Christmas in Israel offers an enchanting experience and a perfect destination to spend your Christmas holiday. Israel should be on top of your bucket list of where to spend your Christmas. There are lots of events that you can try out in the country and you can start your Christmas holiday by experiencing the Bethlehem Christmas tree lighting. Some of the things to know about Bethlehem Christmas tree lighting are listed below. Event According to the mayor of Bethlehem Anton Salman to thousands of locals and tourists, this event passes out peace, freedom, and equality message to the world. The annual lighting ceremony in the city kicks off the Christmas season celebrations in the region. This event shows the need for stability and peach in the Palestine and Israel and also to put an end to Israeli occupation. This event occurs here as Bethlehem is the site of the birthplace of Jesus Christ according to Christian history. Bethlehem is located about 10km south of Jerusalem and this ancient city is considered as a monastic center for centuries. According to recent history, the city has been under the British mandate before it was annexed by Jordan and it is now occupied by Israel and governed by the Palestinian Authority.

Lighting the tree The annual tree lighting tradition in Bethlehem makes the official start of the Christmas season all over the world. The event is attended by thousands of both locals and religious enthusiasts that want to see the city where Jesus was born and also experience the Christmas season. In the city square, you will find a 15m tree standing and it is just some hundred meters from the Church of the Nativity. The church is the main church in the city and was constructed over the site that was believed to be the spot where Jesus was born. After the lighting of the tree, the city also hosts Christmas markets and entertainment programs in the city center and you will surely enjoy a mesmerizing experience. According to the Bethlehem municipality, about one million tourists do visit the visit during the holiday season and the city experiences peak tourist crowds during the Christmas period. The star According to the locals and many Christians, the star that was sighted in the sky during the time of the birth of Jesus is a miraculous sign which not only marks his birth but also fulfills the prophecy that is known as the Star Prophecy. Event Details

The Bethlehem Christmas tree lighting will take place on December 7, 2019.