Pilgrims gathered in Bethlehem on Saturday for Christmas Eve as Europeans prepared to mark the holidays under the shadow of the Berlin market attack. Dozens of Palestinians and tourists flocked to Bethlehem's Manger Square near the Church of the Nativity, where celebrations will culminate with a midnight mass at the site where Christians believe Jesus was born.
Some snapped selfies near the square's giant Christmas tree and watched the annual Scouts parade in the city, a short drive from Jerusalem in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. "It feels pretty awesome," said Valeria, a 21-year-old from the US state of Wisconsin. "This is my first Christmas away from home... but this is really amazing to be in Bethlehem." Violence put a damper on celebrations in Bethlehem last year, as a wave of knife, gun and car-ramming attacks by Palestinians targeted Israelis and reduced sharply the number of Christmas visitors.
The unrest has subsided in recent months and, with major Bethlehem hotels booked up, many in the city were optimistic that this year's holiday season would bring more visitors. Christians in Syria's Aleppo were also looking forward to celebrations after President Bashar al-Assad's forces retook full control of the city following a rebel withdrawal this week. Members of Aleppo's Catholic minority have been preparing for the first Christmas mass in five years at the Saint Elias Cathedral in the Old City. The famed cathedral's roof collapsed years ago under a salvo of rocket fire, but this week members of the community were clearing out debris to prepare for the service.