What is Christmas Eve in Bethlehem like?

People from all over the world join the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and Franciscan friars at the site of Jesus’ birth.

In the town where Jesus was born, the Nativity of Christ is celebrated with liturgies and processions that have been repeated from time immemorial. For the Western Church’s observance of the feast, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem makes a special visit to Bethlehem and presides over a number of celebrations. Not too many people are fortunate enough to be inside the Church of St. Catherine for the liturgies, especially Midnight Mass, but thousands of pilgrims gather in Manger Square outside.

These photos offer a sampling of the sights and atmosphere on that “Holy Night.”