And if you’re looking for something further afield, check out our guide to the Top 10 things to see and do to feel festive in the Holy Land!

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

This year they have some great things to check out over the Christmas period, both for those of you just wanting a bit of Santa and tinsel, and for those wanting to experience the true meaning of Christmas in Israel, in one of the holiest spots in the Christian world…

Here are some of the main events:

10th December – Kick off Christmas with The Magic of Ireland, an Irish Musical dance show in the vein of The Lord of the Dance, and exclusive to Nazareth. The show will take place at the Auditorium Sisters of St. Joseph School, and starts at 20:00. For tickets (100 shekels), call 04-6464264 or 04-6011072, or online here.

15th December – Lighting of the Nazareth Christmas Tree in Mary’s Well square.

15-18th December – The Christmas Market will be in town, including a market (shock, horror!) full of great stuff to buy, food, stalls and street performances, a Santa here and there, clowns and other goodies for the kids, Christmas carols, and a celebration of world music on one stage (Jazz, blues, reggae, Spanish and Latin music, Flamenco performances, and even an African drum ensemble).

22nd December - The Israel Ministry of Tourism and the Mayor of Nazareth host their annual reception with Church leaders at Salesian Church. There will be a special concert conducted by Imad abu Sinni together with singer Georgite Nofi.

24th December – At 15:30 watch the traditional parade of thousands of youth from youth movements, together with the leaders of the Christian communities, through the main street of Nazareth. Our advice: get there early, it gets packed! After the parade, at 17:15 there is a firework display to announce the opening of the festive Christmas celebrations. At 19:30 Christmas Mass begins…

Christmas Day 25th December -  All Catholic Churches have Mass. At the Church of the Annunciation the first Mass begins at 07:00. At 10:00, a festive Mass will take place with the Custos of the Holy Land or Bishop Marcuzzo.

Happy Christmas!

The word Advent come from the Latin word meaning “coming” and celebrates the coming of the Lord. During each day of Advent, Christians prepare for the “arrival” of the Lord Jesus by recalling the prophecies and promises of the Old Testament that were fulfilled in the first Christmas story.

The theme of readings and teachings during Advent and its purpose is to prepare for the second coming of Jesus while commemorating his first coming. Special readings are prescribed for each of the four Sundays in Advent, while an Advent calendar, primarily used by children, recounts the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem in the days leading to the savior’s birth. Also, a candle on the traditional Advent wreath is lit each Sunday.

In many homes, some Christians mark the beginning of Advent by decorating the house or baking holiday cookies.

No one really knows when the celebration of Advent was first introduced into the Church, but it was originally observed as a time of fasting and penitence. Now its emphasis in the Western churches is usually interpreted as one of expectation and anticipation for the Messiah and a joyous time.

Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches fast 40 days, similar to Lent, rather than like Western churches’ joyous observance of Advent. The Eastern Churches’ equivalent of Advent, the Nativity Fast, is 40 days long and began on Nov. 15, 2011. The Advent season begins on Nov. 27, 2011 and ends on Dec. 24, 2011.

The themes of the Advent season are Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. Lighting of candles, especially the circular Advent wreath with five candles is an important tradition of the Advent season. Each Sunday of Advent, one of four candles is lit — with the final candle, the Christ Candle, being lit on Christmas Eve.

By Nicole Jansezian, Travelujah

Nicole Jansezian writes for Travelujah, the leading Christian social network focused on connecting Christians to the Holy Land. People can learn, plan and share their Holy Land tour and travel experiences on Travelujah.

To help those of you heading to Israel for the festive season, we’ve come up with a list of the ten things to see and do over Christmas in Israel. This little list goes above and beyond the usual top things to see and do in Israel, and is a guide for those who want to experience some of the major Christian sites especially relevant at this time of the year, enjoy the December weather (hopefully), and still feel festive…

Don’t miss our Christmas page for more Christmas goodies!

1. Bethlehem

Ahh, there’s just something magical about visiting Bethlehem at Christmas. The must-see is, of course, the Church of the Nativity and the legendary underground grotto where the 14-pointed star is located (believed to mark the exact location where Jesus was born), but there’s also the carol sing-a-long in Manger Square and a Midnight Mass at the next door Church of St. Catherine (it’s all in Latin but worth the effort, just for that extra special Christmas feeling!). We’ve done it, and want to do it again! And yes, it’s also easy to get from Jerusalem to Bethlehem.

