Christian pilgrims from around the world have been gathering this Christmas Eve in Bethlehem – revered as the birthplace of Jesus.<br /><br /> Rev. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the acting Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, will lead Midnight Mass.<br /><br /> Before that, crowds in the main Manger Square have been enjoying traditional marching band parades.<br /><br /> Israeli-Palestinian violence in the occupied West Bank has driven tourists away in the past but a relative calm this year means Bethlehem really can boast again that there is no room at the inn.<br /><br /> “It is amazing. I came to see the birthplace of our Lord Saviour Jesus Christ,” said US tourist Tracy Wade.<br /><br /> “I am a Christian so this is a very special time and special place for me. I love the fact that I am able to go in here and visit the place where Christ was born, here in Bethlehem. I feel very fortunate and blessed.”<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /> Crowds gather in Bethlehem ahead of Christmas midnight mass https://t.co/d05iTYqbbc #Bethlehem— AFP news agency (@AFP) 24 décembre 2016<br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /> Tourism is a major source of revenue for the Palestinian economy – and provides livelihoods for about 5,000 families in Bethlehem, which has some 5,000 rooms in 46 hotels.<br /><br /> The main attractions in Bethlehem are the 4th-century Church of the Nativity, built over a grotto where Christian tradition says Jesus was born, and the Christmas tree in Manger Square, where choirs sing carols during the holiday period.<br /><br /> While the security situation is more relaxed now, Israeli roadblocks and a six-metre Israeli-built concrete separation barrier snaking through the landscape are still part of the Bethlehem vista.<br /><br /> with Reuters<br />
