Despite the collapse of Bethlehem's Christian population, the town is still a place of pilgrimage whose remaining Christians take their faith very seriously. Since Bethlehem is Jesus' birthplace, naturally, Bethlehem's most celebrated holiday is Christmas. But according to the New Arab, Christmas in Bethlehem is celebrated not once, but thrice, owing to the sectarian diversity among pilgrims and the local Palestinian community. Palestinian Christians and pilgrims belong to a myriad of denominations, including Catholics, Orthodox, Armenians, and Protestants. Over time, the various churches have developed calendrical differences that affect the celebration of Christmas. Thus, the holiday is celebrated three times with approximately two weeks between each iteration.
The first Christmas celebration occurs on December 24-25, the holiday's standard date on the Gregorian Calendar. The Orthodox and Greek Catholic Churches, which use the Revised Julian Solar Calendar, celebrate the holiday on January 6-7. Finally, the Armenian Apostolic Church uses the old Julian Solar Calendar, with Christmas falling on January 19.The multiple Christmas celebrations result in a month of festivities, processions, and masses/liturgies. The festivities are attended not only by clergy and faithful but also by local politicians, including presidents Mahmoud Abbas and Yasser Arafat. The different dates for Christmas ensures that the Status Quo Agreement can be maintained, since churches do not compete with each other for space.
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