49°F
weather icon Mostly Clear
Las Vegas, NV
Nation and World

Christmas festivities begin in Bethlehem

Christian worshippers light candles at the Church of the Nativity, traditionally recognized by Christians to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018. Christians around the world will celebrate Christmas on Monday. (Nasser Nasser/AP)
More Stories
Cans of Campbell's soup are seen in Washington on Jan. 8, 2014. (AP Photo/J. David Ake, File)
Campbell’s executive on leave after lawsuit claims he said company’s food is for ‘poor people’
Jamaican musician, singer and actor Jimmy Cliff performs during the Timbre Rock and Roots conce ...
Reggae giant Jimmy Cliff dead at 81
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., speaks during a news conference on the Epstein Files Transp ...
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, former Trump loyalist, says she is resigning from Congress
The Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, is seen in this provided photo. (Christian Thomps ...
Disneyland may soon move to dynamic pricing, Disney CFO says
The Associated Press
December 24, 2018 - 3:56 am
 

BETHLEHEM, West Bank — Palestinians are preparing to host pilgrims from around the world in celebrating Christmas in the West Bank city of Bethlehem.

Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the top Roman Catholic cleric in the Holy Land, crossed an Israeli military checkpoint from Jerusalem on Monday ahead of midnight Mass at the Church of the Nativity, the traditional birthplace of Jesus.

Hundreds of locals and foreign visitors gathered in Manger Square as bagpipe-playing Palestinian Scouts paraded past a giant Christmas tree.

Palestinian Tourism Minister Rula Maaya says “the whole world is looking toward Bethlehem” and the Palestinians are ready to host them.

The Christmas festivities traditionally bring a boost of holiday cheer to Christians in the Holy Land, who make up just a small percentage of the local population.

MOST READ
Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
Jamaican musician, singer and actor Jimmy Cliff performs during the Timbre Rock and Roots conce ...
Reggae giant Jimmy Cliff dead at 81
By Hillel Italie Associated Press

Jimmy Cliff, the charismatic reggae pioneer and actor who preached joy, defiance and resilience in such classics as “Many Rivers to Cross” and “You Can Get it If You Really Want” and starred in “The Harder They Come,” has died at 81.

The Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, is seen in this provided photo. (Christian Thomps ...
Disneyland may soon move to dynamic pricing, Disney CFO says
Brady MacDonald, The Orange County Register

A new airline-style demand pricing model recently adopted by Disneyland Paris that rewards visitors who book early and punishes those who wait too long to buy tickets may soon be coming to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure.

President Donald Trump speaks during the Saudi Investment Forum at the Kennedy Center, Wednesda ...
Trump accuses Democrats of sedition ‘punishable by death’
By Meg Kinnard Associated Press

Donald Trump on Thursday accused half a dozen Democratic lawmakers of sedition “punishable by DEATH” after the lawmakers — all veterans of the armed services and intelligence community — called on U.S. military members to uphold the Constitution and defy “illegal orders.”

President Donald Trump speaks during an event, July 8, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Loche ...
Jeffrey Epstein case files bill signed by Trump
By Seung Min Kim The Associated Press

President Donald Trump signed legislation to release files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, bowing to political pressure from his own party after initially resisting those efforts.

Lava lamps are seen through a lobby window at the headquarters of Cloudflare in San Francisco, ...
Cloudflare outage impacts thousands, disrupts ChatGPT, X and more
By Michelle Chapman The Associated Press

A widely used Internet infrastructure company said that it has largely resolved an issue that led to outages impacting users of everything from ChatGPT and the online game, “League of Legends,” to the New Jersey Transit system early Tuesday.

MORE STORIES