(Frankfurt) Christians around the world sought to put aside worries and fears of an unstable, war-torn world on Christmas Eve as they prepared to celebrate the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.
Believers in Syria gathered Sunday in a country still suffering the consequences of a long civil war and a stifling economic blockade. Despite the festive lights and Christmas decorations adorning homes and storefronts in the capital, Damascus, events in Gaza and ongoing fighting in parts of the country have affected the holiday mood.
PHOTO LOUAI BESHARA, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Syrians walk past Christmas decorations at a market in the capital Damascus, December 23, 2023.
In Yabroud, a town north of Damascus, worshipers gathered at the Cathedral of Saint Constantine and Saint Helena to listen to Christmas carols sung by the Damascus Joy Choir. “Everyone should try, with what the Lord has given them, to spread joy to help end this sorrow,” said choir member Fadi Homsi.
Bethlehem, the usually bustling biblical birthplace of Jesus, resembled a ghost town on Sunday after Christmas Eve celebrations were canceled due to the war between Israel and Hamas.
PHOTO CLODAGH KILCOYNE, REUTERS
Nativity Square and Church of the Nativity on the morning of Christmas Eve, in Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank.
Prosperous and largely secular Europe celebrated the holiday in historic cathedrals and illuminated markets, with underlying tension from the war in Gaza and the one even closer to home in Ukraine. Wages that have yet to catch up with inflation dampened the mood during the shopping and dining season, just before the holiday season.
Tourist visits were banned at Germany’s iconic cathedral in Cologne, and Christmas Eve worshipers were subject to security checks to access midnight mass on Sunday, as police responded to reports from a potential attack. Officials nevertheless urged people not to hesitate to celebrate the holidays due to fear.
Auxiliary Bishop Rolf Steinhaeuser greeted those attending services with a relaxed smile and expressed thanks for police security efforts, a day after the cathedral was searched with sniffer dogs. With several dozen police officers on duty outside, he said it was “probably the most secure church service in all of Germany.”
In Austria, police said they were also beefing up security around churches and Christmas markets in Vienna, apparently in response to the same reports of a threat. Authorities did not provide further information, but the dpa news agency reported, without citing a source, that the threat came from an Islamic extremist group.
Ukraine is preparing to make Christmas a public holiday for the first time, on December 25, after aligning the date with those of Western European countries. President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a law in July that moved the holiday from January 7 to December 25, when it is celebrated by the Russian Orthodox Church and one of Ukraine’s two competing Orthodox churches.
Some Eastern Orthodox churches continue to use the ancient Julian calendar, according to which Christmas falls 13 days later.
A note attached to the law said its goal was “to abandon Russian heritage” and cited “the desire of all Ukrainians to live their lives with their own traditions and holidays.”
“The nights before Christmas are the longest of the year. However, the day has already begun to lengthen and light has begun to prevail. The light becomes stronger. The darkness will eventually lose. Evil will be defeated,” Mr. Zelensky said on Sunday in a video speech.
Tensions in Pakistan
In Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province, Christians whose homes were destroyed or damaged by a Muslim mob in August celebrated in the town of Jaranwala amid fear. Christians fled their homes to escape the attackers and returned to scenes of destruction.
Ratan Bhatti, a resident of Jaranwala, maintained that Christmas would not be like before. “In the past, every house was lit and decorated with stars,” he said. People still live in fear and sorrow. Our largest church was burned. It’s hard to forget that day. »
The carnage was one of the most destructive attacks on Christians in Pakistan’s history and sparked nationwide condemnation. This minority, among Pakistan’s poorest, faces an increasingly intolerant atmosphere in the predominantly Muslim country, where radical religious and sectarian groups have become more prominent.
Local priest Khalid Mukhtar said the residents of Jaranwala were yet to come out of their trauma. “We have yet to see the traditional spirit of Christmas. We try to motivate people to celebrate the festival with traditional fervour. »
“We are determined to celebrate it,” added Mr. Mukhtar.