"Oh not so little town of Bethlehem" Bethlehem by Ramonq

Bethlehem is synonymous with Christmas as this was the birthplace of baby Jesus. Christmas carols sang everytime Christmas draws nearer refer to a baby born in a manger as there was no room in the inn at the little town of Bethlehem with visits from the three kings of the orient carrying Christmas presents. Although the event happened 2000 years ago, the fascination for this heart-warming nativity story has not faded as seen from the thousands of pilgrims who visit this place every day, despite the volatile political situation in the Palestine. Busloads of pilgrims brave the checkpoints to cross the wall that divide Israel and the Palestinian territory just to see where it all began for Christendom.

One will notice that Bethlehem is not little anymore. It has grown into a large city populated by Arab Christians and Muslims who live side by side without much trouble. Don't expect to see sheep and lamb in the hillside but lots of non-descipt buildings and plenty of cars on the road that sprawl around the hilly region.

Manger Square

But in the fairly large main square called the Manger Square, lies a complex of church and monastery and has become the focal point for Christmas celebration worldwide. The church is called the Church of Nativity and tradition say that this is where the stable was in which Christ was born.

• Pros:Church of Nativity
• Cons:Border Crossing
• In a nutshell:The premier Christmas venue