Christmas is approaching and pilgrims and tourists have begun to arrive, crowding the souvenir shops that line the narrow streets and alleys of Bethlehem, the biblical town revered as Jesus’ birthplace. But when visitors choose to take a piece of the Holy Land back home with them, they better check the labels.
Category: Christmas
Norwich church hosts production of A Christmas Carol
Moss Banks Productions is presenting a stage adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol at St John Maddermarket Church, in Norwich. Photo: supplied by Moss Banks Productions.
Weak UK pound an early Christmas present for Irish shoppers
A border crossing south of Newry, Northern Ireland, is marked only by billboards for money-changing kiosks and cut-price fuel in this image taken Monday, Dec. 19, 2016. The introduction of the European Union common market allowed the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom to remove all customs searches and import restrictions from the 310-mile Irish border a quarter-century ago.
Thousands of faithful celebrate Christmas in Bethlehem
Thousands of pilgrims and tourists from around the world together with locals began Christmas Eve celebrations in Jesus’ traditional birthplace of Bethlehem on Saturday, raising spirits after a tense year that saw a spike in violence between Palestinians and Israelis. The faithful braved the chilly weather outside Manger Square as traditional Christmas songs like “Jingle Bells” played in Arabic over loudspeakers and scout groups paraded with bagpipes and sang carols.
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Churches will be holding Christingles and midnight mass on Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day services. Children can bring a noiseless toy to St Andrews Church, Worden Lane, Leyland, Sunday from 10.30am.
CLOSED: London Paddington will be closed for six days as improvement works take place
THERE could be chaos for commuters this Christmas as Great Western Railway will not be operating services from London Paddington. No train services will be able to operate from Christmas Eve up to and including Thursday, December 29 between London Paddington and Ealing Broadway.
Truck mows through German holiday market, killing 9
A passenger in the truck, which stopped after running down several vendor stands, was among the dead in a Berlin market. – A truck rammed into a crowded Christmas market in central Berlin on Monday evening, killing at least nine people and injuring around 50 as it tore through tables and wooden stands.
Chris Evans is in festive spirits for BBC Christmas party
Chris Evans is in festive spirits for BBC party: DJ, 50, wears snowflake jumper and Santa hat to Christmas lunch Making his way to the party in London after his Breakfast Show at the BBC Radio 2 studios, the 50-year-old sported a snowflake jumper and Santa hat with cycling shorts, leggings, and multicoloured Nike trainers. Playing Sir Derek Jacobi’s on-screen wife in the hit BBC series Last Tango In Halifax has sparked some real-life tension between the thespian and his co-star Anne Reid.
A Christmas tale of thievery
Sylvia was partial to the idea of spending Christmas in New York City, of seeing the big tree, shopping at the original Macy’s and such. But Tom had that TV preacher’s spiel bouncing around in his head: Christmas in the Holy Land.
Ap Photos: Editor selections from the past week in Asia
In this Friday, Dec. 16, 2016, photo, Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, left, share a light moment during their visit to the Kodokan judo hall in Tokyo. Russia and Japan agreed Friday to hold talks on joint economic development on four islands at the center of a territorial dispute between the countries.
On this day from Monday, December 19 2016
At the Memorial Hall Mr S W Free of Bristol won the prize for Best In Show with a sable called Rex. 1960: A large congregation attended a Carol service given by the Newspaper House Choir Swindon at Chiseldon Parish Church.
Prince Harry’s ordinary Christmas wish is a world away from average
For the ordinary person, an ordinary Christmas is not something for the Santa list. Christmas, for your ordinary person, is the time of year when we strive for exceptional.
Early morning rail delays into London
Early morning rail services between East Anglia and London were disrupted after Network Rail engineering work overran between Seven Kings and Shenfield. The first trains got through the work on what is expected to be one of the busiest shopping days of the year at about 9.30am.
Community search for child who sent letter to dead dad in heaven by attaching it to a balloon
A CHILD’S Christmas letter to their dad has sparked a hunt for its author after it was found in a field in Scotland attached to a balloon. The heartfelt wishlist told of how much they were missing their daddy in heaven and how they dreamed that he could leave them a note under their pillow.
Troubles drive tourists away from Turkey, home of St. Nick
The jagged Taurus Mountains rise on one side of the church, while the Mediterranean Sea gleams in the distance on the other. The bougainvillea is in bloom, the orange trees bursting with ripe fruit.
UK faces strike-hit Christmas by post, train and air
The United Kingdom faces a Christmas of discontent as labour unions threaten to disrupt airports, rail services and mail deliveries. The Unite union and aviation services company Swissport announced negotiation plans Saturday intended to avert a Dec. 23 walkout by 1,500 baggage handlers, check-in staff and other workers at 18 regional airports from Belfast to Bournemouth.
Appeal launched to send ‘tokens for Faith’ to bring a smile to…
Faith Constance has been diagnosed with cancer. To raise her spirits her parents have launched an appeal on Facebook called “Tokens for Faith” and more than a hundred people have sent letters and gifts.
Festive misery for travellers as airport crews vote to strike
TENS of thousands of festive travellers are facing the prospect of holiday misery after unions announced a series of strikes at Scotland’s three biggest airports in the days running up to Christmas. Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen are among 18 UK airports targeted by the Unite union as more than 1500 check-in staff, baggage handlers and cargo crew stage a 48-hour walk-out in the runup the December 25. Members of Unite employed by Swissport will walk out on December 23 and 24 at other airports including Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Bournemouth, Cardiff, Doncaster, East Midlands, Gatwick, Heathrow, Leeds/ Bradford, Luton, Manchester, Newcastle, Southampton and Stansted.
Santa Claus and Rudolph Spotted Riding Motorcycles in Dublin, Ireland
Martha Hudson filmed Santa and Rudolph on their joy ride as she was driving with her sister. Her 5-year-old daughter and her 7-year-old nephew were in the backseat.
St. Nicholas to Santa Claus: The birth of an icon
The character of Santa Claus has come a long way over the years. We know him today as a jolly, magical elf who brings goodies and toys for good girls and boys across the world.
Clinton mega donor George Soros leads line-up of liberal…
Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will spend a private Christmas with the Middleton family rather than joining the Queen at Sandringham Michelle bites back: The First Lady steps up the Obamas’ war with Trump as she tells Oprah Americans have no ‘hope’ now that he’s weeks from the Oval Office and suggests a ‘grown up’ should be in charge Russian-speaking hacker known as Rasputin breached US agency in charge of monitoring voting machines and tried to sell the info to ‘a Middle Eastern government’ Prove it or shut up, Russia tells CIA: Putin’s spokesman accuses US of being ‘extremely scurrilous’ over hacking allegations Trump is urged to enact Muslim surveillance program to prevent Islamic terrorism: ‘We can’t worry about political correctness,’ says GOP congressman Republican elector who plans to vote against Trump is a ‘9/11 faker’ whose claim to be a first responder at the Pentagon is FALSE … (more)