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.

There's no Christmas in Bethlehem this year. With war in Gaza, festivities are off. December 16, 2023 7:00 AM ET. By . Scott Neuman , Kat Lonsdorf There's no Christmas in Bethlehem this year.

BETHLEHEM, West Bank — The typically bustling biblical birthplace of Jesus resembled a ghost town Sunday after Christmas Eve celebrations in Bethlehem were called off due to the Israel-Hamas war.

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, a Palestinian city in the Israel-occupied West Bank just 6 miles south of Jerusalem, has so far escaped the same ravages of war that have gripped Gaza and parts of Israel since Hamas ...

Local Christian leaders say there are about 35,000 Christians in the Bethlehem area. The symbolism of Christmas is part of the soul of the city. But the war has cast a pall.

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.

A hand-carved nativity made of olive wood in Bethlehem is displayed for sale Monday, Dec. 4, 2023, at the Christmas makers market at the American Fork Amphitheater.

It's another Christmas in Bethlehem with the war still raging in Gaza. Palestinians in the city believed to be the birthplace of Jesus are hurting after more than a year of war.

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 ...

Christmas in Bethlehem PA isn’t just about the magic-filled, small-town, holiday vibe that fills the air. The history, the charm and the unique Moravian heritage of Bethlehem combine to make it ...