Christmas is not traditionally celebrated in Israel, or at least it’s not an official state holiday like Hanukkah, the start of which coincides with Christmas eve this year.
Nevertheless, a little under 200,000 Christians live in Israel, according to the latest statistics, making up nearly two percent of the population.
Additionally, commercialization of the Christian festival appears to have broken the borders of religion, with Christmas-related merchandise now found in some Israeli stores, while international streaming services like Netflix are filled to the brim with winter holiday content.
It’s no wonder, then, that more and more events associated with the holiday are being staged across Israel. We’ve compiled a few of them for you to enjoy if you’re celebrating Christmas in the Holy Land.
Jerusalem
Israel’s capital is celebrating the winter holiday season with a series of cultural events that incorporate both Hanukkah and Christmas. The events include family activities, performances and tours.
Many of the events were organized by the Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage, in cooperation with the Jerusalem Municipality and the Jerusalem Development Authority.
Among the events is the Christmas Market at Jerusalem International YMCA, which recently hosted the annual Jerusalem Christmas tree lighting ceremony. The market includes stunning light displays, and holiday-themed food and arts stalls offering Christmas-related goodies, handmade crafts, pastries, sweets and hot drinks.
The market is open to the public December 12-21, between 6pm-10pm. Entry tickets cost 10 shekels; children under 10 admitted for free.
Guests can also enter the market for free if they purchased tickets to a YMCA Christmas Concert, set to take place at the same location on December 24 at 7:30pm. The concert will feature performances by over 80 artists, including various Jerusalem-based orchestras and choirs belting out popular Christmas tunes.
If you wish to be immersed in the winter landscape in this warm Israeli weather, the Jerusalem Botanical Garden offers the “Winter Dreams” light sculpture exhibition, which features one of the largest light sculpture displays in the world.
Additionally, the Tower of David Jerusalem Museum offers a special winter holiday tour for people under the age of 35. The tour seeks to teach the guests about the origins of Christmas and understand its connection to the holidays of light in other cultures.
When I first moved to Israel from the UK in the early 1990s, Christmas was a difficult time of year for me.
Israel may be the birthplace of Christianity, but you’d never have guessed it. In the 1990s, this was a land without Christmas. No carols, no trees, no celebrations of any kind, and definitely no corny Christmas movies on TV, or songs about reindeer playing in every shop.
Tel Aviv-Jaffa
The Tel Aviv-Yafo municipality this year is staging “Lighting Up Jaffa” events to mark the winter holiday season, also incorporating both Christmas and Hanukkah.
This year’s events feature a giant menorah and Christmas tree. The tree-lighting ceremony took place December 15 at the Jaffa Clock Tower square, in collaboration with the Orthodox Scouts of Jaffa. The tree will be illuminated through January 19.
Meanwhile, on some days the Jaffa Flea Market will transform into a festive Christmas bazaar, with local businesses offering food, crafts, art and more. Alongside the vibrant market, you can enjoy Jaffa Christmas tours, plays, cultural performances and art workshops.
Nazareth
Nazareth, the northern Israeli city with rich biblical history associated with Christmas, is also set to stage a few winter holiday events. The events this year have been significantly scaled down due to the war with the Lebanese Hezbollah terror group.
On Christmas Eve, December 24, the annual Nazareth Christmas Parade will start at Mary’s Well around 3pm, and continues down Paul VI Street, Nazareth’s main street. Later that day, you can attend the midnight Mass at the Church of the Annunciation.
Additionally, as part of the sixth annual Nazareth Liturgical Festival, a special Christmas concert is scheduled for December 24 at Christ Anglican Church.
On Christmas Day, all Catholic churches in the city will hold a festive Mass in the morning hours.
Haifa
Haifa is another northern city with a significant Christian population that had to majorly scale down the public winter holiday events this year due to the war.
The city still decorated its streets to mark both Hanukkah and Christmas, incorporating Muslim symbols in honor of the holiday of Eid-al-Adha, across the city’s central squares: the German Colony, Ben-Gurion Boulevard and the Wadi Nisnas Market. These decorations will remain up until January 15.
Beit Hagafen, Haifa’s Jewish Arab cultural center, will also host a series of events incorporating the aforementioned holidays.
The Galilee
The Galilee is another region with a significant Christian population, and this area also was damaged by the Lebanon war.
This year, Acre (Akko) in the Western Galilee is staging its first Christmas Market, set to run from December 20-22, from 5pm until the late evening.
Meanwhile, the villages of Kfar Yasif, Tarshiha, Beit Jann, and Mi’ilya, which is entirely Christian, have already decorated their streets with Christmas lights. In these villages you can book a Christmas tour or a unique workshop. You can also book culinary tours or enjoy other winter activities.
After the year these communities have lived through, they could certainly do with a little boost of morale. Just in time for the holidays!
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