2. Jerusalem’s Old City

Hand in hand with Bethlehem on any Christmas visit to Israel is Jerusalem’s Old City (and they’re  just 10km away from each other). Must sees include the powerful and sacred Church of the Holy Sepulcher, a walk down the Via Dolorosa, and market haggling in the amazing Old City bazaar. You don’t have to be a believer to feel the spirituality and power in such an amazing city. For a taste of what to expect, here’s a clip we took one Christmas Eve in the Old City…

3. The Beach

Do Christmas like they do it in the Southern Hemisphere and spend a day on the beach! You might not be lucky enough to get a scorchingly hot beach day in Tel Aviv over Christmas (though people often take a dip in December!), so you might have to head down to Eilat for the best chance of some sun and ice-cream. Or… how about a little floating in the Dead Sea? If the weather’s right, we don’t think there’s a more exotic way of spending your Christmas!

4. Celebrate with some Christmas “spirits”

If you’re in the mood to party, then there are a few tourist bars and pubs that will be more than willing to share your festiveness. Check out places like Mike’s Place (in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem), the MASH Bar, the Dancing Camel, and Joey’s Bar in Tel Aviv for starters. I doubt there’ll be any mistletoe hanging around, but you’ll have a great time. Also check out our guide to the Top 10 bars in Tel Aviv for more info.

5. Christmas Food (Israeli style)

If you’re staying in a hotel or hostel, chances are that they will lay on some kind of Christmas dinner, maybe even a party (hostels especially). But we say trade in your expectations of a seasonal turkey spread and eggnog, and go native with some delicious Israeli food (trust us, it’s yummy!). Hummus (here’s our hummus beginner’s guide) for Christmas lunch – why the heck not?!

6. Hunt the Bauble

Take a wander down most streets in Israel during December, and you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d missed Christmas. If you’re coming from a Christmas celebrating country, the complete absence of tinsel, baubles, and Santa can be a bit of a blessing in disguise…it’s only when you’ve been here for a bit that you long for a bushy strand of twee tinsel come December time…

7. Eat Donuts

That’s right, eat donuts. For they will be everywhere during December! Every year around Christmas time there is the Jewish holiday of Hannukah. And the sweet smell of deep-fried donuts is almost everywhere. Highly recommended are the donuts from local bakery Roladin (Holy Moses, a Vodka Double Espresso donut!), who have a few branches throughout the country. Calorie counters – be warned!

8. See the Holiday of Holidays

Go multicultural and experience Hannukah, Eid-al-Adha, and Christmas in the Holiday of Holidays festival, which is held annually in Haifa’s Wadi Nas neighborhood. This celebration of Jewish, Muslim and Christian holidays highlights Haifa’s interfaith harmony and cooperation. The festival is mostly abuzz on weekends throughout December. Check out the street food stalls, if you don’t mind queuing!

9. Visit the OTHER Bethlehem

Yes, there’s another Bethlehem in Israel! This one is officially called Bethlehem of the Galilee, and is a beautiful little moshav (farming settlement) with gorgeous old buildings, not far from Nazareth. Hence the belief by many experts that this Bethlehem is the real home of Jesus’s birth. Read more here…

10. Nazareth

Jesus’s childhood home town is perhaps the best place to come for some real Christmas festivities, especially if you’re missing your Santa and Christmas tree decorations. Nazareth has the largest community of Christians in the country, and they love their Christmas.

Watch out for the annual Christmas Parade on Christmas Eve, which starts in the afternoon, call 04-6570555 for more info (just get there EARLY!). There’s also a Midnight Mass in the Basilica of the Annunciation. Here’s a full guide to the Christmas festivities in Nazareth, and here’s a little video of Nazareth to get you in the mood…

The Star of Bethlehem

Christmas is just about here! Well, as here as it will ever get in the Holy Land. We’ve mentioned before what it’s like here in Israel during the Christmas season and things don’t really ever change for those of us who love a bit of tinsel, but there are still many who come to visit Israel during Christmas and who, of course, have an amazing time.

This year it’s pretty much the usual; the list below will give you a quick summary of what you can do over the next couple of days.

Yesterday (Thursday 23rd) saw the traditional Christmas reception in Nazareth, with religious leaders from the north meeting up to play Secret Santa. Or something like that. But you missed it (or did you?) so what the heck!

