Digest: Preparations for Christmas in Jerusalem

#0202_A_View_From_West_Jerusalem

"A Christmas Market at the YMCA. It’s worth a visit – a piece of Europe in Jerusalem."

– Jerusalemites FB Group

[Selected Comments:]

– "Really recommended! Just like the trees are abroad."
– "Incredible."
– “[…]The Haredim have no right to interfere…”
-"It’s got nothing to do with Haredim. A Jew doesn’t celebrate a holiday in which Jews were persecuted."
– "It’s BEAUTIFUL there!"
– "We’re Jews – why should this interest us?"
– "Let’s go"

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#0202_A_View_From_East_Jerusalem

"⭐🎁Christmas Special 🎅🎄
Craft & Designer's Market

Friday 14 December, 4 – 9 pm
Al Ma’mal, New Gate, Jerusalem

Join us for a festive holiday season in the old city of Jerusalem with a Christmas market presenting works and products by independent artists, artisans, and designers, as well as hot drinks and food. We will be joined by musicians for live music performances and Christmas carols.

As part of the Jerusalem Nights [1] 12-15/12/2018 ليالي القدس Festival organized with شبكة فنون القدس "شفق" Jerusalem Arts Network, generously supported by the European Union."

– Event Hosted by Al Ma'mal Foundation for Contemporary Art [The source came in English]

**
"Bethlehem is preparing for celebrations [with] lighting the Christmas tree

[Palestinian] Prime Minister Rami Al-Hamdallah, Bethlehem Mayor Vera Baboun and a crowd of clergymen lit the Christmas tree set in the center of the Nativity Square, on Saturday evening, meters from the entrance to the Church of the Nativity, which witnessed The Birth of Christ.

The ceremony was held in the presence of crowds of citizens, foreign tourists and official bodies including the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Rola Maayea, the Governor of Bethlehem Kamel Hameed, the President's Advisor Ziad Al-Bandak, the President of the Fatah Movement, Abbas Zaki and the heads of security and police departments at the Church of the Nativity.

Prime Minister Al-Hamadullah said in his speech: "I am very excited to participate in the lighting of the Christmas tree in this blessed city, which is decorated with Christmas and all its alleys and streets are happy.

Al-Hamadullah said that celebrating the lighting of the Christmas tree in Bethlehem, the home of the Annunciation and the birth of Christ, and close to Jerusalem, the capital of capitals and the flower of cities, is an affirmation that the city of peace sends a message of peace. On this occasion, we open our hearts to the light and mercy to light the Christmas tree to mark the beginning of the celebrations, as we meet today under harsh and grave conditions with the Israeli aggression and with the American administration, which cooperates with Israel and protects it to implement plans to tear down the Palestinian entity and target our land and isolate it completely. As well as targeting Christian and Islamic sanctities, where we face the Israeli policy of Apartheid that aims to uproot us from the land where our forefathers and fathers were buried, and we carry them with all determination and will until victory."

-Al-Quds
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0202 Editor's note
[1] Jerusalem Nights is a seasonal event that aims to celebrate the season, for example, Ramadan or in this case Christmas.

From their event page:
" 'Jerusalem Nights' is a cultural event organized by the Jerusalem Arts Network / Shafak, and the member centers of the network are the largest national cultural centers in Jerusalem.

In the period between 12-15 / 12/2018, where the event includes various artistic events in different locations over a period of 4 days."
– for the event, see: https://tinyurl.com/y7p8cjkw

#Holiday #Christmas
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