Tom wanted to go to midnight mass in Israel, so we inquired about locations near us at the hotel. When the concierge mentioned that he might be able to get a couple of tickets to the mass in Bethlehem we knew we had to go. This was one of those once in a lifetime opportunities.....midnight mass at the spot where Jesus was born...WOW!
We got picked up at 8:00pm with a wonderful guide and another couple to head to Bethlehem. I had no idea that Bethlehem, a mere 20 minute drive from Jerusalem, is in fact a Palestinian owned area. Therefore, to enter we exited an Israeli military checkpoint and crossed through a Palestinian military checkpoint. At each checkpoint we had to show our passports and explain what we were doing. Everyone seemed fairly friendly but you could feel the tension passing through the different sides. Bethlehem itself is surrounded by a 30 foot high concrete wall on all sides to separate it from Israel. It's almost surreal to think about and see. It is actually even illegal for Israelis to go into Palestinian territory and vice-versa. When talking to some staff at our hotel we asked them if they have ever gone or would ever go to Bethlehem and they said "Of course not". They explained that not only is it illegal, but if they did go it would only cause trouble and they would likely get teased at a minimum, or much worse. All of the people that we met throughout Israel were amazing...no matter what their religion. Therefore, it made it all the more sad to see these warm-hearted, great people at odds against each other over deep seeded religious beliefs and the right to pieces of land. But, as Tom and I went through our trip we came to realize that although most of the "commoners" want peace it will definitely be a long, long road ahead due to the fact that the conflict has been going on for so many years and that the area they are fighting over is so very holy and important to each religion.
I digress. After passing through the checkpoint we stopped at a cute little restaurant for a traditional Middle Eastern meal of hummus, kebabs, roasted chicken, Israeli salad, tabbouleh, pita and more. It was all so fresh and tasty. Tom and I decided we could eat this cuisine every single day!
After dinner we headed into a very crowded Bethlehem. We walked through the city which was wonderfully decorated for Christmas and headed to the main square. They had choirs performing Christmas carols and there were beautiful Christmas lights everywhere. Our guide walked us into the old part of the Church. This church was built on the site where the manager was located...THE manger, the one where Jesus was born....talk about incredibly cool! There were long lines to go down into the shrine. And there were a number of religious pilgrims on their knees praying and weeping in the church. After our visit we headed over to the newer part of the church for mass. It was, no surprise, standing room only and completely packed. The President of Palestine even attended the mass. So, if there wasn't already a ton of security, there was a ton more! The mass was in Latin and I loved hearing the traditional Christmas carols in a different language. After mass we filed out with the crowds to catch our ride back to Jerusalem. As we were filing out I was looking around the streets there was this fascinating dichotomy. On the one hand you had this wonderful Christmas celebration in such a holy place with beautiful decor and tradition. And, on the other hand you had more police and military security than you could imagine...an ever present reminder that in this holy area such a major conflict exists. And, while it seemed a bit odd to me, who isn't used to it, It really is the norm for those living in Israel.
After a short trip home we were exhausted and quickly fell asleep to rest up for our next big day!
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| Our official tickets...notice that they say FREE. Our were not free, capitalism at its finest! |
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| The darling Palestinian woman who cooked us dinner at her restaurant |
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| Graffiti on the wall separating Bethlehem, Palestinian Territory |
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| The Wall |
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| In Bethlehem...heading to mass |
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| Lots of great Christmas lights |
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| The Palestinian version of Starbucks |
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| Lots of military out for midnight mass |
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| Bethlehem Peace Center |
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| Inside the Church...this church is built on the spot where Jesus was born in the manger |
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| The site of the manger...an incredibly holy spot. There was a huge line to get here and tons of religious pilgrims |
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| Beautiful Mosaics |
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| Tom at the entrance to the manger shrine |
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| Outside the church |