Today (Christmas Eve) you’ll be pleased to know that the Tourism Ministry has arranged free shuttles between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. The shuttles (minibuses) will leave every hour on the hour from the Mar Elias Monastery to the Church of the Nativity and return on the half hour, from Friday, 24.12.10 at noon to Saturday 25.12.10 at noon.

Meanwhile, over in Nazareth today you can stop by at 3pm for the traditional street parade through the city’s main street, Paul XI. At 5pm listen out for the fireworks, then at 7:30 head over to the Church of the Annunciation for Christmas Mass.

Christmas Day in Israel this year is also a Shabbat, so expect an extra special day of peace and goodwill to all men. Maybe. All Catholic churches in Israel will have a Christmas Mass on this special day. The first Mass in the Church of the Annunciation will take place at 07:00. A festive Mass will take place at 10:00.

If you’re looking for a good old Christmas knees-up later tonight, you might find one happening at some of these great pubs. Other hostels and hotels will also have their own Christmas shindig, so check out your local inn…

Merry Christmas!

And with Christmas just around the corner, Israeli designer Hadas Itzcovitch came up with a novel way of celebrating the holiday with her own eco-friendly design. No need to reach for that axe and inflict still further damage on a still smoking Carmel forest; her design, currently on display in Haifa, is made up entirely of plastic bottles (complete with a fair bit of plastic wrapping and fairy lights). Check it out…

Kicking things off, here’s a great little clip of four guys who take the bus down from Jerusalem to Bethlehem and back on Christmas Eve, accompanied by a great version of O Little Town of Bethlehem (sung by who?) and a walk down the quaintly named Martyrs Street.

If you were wondering what Christmas Eve is like in Bethlehem’s Manger Square, the main focal point of Christmas activities in Bethlehem, here’s a nice little clip that gives a taste of what it’s like as the choir belts out its Christmas songs.

OK, so not all of us can make it to Bethlehem. As an alternative, there’s always Nazareth – and here’s a nice little clip of Midnight Mass from Christmas Eve a couple of years ago, held at Nazareth’s Basilica of the Annunciation.

And the picture postcard beauty of a white Christmas Eve as Santa sets out with his reindeer is something we all want – but how about some snow in Bethlehem (OK, OK, not at Christmas, but still, it’s snow in Bethlehem!)? Here’s a nice little clip of the snowy streets of Bethlehem, complete with a cute little Arabic song in the background. And yep, not a burning Israeli flag in sight…

Happy Christmas to you and yours!

But Bethlehem is not just about that Christmas card manger in a stable where a certain baby boy was born unto the world on the 25th December; it’s actually an important site for all three faiths, with Jews also holding Bethlehem dear because it was King David’s place of birth and childhood home, while Muslims (and Christians) also revere the Jewish site at Rachel’s Tomb (at the entrance to Bethlehem).

Over the years Bethlehem has seen a number of custodians come and go, including the Romans, Crusaders and Ottomans. Today Bethlehem is under the Palestinian Authority’s control, as it has been since 1995. While still home to a big Arab Christian population, numbers have been dwindling over the years and there is now a Muslim majority in the town (approximately 60%).

Tourism is the major industry in the town, with some 20% of Bethlehem’s working population involved in tourism in some way. Tourists visit all year round (some two million tourists last year), though Christmas is obviously peak season.

Times have been a little harder recently for traders, as it seems the tourists coming to Bethlehem are largely whisked in and out of the Church of the Nativity by Israeli tour operators, without stopping at local shops and the market (there is also a special Christmas market). So if you’re coming to Bethlehem independently and have a spare couple of hours, spare a thought (and a dollar) for the desperate shopkeepers, who are probably much less “in your face” than the market traders in the Old City of Jerusalem.

How to get to Bethlehem

Thanks to its close proximity to Jerusalem, Bethlehem is fairly easy to get to. In fact, it’s even walkable from Jerusalem (but allow a good couple of hours!). The best options are the shared taxis (called sherut in Hebrew), which depart from Damascus Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem, or bus 124, which also departs from Damascus Gate and will take you to the Gilo checkpoint (where you can often get delays and get asked a lot of questions – have your passport ready! By the way, Israelis aren’t allowed into Bethlehem). From there, walk by foot into Bethlehem. Bus 124 should cost around 4 shekels.

