Bethlehem / PNN /
Under the patronage of President Mahmoud Abbas, Bethlehem lit its Christmas tree on Saturday evening, 6 December 2025, marking the return of the ceremony after a two-year pause. Manger Square was filled with thousands of spectators who gathered to witness the annual tradition.
Prayers for peace were offered before senior clergy blessed the tree, which then illuminated the Bethlehem skyline, sending a message of hope to the world.
The event featured a series of video messages from international public figures delivered especially for the occasion. World-renowned tenor Andrea Bocelli also appeared on screen, addressing the people of Bethlehem with a special greeting.
Mayors of Bethlehem’s twin cities — Athens, Assisi, Vicenza, Verona and Greccio — delivered recorded messages highlighting their longstanding ties with the city and expressing solidarity with its residents during these difficult times.
The Municipality of Bethlehem also presented a spiritual Christmas performance titled “From the Shadows of War… Peace Is Born,” produced by RJ Production. The show depicted a journey from pain to hope, darkness to light, and destruction to new life in the presence of Christ, the Prince of Peace.
The ceremony was attended by the President’s representative, Dr Ramzi Khoury — a member of the PLO Executive Committee and head of the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs — along with members of Fatah’s Central Committee, Minister of Interior Ziad Hab Al-Reeh, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Hani Al-Hayek, Prime Minister’s Adviser for Arab and Islamic Funds Dr Nasser Qatami, Bethlehem Mayor Anton Maher Nicola Qanawati, Bethlehem Governor Muhammad Taha Abu Alia, church leaders, security commanders, local council heads, municipal members, civil-society representatives, diplomats, ambassadors, consuls, and a delegation from the Italian city of Assisi. Partners, supporters, and crowds of residents also attended, celebrating the revival of this national and spiritual tradition.
The event, hosted by Carmen Ghattas and Fadi Ghattas, opened with the Palestinian national anthem performed by Bethlehem scout groups, followed by a moment of silence in honour of the martyrs of Palestine.
Bethlehem Mayor Maher Nicola Qanawati welcomed the President’s representatives, national, religious and diplomatic leaders, officials, security forces, local councils, institutions, and delegations from Palestine and abroad — particularly the visiting delegation from Assisi and Bethlehem’s twin cities joining virtually. He thanked the large turnout, which he said reflects Bethlehem’s global spiritual and humanitarian significance.
Qanawati stressed that Bethlehem, the City of the Nativity, continues to stand tall despite its hardships, renewing its light to the world with a message of justice, freedom and human dignity. He referred to the recent letter received from Pope Leo XIV, expressing his love, prayers and support for the people of Bethlehem — a message the mayor described as a source of comfort amid the suffering, especially in Gaza.
He highlighted this year’s theme — “Arise and Shine, O Bethlehem, for the Light of Peace Has Dawned Again” — as a call for the city to project its light to the world, to the children of Gaza, and to all who have been displaced or harmed, affirming that Palestinians continue to choose life and cling to hope.
Qanawati expressed gratitude to the State of Palestine and its institutions, the Bethlehem security services, the Ministry of Tourism, local and international supporters, and members of the media for faithfully conveying Bethlehem’s message. He also acknowledged the contributions of Palestinian expatriate Farouk Shami, Father Ibrahim Faltas, and the many institutions that helped bring the event to life.
He concluded by saying that lighting the Christmas tree this year is a message of peace rising from Palestinian pain and directed to the entire world — a reaffirmation that Bethlehem’s strength lies in its spiritual mission and in its ability to unite humanity in the spirit of Christmas.
For his part, Dr Ramzi Khoury conveyed President Abbas’s greetings to Palestinian Christians on the occasion of Christmas, noting that the holiday carries a message of hope that emerged from a humble grotto more than two thousand years ago and transformed the world. Khoury emphasised that the birth of Christ is not merely a historical event but a renewal of hope amid the darkness — proof that light always finds its way, even in the harshest of times.
Khoury said this year’s tree-lighting comes as Palestinian hearts remain with the people of Gaza — the martyrs, the wounded, and the detainees. 
He stressed that Bethlehem stands resilient: no siege can extinguish its light, no war can erase its rights, and no occupation can break its will. He described the ceremony as more than a symbolic tradition, but an affirmation of Palestinian unity as churches, institutions and communities gather behind a single message rising from Bethlehem toward freedom and independence.
He added that the Higher Presidential Committee continues its efforts to safeguard the authentic Christian presence in Palestine as an integral part of the national identity and Palestine’s cultural message to the world.
Khoury concluded by expressing hope that the next Christmas will bring genuine peace that guarantees Palestinian rights, dignity and an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.
He thanked the Municipality of Bethlehem and all institutions, security forces and media outlets for helping highlight the city’s message during the Christmas season.
