Bethlehem shines on Christmas Eve celebrations

Bethlehem looks beautiful on Christmas Eve, with residents and tourists gathering throughout the evening, as everything reaches its peak at midnight.

The city is decorated with lights and Christmas motifs, and the festive atmosphere can be felt at every step. The large Christmas tree placed in the main square is especially significant; people gather around it to take photos and videos, making this area one of the busiest parts of the city, CE Report quotes Kosova Press.

Food and drink stalls are set up in several locations in the city center, and among the crowds there are many families with children.

As the crowd grows toward midnight, the heart of the celebrations is the Church of the Nativity (the Basilica of the Nativity), one of the most important Christian holy sites in the world.

The church was built on the site that Christian tradition has associated with the birth of Christ since the second century. The first church was constructed in the 4th century during the reign of the Roman Emperor Constantine, and the present basilica largely dates from a 6th-century renovation. For this reason, it is often described as the oldest major church preserved in the Holy Land.

As reported by CE Report, beneath the main altar lies the Grotto of the Nativity, and the spot traditionally believed to be the birthplace of Christ is marked by a 14-point silver star bearing a Latin inscription.

The basilica has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2012.