Things to see and do in Bethlehem

Unquestionably the biggest attraction in Bethlehem is the Church of the Nativity.

In addition, there is Rachel’s Tomb, the burial place of the matriarch Rachel (for Jews it is one of the holiest sites after the Temple Mount and Tomb of the Patriarchs though access is a little more limited, apparently only to those traveling from Jerusalem on Egged buses). The Shepherds’ Fields (where the angel came to visit the shepherds) are also interesting, though be prepared for some rivalry shepherding, as there are two official sites: the Orthodox Shepherds’ Fields and the Catholic (Latin) Shepherds’ Fields.

Time permitting, you could also check out the Old Town for some real, live Arab city life, or check out the Milk Grotto Chapel, where Mary is believed to have spilled some milk while feeding baby Jesus, hence the milky white cavern. Or if you’re after something a little more artistic, heck, even political, check out the graffiti on the infamous wall separating Bethlehem from Israel (probably best done via taxi).

Bethlehem bits and bobs

The Bethlehem municipality has a website, but somebody really should tell them to sort out the color scheme. Very seasonal, but a bit of an eye-sore.

Here’s another great source of info on Bethlehem.

And here’s a nice little clip of Bethlehem, complete with a visit to a local cab driver’s home. This is what visiting the Holy Land is all about, if you ask me.

And celebrating Christmas in Israel, or at least just getting a small glimpse of it in the form of a Christmas tree here or a bit of tinsel hanging there, is seemingly getting harder and harder.

It doesn’t help that there are even Jewish organizations that hunt down hotels and restaurants that may have decided to create a bit of a festive environment for their many tourist customers. Apparently, there is one organization called the “Lobby For Jewish Values” that is so against the mighty Chrimbo they pass out fliers and ads that name the offending establishments. Their fliers even refer to the “clownish atmosphere of the end of the civil year” and the “foolish symbols of Christianity”.

Their chairman, Ofer Cohen, even had this to say:

We are even considering publishing the names of the businesses that put up Christian symbols ahead of the Christian holiday and call for a boycott against them.

Oh dear. I really hope I’m not the only one who finds this ridiculous (though looking at the comments in this Ynet article discussing the organization I’m certainly in the minority). Their ultimate aim appears to be to strip these businesses of any kashrut certification, which will be damaging in so much that religious Jews will no longer eat/drink/sleep there.

I do wonder how much influence they actually hold over official rabbinate authorities that determine who holds kashrut certification (who apparently also check if an establishment is getting a bit too festive for their liking), but their simply existing is surely a slap in the face for the many, many Christian tourists who visit Israel?

I can certainly understand the feeling among many Jews who want nothing to do with Christmas, especially those who may have made aliyah to Israel from somewhere like a Christmas-overloaded US or Europe.

But surely the millions of Christians who hold the Holy Land dear and visit Israel deserve a little bit of tinsel and a little Christmas tree here and there. OK, so Santa’s Grotto in every shopping mall might be pushing it too far, but I see nothing religiously and spiritually damaging in a few bits of decoration…especially if it brings in a few much-needed tourist dollars.

And with that, I’m off to put some more tinsel on my tree, another paper-chain on the lampshade, and yes, the Christmas lights will be switched on at 4pm, instead of 6pm. In honor of the Lobby For Jewish Values!

Happy Christmas Israel!

One particular Christmas stands out in my mind, and that was back in ’94. In an effort to get festive, my mate Peter and I had decided to set off for Bethlehem. Well, that was what we’d told our Israeli girlfriends…the truth was we had heard of a Christmas Eve party in Jerusalem, so had decided to party Christmas Eve in style. Rather than mingle with the masses at Midnight Mass.

We caught a minibus over to Jerusalem and after getting diverted by a car ablaze in the middle of Jerusalem (nothing sinister, just an engine blowout), finally ended up at one of the tourist pubs where the “party” kicked off. The beers flowed, the party moved on to the Underground Bar, and the singing and dancing on tables began with a passion.

