Chanukah and Christmas Arrive Together to Light Up the Holy Land

The holy days of Christmas and Chanukah arrived on the same evening, providing celebrants in Israel and the Palestinian territories a rare pleasant diversion from daily tensions. Jewish Israelis ushered in the Festival of Lights as the Sabbath ended, the first of eight lights burning in windows throughout the country on Saturday night. Chanukah lighting is a religious observance practiced by a vast majority of Israelis regardless of their overall religious affiliation. At the same time, thousands of locals mixed with tourists from around the world in Bethlehem, the epicenter being Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity, the traditional birthplace of Jesus where midnight mass was held. Both Israeli and Palestinian tourism officials said the numbers of visitors are up compared to last year.