Bethlehem and the Middle East

Bethlehem is the backdrop to many of the Christmas scenes we associate with the season, but what is it like to celebrate Christmas in the place where Christ was born? In the West, many people do not realize that Christmas is celebrated in the Middle East, yet there are many ancient Christian communities in the region for whom their roots, traditions, and homelands link them to biblical stories. To understand what Christmas means in the Middle East and how it is celebrated reveals the ways in which Christmas traditions are shared and adapted throughout the region in ways that both support and change the way Christians practise their faith in the region. It also deepens our understanding of Muslim–Christian relations and the ways in which religious and cultural traditions can interact to bring communities together.