Something I’d never seen until I came to Israel was the standing on tables in bars and pubs. It never seemed to take much to get Israelis up and singing and perched on their bar tables, but on this Christmas night I was up there with the best of them! Christmas classics were belting out and the few tourists that were in the pub were singing our drunken hearts out, lurching from table to table and getting the Israelis in the bar to sing along with us. There’s something quite amazing about seeing a bar full of people singing along to Band Aid’s “Feed the World”…

As the night continued, I remember Peter and I strutting our stuff to some Israeli tunes as we danced with Israeli soldier girls and other dark-haired beauties. I recall promises of phone numbers and return visits to Jerusalem, but my memory cells had been obliterated by beer and we had to get back to Tel Aviv that night…and as the taxi driver put his foot down and I spotted the speedometer hitting 160km/h I decided that closing my eyes was the better option (I still don’t remember waking up after this taxi ride home, but I guess I must have stumbled home somehow!).

Anyway, this post was just an excuse to feel a little festive, and to play one of the biggest and best Christmas tunes out there and to recall a festive Christmas Eve many moons ago (as I change another nappy…)…it might be 25 years old but it still sends a chill down my spine whenever I hear it!

There was a great moment when the mohel (the person who performs circumcisions) came to our place on Saturday to slice and dice my newborn son – the Christmas lights were twinkling away and reflected in his shiny clamps and slicers as he did his thing…

Our house: the epicenter of multiculturalism in the Holy Land!

Don’t forget to check out our Christmas section for seasonal goodies, including a great article on the Church of the Nativity, where many of the events listed below take place.

Christmas Eve, December 24 (Thursday)

1.00 pm at the Tomb of Rachel: His Beatitude, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Fouad Twall, is welcomed by Latin Parish Priest of Bethlehem and representatives of Bethlehem, Beit Jala and Beit Sahour.

1.30 pm at the Manger Square: Solemn Entry of His Beatitude into the Basilica of the Nativity and St. Catherine Church followed by Pontifical Vespers.

4.00 pm at St. Catherine Church: Daily Procession to the Nativity Grotto.

10.00 pm at St. Catherine Church: is opened. Tickets, free of charge, required.

11.10 pm at St. Catherine Church: Solemn “Office of Readings”.

Christmas Day, December 25 (Friday)

Midnight: at St. Catherine Church, Pontifical Eucharistic Con-celebration.

Midnight: at the Grotto: Low Masses till 5.15 pm with interruption at 1.30 am for one hour approximately, and at 5.30 am till 7.00 am approximately.

1.30 am at St. Catherine Church: Solemn traditional Procession to the Grotto.

10.00 am at St. Catherine Church: Chanting of Terce and Pontifical Mass.

2.00 pm Pilgrimage to the Orthodox Grotto of the Shepherds and the Latin Chapel of Shepherds’ Field.

December 26 (Saturday)

10.00 am at St. Catherine Church: Mass.

December 27 (Sunday)

5.15 pm at St. Catherine Church: Procession to the Grotto of the Holy Innocents and Sung Vespers.

December 28 (Monday, Feast of the Holy Innocents)

6.30 am at St. Catherine: Masses at 6.30, 7.30 am, 9.00 am, 11.00 am and 4.30 pm.

10.00 am in the Grotto of the Holy Innocents Sung Mass.

3.00 pm in the Grotto of the Holy Innocents: Vespers.

December 31 (Thursday)

4.30 pm at St. Catherine Church: Mass and Benediction with the Holy Sacrament.

January 1 (Friday)

10.00 am at St. Catherine Church: Low Masses followed by Procession to the Milk Grotto.

4.30 pm at St. Catherine Church: Mass.

January 4 (Monday)

6.30 am at St. Catherine: Masses at 6.30, 7.30 am, 9.00 am, 11.00 am.

3:00 pm at the Latin Chapel of Shepherds’ Field: High Mass.

January 5 (Tuesday)

11.00 am at the Tomb of Rachel: His Paternity the Custos of the Holy Land is welcomed by Latin Parish Priest and other representatives of Bethlehem.

11.30 am at the Manger Square: Solemn Entry of his Paternity the Custos of the Holy Land into the Basilica of the Nativity and St. Catherine Church.

1.30 pm at St. Catherine Church: Pontifical Vespers and Procession to the Grotto.

3.30 pm at St. Catherine Church: Procession to the Grotto.

January 6 (Thursday)

Midnight at the Grotto: Masses till 9.00 am with an interruption between 1.00 and 2.00 am approximately.

10.00 am at St. Catherine Church: Pontifical Eucharistic Concelebration.

3.30 pm at St. Catherine Church: Sung Vespers and Solemn traditional Procession to the Grotto.

Merry Christmas to you and yours!