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The
Feast of St. Saba: |
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December
18th |
The
Greek-Orthodox Church celebrates the feast of St
Saba where a considerable number of people visit the
monastery complex (not open for women).
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St.
Nicolas day: |
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December
19th |
Thousands
of people come to Beit Jala honoring the town's
patron saint. Street parades, fun fairs,
performances, and religious processions are all part
of the celebration in this predominantly Christian
town. Roman Catholics and Lutherans participate with
the Greek Orthodox majority in the city-wide
celebration
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Christmas: |
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December
24th |
Christmas
has a special taste in Bethlehem, as you celebrate
it in the land of Jesus you will feel the religious
atmosphere with the choirs singing at the nativity
square, the procession of the patriarchs in the
morning with scouts from all around Palestine coming
to play and celebrate this glorious feast. At
midnight, there is the midnight mass at the nativity
where also the Palestinian president attends.
On Christmas
day, December 25th, people go the
Shepherds’ Field in Beit Sahour in the afternoon
where they visit the field and pray. Later on a
Candle light march for peace in Palestine is
headed by the local priests and the people of
Bethlehem area.
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The
Baptism of Jesus Christ: |
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January |
In Jordan
River where a prayer and a mass takes place, and
many foreigners, priests and nuns baptize in the
river along with religious people who plead to vow
for a certain thing.
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The
feast of St Theodosios: |
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January 11th
|
The Greek
Orthodox community celebrates the feast of St
Theodosios. The monastery named after him is located
along the route to Mar Saba, and commemorates the
circumvention of King Herod in Jerusalem by the
three wise men. On the saint’s day, the
Greek-Orthodox patriarch from Jerusalem comes at the
monastery and a special mass is held. After the
mass, some entertainment activities are held in the
monastery.
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Palm
Sunday: |
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is a week
before Easter on that day people carry palm and
olive branches and kids decorate their palms with
flowers as they attend the mass and after it watch
the scouts parade in town.
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Easter: |
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During the
fasting there would be daily prayers and on Saturday
the day of the light, people would be waiting for
the light to come from the Holy Sepulchre in
Jerusalem. And once it reaches to Bethlehem area,
celebrations with singing and dancing as everyone
rejoices in the arrival of the light.
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Artas Lettuce Festival: |
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April 17th |
The annual Artas Lettuce Festival will be
held. It usually covers three days filled with
lively folklore and traditional celebrations. We are
ready to adapt or expand your program to include
events of this festival. See for more
www.palestine-family.net
in which the Artas Folklore Center has a special
section:
http://www.palestine-family.net/index.php?nav=223-222&cid=534&did=4712&pageflip=1
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St.
George’s Feast: |
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May 6th |
Held at
Al- Khader Village where many people walk to reach
St. George’s church for prayer. It is worth
mentioning that local Palestinian Christians and
Muslims believe in St. George as he is called Al-
Khader (the Green one) and the bringer of rain.
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The
Apricot Festival: |
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June |
Beit Jala
is well-known for its apricots (mish-mish in
Arabic). It organizes a festival to celebrate this
fruit.
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The
Fakkus Festival: |
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June |
Beit
Sahour holds a festival around the tasty cucumbers
or fakkus that are produced there. The
management at Oush Grab also regularly organizes
special events there.
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The
Feast of Hortus Conclusus: |
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On the
southern side of the Artas valley, opposite the
village, stands the convent and chapel of Hortus
Conclusus (Latin for the Closed Garden, see Songs of
Songs 4:12).
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St
Elijah’s Feast (Mar Elias): |
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On August
2nd |
Local
Christians and Moslems go to Mar Elias north of
Bethlehem on the Hebron road, to visit the monastic
chapel. They join friends, family, and neighbors on
the grounds of the monastery, and picnic under the
olive tree. Some offer gifts as a form of vows to
the monastery such as bread imprinted with an image
of St Elias, bottles of oil and candles. The monks
distribute the sanctified bread to the faithful.
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Virgin Mary’s feast: |
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August 28th
|
People vow
to walk from their homes to St. Mary’s church near
the Gethsemane in Jerusalem.
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The
Grape Festival: |
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During
September |
The
municipality of Al-Khader, a village to the
south-west of Bethlehem, organizes the Grape
Festival to sensitize local and international
organizations involved in agriculture to the needs
of the farmers. The festival includes folk songs,
dances, poetry recitals and exhibits of traditional
handicrafts.
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Heritage Day: |
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October 7th
|
In all
parts of Palestine the National Heritage Day is
celebrated. Exhibits are held of embroidery, olive
wood, mother-of-pearl articles, pottery and
traditional foods are exhibited. Other activities
aim at preserving traditions and customs, including
fances, songs, poetry.
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Olive Harvest Festival: |
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October 25th
|
The Olive
Harvest Festival is celebrated in Bethlehem in an
open-air market on Manger Square with heritage
products.
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Month of Ramadan: |
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August 21st
|
The Moslem
lunar calendar includes 12 months each consisting of
29 or 30 days depending on the movement of the moon.
Therefore the month of Ramadan keeps moving at a
regular pace among the months of the solar calendar.
Various organizations arrange a so-called Iftar (or
breaking the fast) meal around 17:00 in the
afternoon, sometimes also shared by Christians from
the area. You will be welcome to join.
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Eid
al-Fitr: |
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September
21st |
This is a
three-day holiday following the Ramadan fast. During
this holiday, gifts are exchanged and family and
friends are visited. You are invited to join one
such visit.
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The
Moslem al-Adha Feast: |
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November
28th |
Also the
date of this feast changes according to the solar
calendar because Moslem holidays follow the lunar
calendar. This four-day holiday commemorates the
willingness and obedience of the Prophet Abraham or
Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ishmael to God – and
God’s mercy in sending the angel Gabriel to
substitute a lamb for Ishmael. Most of people
sacrifice a lamb or a sheep and distribute the meat
to the poor. The holiday is celebrated with special
food, gifts for children, and visits. We will
arrange a family visit when you come in the period
of this feast.
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The
Aubergine Festival: |
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October
4-5th |
The
village of Battir to the west of Bethlehem organizes
a festival with exhibits, folk wedding songs and
dances, and handicraft and fruit-vegetable exhibits,
The Festival aims to encourage villagers to go back
to agriculture, plant aubergine, and market
aubergine in a professional way.
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St
John’s Day: |
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During St
John’s Day, families in Bethlehem who used to come
from Ein Karem, might join us to Ein Karem and will
tell you about their village and life before 1948. |
