Tourists revelled in the sunshine and festive mood as they gathered in unprecedented numbers in Bethlehem to celebrate Christmas.
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The weather in Bethlehem was unseasonably warm, with clear blue skies and plenty of sun to warm tourists and Palestinians gathered in Manger Square to await the arrival of Latin Patriarch Fuad Twal in a traditional march.
At least 90,000 people were expected to flood the town for the celebrations, according to Palestinian Authority figures.
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"It's a crazy experience and it's probably one that will only happen once in our lives," she told AFP.
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Children, many clutching balloons and some dressed in Santa hats or full outfits, stood close to parents and jumped up and down at the sounds of drummers and bagpipers.
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Twal was to arrive in Manger Square at around 1230 GMT in a procession that includes scout troupes from Christian towns and villages throughout the West Bank.
A group from Gaza was denied permission, Palestinian Authority officials said.
The day's events were to be capped by Twal's midnight mass, expected to include a message of hope for peace but also sound a sombre tone after the October 31 massacre of worshippers in a Baghdad church.
In a pre-Christmas message, he offered solidarity to Iraqi Christians, who have been the target of repeated bloodshed, including the church attack that killed 44 worshippers and two priests.
"We were shocked and troubled by the massacre of Christians in Baghdad in the church," Twal said.
"For the Iraqi Christians, we are with them in this bad situation," he added, noting the sharp drop in the number of Christians in Iraq from about 800,000 at the time of the US-led invasion of 2003 to about 500,000 now.
He also lamented the failure of renewed direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, but urged the faithful not to give up hope.
"We continue to believe that on both sides, and in the international community, there are men of goodwill who will work and put their energies together in their commitment for peace," he said in his address on Tuesday.
"We believe that nothing is impossible with God."
Unlike in years past, when the spectre of unrest and violence kept visitors away from its 24 hotels, instead staying inside Israel, Bethlehem hoteliers were expecting many tourists to stay over on Friday night.
The Christmas season will cap a year of unprecedented tourism for Bethlehem and the Palestinian territories, where visitor revenues are sorely needed.
Bethlehem was to also host tens of thousands of Palestinians from the West Bank and Arab Israelis, and several hundred from the tiny Christian community in Gaza who were able to secure rare Israeli entry permits for the holiday.
Source-AFP
