1. Go Shopping at a Christmas Market Christmas markets are already set up and operating in various cities around the Holy Land. You can’t beat the main destination – Bethlehem – for a taste of the holiday spirit. The festivities began in November with a Christmas bazaar
Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem On Christmas Eve, at 2:30 pm, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Fouad Twal, arrives at Manger Square and make his solemn entry into the Basilica of the Nativity. There will be lots of excitement throughout the afternoon and
“After the Lord Jesus had talked with them [apostles], he was taken up to heaven and sat at the right side of God.” (Mark 16:19) After his resurrection, Christ appeared to his disciples many times. However, after 40 days since he was brought back to live,
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and [John the Baptist] saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on [Jesus]. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my
The Baptism of the Lord Celebration is a feast commemorating the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River by the John the Baptist. The event is described in the Gospel of Matthew: “Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John” (Matt 3:13). In the Roman Catholic
Some 3,000 local Armenians, pilgrims, representatives of various Christian denominations, tourists and police packed St. James Cathedral in the Armenian Quarter of the Old City here today for the Maundy Thursday ritual of the washing of the feet rite in advance of Eastern Orthodox Easter.
Whereas the Jerusalem Easter service for Catholics and Orthodox Christians takes place at the Holy Sepulchre church, Easter services for Protestants are held at the place revered by them as the site where Jesus died and rose again, the Garden Tomb. The layout of the Garden
Maintaining the trees planted in their honor In 1953 the Knesset (Israeli parliament) passed the Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance (Yad Vashem) Law, which gives particular emphasis «to commemorate the high-minded Gentiles who risked their lives to save Jews». Special legislation recognizes these courageous heroes as
According to the Julian Calendar, which is the liturgical calendar of the Oriental and Orthodox Churches, the Holy Week has begun with the holiday of Palm Sunday. The feast was celebrated to commemorate the day of Jesus’ triumphal entry to Jerusalem almost 2000 years ago. The celebration “Palm Sunday” took its name after the events that happened in
The Dormition of the most holy Theotokos is one of the important feasts in Orthodox Christianity. It is indeed a great feast which depicts ‘falling asleep’ of the Mother of God and her bodily resurrection before being taken up into heaven. This feast is celebrated