Thousands gather in Bethlehem to mark Christmas

Thousands of Christian pilgrims have started gathering in Bethlehem, the site where it’s believed Jesus Christ was born.

The weather has been unseasonably warm in the holy land, spoiling those who had come to see the traditional march by religious leaders to the church of the nativity.

In total nearly a 100,000 people are expected for the celebrations. However, security both in Bethlehem and the wider area, particularly around Jerusalem’s holy sites remains tight with heavy restrictions in place.

Latin Patriach, Fuad Twal, the catholic church’s most senior bishop in the middle East will cap events with a traditional midnight mass from the 4th century church.

His pre-Christmas message is expected to be one of peace, something which seems as elusive as ever in this holiest of lands.

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