Palestinians March, Light Candles for State

An estimated 2,000 Palestinians marched to the West Bank village of Beit Sahour on Saturday night concluding a three-day “Shepherd’s Nights Festival” with a show of solidarity by lighting candles in support of the creation of a Palestinian state. The candle-light procession, which has been a mainstay of Christmas season celebrations for two decades, was jointly created by non-governmental agencies. As with other Christmas celebrations, the Palestinians drew on Christian symbolism for support of statehood. Candles were lit in the Valley of the Shepherds, where tradition holds that the angels appeared to the shepherds to inform them of the birth of Jesus in nearby Bethlehem. Beit Sahour itself is one of three towns under Palestinian control that retain a majority of Christians