For the second year in a row, Christmas Eve is different worldwide. In Bethlehem on the West Bank, the place where according to the Bible Jesus was born, there are hardly any foreign tourists this year because of the corona virus.
The town was normally flooded on Christmas Eve. At the last Christmas celebration before the corona pandemic, in 2019, 3.5 million people came to Bethlehem. So now there are a lot fewer spectators at the annual procession to the Kribbeplein.
There are musicians on their feet who traditionally march through the streets with bagpipes, but foreign tourists are not there to witness this. Because of the omikron variant, Israel travel restrictions set. And so the routes to Bethlehem are also closed.
Many passengers traveling home for Christmas or en route to family or loved ones have been stranded because several airlines have canceled flights. According to the British newspaper The Guardian this concerns almost 3000 flights worldwide. Airlines struggled to man flights due to the rapidly spreading omikron variant.
christmas night
In Rome, Pope Francis celebrated Christmas Eve Mass for an estimated 1,500 people in St. Peter’s Basilica. Midnight Mass started at 7:30 PM. A holdover from last year, when this was necessary due to a curfew in Italy. Pope Francis’ message was, “Look beyond the ornaments and think of the poor.”
In the Netherlands, too, churches are normally packed on Christmas Eve. But this year, visitors are hardly welcome anywhere due to the tightened corona measures or celebrations are attended online just like last year.
Alternatives to the traditional Christmas Eve Mass:
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