Christmas this year again comes at a time when peace is still elusive in the Middle East.
The town of Bethlehem where the first Christmas began, there is still tension as visitors make their way to the Biblical birth place.
The war in Gaza in recent times may have winded down a bit, but fighting and incidents of violence have been far from over.
The last couple of years, Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem were canceled due to the war as the thousands of tourists who normally would fill Manger Square were not there
And the famous Christmas tree, usually in the middle of the square, was not there, with no carols sung or Christmas market stands open.
But this year Christmas celebrations are back this year according to news reports.
But as one report put it, “peace and joy have yet to arrive.”
There is still a cautious feeling those there say as they hope and pray for a Christmas in Bethlehem this year is more like what it is supposed to be all about, as Linus once famously said.
(Photo Getty Images)