As a child, I always thought Christmas in Jerusalem would be magical.
The reality, I have discovered, is that our obviously Jewish neighborhood has no interest in celebrating Christmas.
Being here, in the Holyland, is amazing,
but I was missing the feeling of celebration in the air.
Gratefully, we were able to go to Nazareth in the north last weekend.
On Friday night, our dear friend Fadoul Mazzawi from church (and his children), took us on a spectacular adventure through his hometown.
Although we typically avoid loud concerts and big crowds,
this night was magical, both for the company and
for the celebration of the birth of our Savior.
Downtown Nazareth was festive.
Amazingly, we walked through this crowd with 8 kids, 3 adults, and one stroller without losing anyone!
Being the perfect, hospitable Arab host, Fadoul found us refuge on a balcony overlooking the festivities. It was an ideal place to look down on the celebration below.
I don't know how this angel and Santa Claus survived the crowd on stilts!
After, we were treated to a delicious dinner at a local restaurant.
It was a treat to celebrate Christmas with friends in Nazareth. Thank you Mazzawis!
So glad to be able to read this and walk through it vicariously with you!
ReplyDelete