Coronavirus dampens Christmas joy in Bethlehem and elsewhere eastoregonian.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from eastoregonian.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Just to have some semblance of normalcy, he said. We didn t want or skip a year.
It was a sentiment echoed by Rob Terry and his family, visiting from Philadelphia a tradition for 13 years. It doesn t feel like Christmas without coming, he said. It makes us feel happy, gives us something to look forward to heading into the new year.
And for the kids, even with so much loss and change, their sense of wonder is still there as they wait for Santa and his team.
As for the jolly big man himself, he urged people not to lose hope and believe in themselves, and that we can always overcome.
Associated Press
BETHLEHEM, West Bank Bethlehem on Thursday ushered in Christmas Eve with a stream of joyous marching bands and the triumphant arrival of the top Catholic clergyman in the Holy Land, but few people were there to greet them as the coronavirus pandemic and a strict lockdown dampened celebrations in the traditional birthplace of Jesus.
Similar subdued scenes were repeated across the world as the festive family gatherings and packed prayers that typically mark the holiday were scaled back or canceled altogether.
In Australia, worshippers had to book tickets online to attend socially distanced church services. The Philippines prohibited mass gatherings and barred extended families from holding traditional Christmas Eve dinners. Traditional door-to-door children’s carols were canceled in Greece.
Covid 19 coronavirus dampens Christmas joy in Bethlehem and worldwide
24 Dec, 2020 11:00 PM
6 minutes to read
Palestinian scout bands parade through Manger Square at the Church of the Nativity, traditionally recognised by Christians to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, on Christmas Eve in the West Bank. Photo / AP
Palestinian scout bands parade through Manger Square at the Church of the Nativity, traditionally recognised by Christians to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, on Christmas Eve in the West Bank. Photo / AP
AP
Bethlehem has ushered in Christmas Eve with a stream of joyous marching bands and the triumphant arrival of the top Catholic clergyman in the Holy Land, but few people were there to greet them as the coronavirus pandemic and a strict lockdown dampened celebrations in the traditional birthplace of Jesus.