Bethlehem in turmoil, yet finds holiday spirit

BETHLEHEM, West Bank - Despite the absence of tourists and the gloom of life under Israeli restrictions, the Christmas spirit finally arrived in Bethlehem on Thursday as residents donned Santa outfits, carried balloons with cartoon characters and ate cotton candy during a festive holiday parade.

On Christmas Eve, the atmosphere was dominated by Bethlehem's modern-day identity as a Palestinian town in the West Bank locked in a struggle with Israel that has decimated the economy.

But about 3,000 residents and foreign workers carried pink, orange and purple candles burning with huge flames Thursday afternoon during a festive gathering at Shepherd's Field, where legend says the angels announced Jesus' birth.

Earlier in the day, in front of the Church of the Nativity, a violinist, two guitarists and a drummer played songs and sang in Italian and Spanish, and dancing people gathered around.

Christmas celebrations once attracted tens of thousands of tourists. But after three years of violence, few pilgrims make the journey.

Manger Square, outside the Church of the Nativity, which marks the traditional birthplace of Jesus, held only a few hundred tourists mixed among several thousand young Palestinian men on Christmas Eve.

On Christmas morning, about 1,500 Filipinos working in Israel were bused into Bethlehem to attend English-language services.

Economically shattered, the Palestinian Authority cut its Christmas budget this year, making decorations sparse. But political banners declaring, "No land, No future, No Christmas trees" were prominently displayed.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times 490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 Contact the Times | Privacy Policy Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright