlehem represents a window to the world. It has long been synonymous with joy and hope, and an occasion to commemorate the place of birth of the Christmas story ...

Christian leaders in Bethlehem say the decision to remove Christmas decorations and cancel holiday parades is meant to focus attention on the spiritual core of the season.

This Christmas, many of us in Bethlehem just want to stay home, spend time with our families and feel safe. I think of Mary and Joseph in search of a safe place and being turned away, time and again.

According to the Christmas story, Mary was forced to give birth to Jesus in a stable because there was no room at the inn. Today, nearly all of Bethlehem’s 5,500 hotel rooms are empty.

There’s no place like Bethlehem at Christmas time. Horse-drawn carriages haul visitors up and down historic street Main Street, decked with holiday lights and garlands lighting up the sidewalks.

BETHLEHEM, West Bank – The streets of Bethlehem, usually overflowing with tour buses and colorfully dressed pilgrims in the days before Christmas, are nearly empty this year. So are the hotels.

Lehighvalleylive.com’s Steve Novak tosses a Christmas tree during the Peter Kearns Memorial Christmas Tree Toss, Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, at Mike's More Miles Automotive in Bethlehem.

BETHLEHEM, West Bank — Bethlehem marked another somber Christmas Eve on Tuesday in the traditional birthplace of Jesus under the shadow of war in Gaza. The excitement and cheer that typically ...

For Palestinians, Christmas in Bethlehem represents a window to the world. It has long been synonymous with joy and hope, and an occasion to commemorate the place of birth of the Christmas story ...

Bethlehem marked another somber Christmas Eve on Tuesday in the traditional birthplace of Jesus under the shadow of war in Gaza. The excitement and cheer that ... April 22, 2025.