Mariam Shahin, author of Palestine: A Traveller’s Guide, Ramallah, Palestine
As Muslims, Christianity is part of our culture, as was Judaism before the conflict. Christmas is a holiday for us. It marks the birthday of the prophet Jesus, revered by Muslims.
Ramallah is very lively at Christmastime, with street decorations and services in the Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant and Coptic churches. In fact, there are literally dozens of churches for anyone wishing to do the full tour, including a Quaker Meeting House. We also have a Christmas Bazaar in the Cultural Palace and, if it’s peaceful, concerts, plays and dance performances. There are even hip-hop events for those who find choirs boring.
Many of Ramallah’s restaurants offer special Christmas menus. My favorite is the garden restaurant Zarour, tel: (970-2) 295 6767. For fancier folk, there’s the typically Levantine Darna (darna.ps). I also like Values (values.ps), which serves fabulous Gazan cuisine, and the artists’ eatery Ziryab, tel: (970-2) 295 9093. All sell alcohol.
Raed Saadeh, owner of the Jerusalem Hotel, East Jerusalem
There are three Christmases in Jerusalem—Catholic, Orthodox and Armenian—all celebrated on different dates. For me, Christmas is a symbol of a new dawn: both an end and a beginning, and a reflection on the successes and mishaps of the previous year.
Although Bethlehem is the main focus of Christmas, we in Jerusalem arrange Christmas activities too. On Dec. 24. many hotels and restaurants, such as my own (jrshotel.com), organize special lunches and dinners, and then we like to stay up to watch the midnight Mass from Bethlehem on TV.
But as well as these dedicated Christmas activities, I recommend tourists visit Sabastiya, where John the Baptist was beheaded, or take a hike in the hills around Jericho, near the Dead Sea. The climate there is especially pleasant this time of year, with rich vegetation, abundant birdlife and delicious citrus fruits.
