The Holy Land's largest Christian town has traditionally received far fewer pilgrims than either Jerusalem or Bethlehem, which are about 150 kilometres to the south. But Nazarenes are convinced that they would see a greater share of the pilgrims at Christmas, Easter and other times if their story was better known.God's messenger, the archangel Gabriel was said to have descended to Nazareth to tell Mary that she had been chosen to be the mother of Jesus -- the annunciation -- and it was here to which Jesus returned as a child after escaping to Egypt with Mary and Joseph to avoid be killed by the Judean King, Herod the Great.
Nazareth's 20,000 Christians, who all hold Israeli nationality but generally consider themselves Palestinian, embrace Christmas with a religious passion that is sometimes lacking in many Christian-majority countries.
"We believe in Jesus of Nazareth and that he has a special relationship to our town," said Bishara Webweh, a Greek Orthodox married to a Roman Catholic whose Christian name means annunciation, as he stood surrounded by thousands of Christmas lights and decorations as well as several Christmas trees, Santa Clauses and a homemade creche in what is believed to be the biggest Christmas shop in the Holy Land.
Because Christians are a minority within a minority in the Jewish state, and in Nazareth, where the other two-thirds of the population is Muslim, "we have to come really close together to feel the Christmas spirit," said Sherbel Shukri, who is a Maronite Catholic. "We do not have a Christmas with the big bright lights and fireworks that you might have in Paris or London or New York, but there are a lot of family parties all week long.
"I have Muslim and Jewish friends, but Christians stick together because, like minorities everywhere in the world, we suffer because there are so few of us."
Nazareth's 40,000 Muslims have little to do with Christmas, although a few purchase decorations so that there children can have a visit from "Pere Noel," Webweh said.
No Jews live in Nazareth although there is a small Jewish enclave nearby and they, too, sometimes buy Christmas presents for their children, he said.
"Since the Lebanon war two years ago, business has been very difficult for us because not many Christian tourists have come to Nazareth," Webweh said.
"For example, business this Christmas is very slow. But the numbers of visitors is starting to grow again."
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