Christmas in Israel
"Mo'adim Lesimkha"
This is Hebrew for "Merry Christmas" but in Israel there are many Christians who celebrate Christmas by going to the church built on the exact spot where Jesus was born. Thousands of people visit the Church of the Nativity which is usually ablaze with flags and decorations at Christmas. The manger, down deep winding stairs, can be found in a grotto with a silver star and fifteen silver lamps shining above it. Around the star is the inscription "Here of the Virgin Mary Jesus Christ was born."
People watch the dramatic annual procession led by galloping horsemen and police mounted on Arabian horses. Christian homes are marked with a red cross on the door. They have a silver star on a pole in the middle of the village square.
Pilgrims often visit Bethlehem at Christmas time. They fill Manger Square and enjoy the Christmas atmosphere. Afterwards they might go into the fields where the shepherds heard the good news of Jesus' birth.
