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Illumination of a Christmas tree in the city of NazarethChristmas celebrations in Nazareth, 1986.Christmas tree at the holiday celebrations in Haifa, 2021
Christmas celebrations in Israel are few compared to other places in the world. Since only 2.5% of the country's population are Christians and Christmas is not one of Israel's holidays, Christmas is not a common holiday in Israel, this is due to the fact that the country was set up around Judaism, not Christianity. However, the Christmas story took place according to tradition in the Holy Land, in the territories of the State of Israel and in the areas under its control.[1] Among the places associated with Christmas are some of the holiest sites for Christianity, such as the city of Nazareth. These sites are also an attraction for pilgrimage to Holy Land. Special Christmas ceremonies are held throughout Israel in Christian churches alongside Christmas concerts, markets, bazaars, processions, sermons and events.
Christmas symbols are visible in areas with Christian populations such as Jaffa, Haifa, Nazareth, and the Old City of Jerusalem. Even in neighborhoods where communities of Jewish Aliyah from the Soviet Union, many of whom celebrate Christmas, there is a greater presence of the holiday's symbols.[2] The Nazareth Municipality illuminates Christmas lights and outdoor markets that celebrate Christmas,[2] and the Haifa Municipality promotes a series of outdoor events called "The Holiday of the Holidays" that appeal to believers of the three monotheistic religions. Beyond that, Christmas symbols are not common throughout Israel. Christmas celebrations are also less commercialized than in much of the Western world, because Judaism and Islam are the two main religions of Israel.[1]
During the British Mandate, the holiday was widely celebrated and the Mandatory government offices were closed. Also, towards the end of the mandate, the British High Commissioner sent a letter in honor of the holiday [3] and the ceremonies were broadcast on radio and screened.[4] With the establishment of the state of Israel, these ceremonies continued to be broadcast on Israeli radio.[5]
Christmas celebrations inIsrael are few compared to other places in the world. Since only 2.5% of the country's population are Christians and Christmas...
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. It is bordered by Lebanon to the north, Syria to the...
the third largest religion inIsrael, after Judaism and Islam. At the end of 2022, Christians made up 1.9% of the Israeli population, numbering approximately...
ongoing Israel–Hamas war in their unanimous decision to cancel celebrations. Christmas Day is celebrated as a major festival and public holiday in countries...
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albums" in a 2003 Christianity Today review. New Breed is the backing band of Israel Houghton. Many of Israel's album releases are credited to Israel & New...
Judaism portal Christianity and Judaism Christmas and holiday season Christmas controversies ChristmasinIsrael Jews and Halloween The Chanukah Song The...
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Bayt Laḥm, pronunciation; Hebrew: בֵּית לֶחֶם Bēṯ Leḥem) is a city in the Israeli-occupied West Bank of the State of Palestine, located about ten kilometres...
A Timeless Christmas is a Christmas album released in 2006 by Israel & New Breed. "Nutcracker Overture" "Everybody Knows" "Hark" (featuring Matthew Ward)...
minority inIsrael, accounting for 18.1% of the country's total population. Most of this figure is represented by the Arab citizens of Israel, who are...
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instead of Hebrew letters. Israeli Jews or Jewish Israelis (Hebrew: יהודים ישראלים Yêhūdīm Yīśrāʾēlīm) comprise Israel's largest ethnic and religious...
the First World War around Christmas 1914. The truce occurred five months after hostilities had begun. Lulls occurred in the fighting as armies ran out...
The history of ancient Israel and Judah spans from the early appearance of the Israelites in Canaan's hill country during the late second millenium BCE...
United States in Jerusalem, which was established on the grounds of the former Consulate General of the United States in Jerusalem. Israeli prime minister...
For exact dates in the Gregorian calendar see Jewish and Israeli holidays 2000–2050. Public holidays inIsrael are national holidays officially recognized...
Ethiopic characters. The Beta Israel, or Ethiopian Jews, are an African community of the Jewish diaspora. They coalesced in the Kingdom of Aksum and the...
Armenians inIsrael and Palestine (Hebrew: ארמנים; Arabic: أَرْمَنِيُّون) make up a community of approximately 5,000–6,000 Armenians living in both Israel and...
active in New York City. The group, which expresses support for the Palestinian right to resist against Israel, has been one of the key organizers in the...
Plan, Israel dismantled all military institutions and settlements in Gaza and there is no longer a permanent Israeli military or civilian presence in the...
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