How will Christmas be celebrated in Judea and Samaria?
The Administration will work to prevent crowding through police enforcement.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFPalestinians light Christmas tree in Manger Square outside the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, November 30, 2019(photo credit: REUTERS/MUSSA QAWASMA)
The Civil Administration of Judea and Samaria, part of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), will coordinate Christmas season events, allowing worshipers to travel to various processions and services starting in November, according to COGAT.The administration will have to contend with the challenge of the coronavirus pandemic and the obstacles it poses to the safety of event participants.The Administration will work to prevent crowding through police enforcement, and unlike in previous years, only church representatives who have coordinated with the Civil Administration in advance will be allowed to exit their cars at the Mar Elias Monastery, where many of the events begin.The first event, opening Christmas season activities in Bethlehem, will be Saint Catherine's Day on November 28th. The Civil Administration will coordinate the passage of a procession that accompanies the custodian of the Holy Land, the custos, from the Mar Elias Monastery to Bethlehem.The major event for the Latin denomination will be held on December 24. It will also begin with a procession from the Mar Elias Monastery to Bethlehem.The Civil Administration is already working to coordinate the events and ensure that worshipers are able to celebrate the holiday season safely.
