Crowd gathers in Bethlehem for Christmas procession

More than 1,000 people gathered in Bethlehem’s Manger Square today, listening to carols playing through loudspeakers and watching the annual Christmas Eve procession into the church that holds the traditional birthplace of Jesus.

As incense wafted nearby, priests and altar boys lined the entrance to the church during the annual parade of religious leaders into the Church of the Nativity.

Hundreds of thousands of tourists used to throng Bethlehem in the weeks before Christmas, and the large square by the church would fill with people on Christmas Eve.

But during the past three years of violence, most potential pilgrims – like most potential tourists – have stayed away from the West Bank town.

The shrivelling economy and continuing Israeli travel restrictions have dampened the celebrations for Palestinians as well this year.

“Participation is very limited because of the closures and checkpoints, people could simply not come,” Bethlehem Governor Zohair Manasra said.

“In spite of that, the Palestinians are insisting on celebrating.”

Few of Bethlehem’s usual decorations are in place: Many of the red, green and blue lights strung over the streets around Manger Square are burned out.

The Palestinian Authority, saying it lacks the money, refused the town its usual decoration budget, forcing local officials to scrounge up on their own cash.

Palestinian Christians complained that Israeli travel restrictions were making it hard for families to gather from across the West Bank for the holiday.

Michel Sabbah, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, said earlier this week that this year’s Christmas message was ”a message of hope and spiritual strength, despite all the obstacles that rise up in the way of peace.”