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Palestinians in Gaza are slowly bringing back Christmas celebrations in their communities after more than two years of war. Congregants of the Catholic Holy Family Church in Gaza City gathered this week to decorate the church and rehearse for Christmas Mass. NPR's Hadeel Al-Shalchi brings us this report.
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: (Speaking Arabic).
HADEEL AL-SHALCHI, BYLINE: Palestinian children carefully handle a statue of the Virgin Mary as they build a large nativity scene in the Holy Family Church in Gaza. They've just finished twisting ribbon and hanging ornaments on the twinkling Christmas tree nearby. Encouraged by a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in October, the church decided it was time to finally celebrate the season.
UNIDENTIFIED CHOIR: (Singing in non-English language).
AL-SHALCHI: NPR's Anas Baba visited the Catholic church. He met a 13-year-old boy called Yanal al-Sabagh (ph), an organist in the children's choir.
ANAS BABA, BYLINE: For the first time in two years, Yanal and his own folks and colleagues here from the children that I see here - they're going to play the song that's going to play for most of the ceremonies.
AL-SHALCHI: Sabagh is wearing a T-shirt with the Arabic word for survivor written on it. Baba asks him about it.
BABA: (Speaking Arabic).
AL-SHALCHI: Sabagh says it represents how most people at the church feel.
YANAL AL-SABAGH: (Speaking Arabic).
AL-SHALCHI: "When there was war, we didn't celebrate, because of the Israeli attacks," he says. "This Christmas is the best Christmas because we all survived the war."
Sabagh is one of 500 Palestinian survivors from the Holy Family Church congregation that remained in Gaza. The community was made up of at least 1,500 people, according to the church, but many fled or were killed by Israeli strikes. The church itself was struck by the Israeli military last July, killing three people. Church administrator George Antoun says before the war, the celebrations were larger, with even a Santa Claus driving through the city, handing out gifts to kids.
GEORGE ANTOUN: (Speaking Arabic).
AL-SHALCHI: "We used to decorate the church courtyard and our houses," he says. "This year, we're keeping the decorations inside the church."
Sabagh's father, Amin (ph), says that even though this year's celebrations are small, joy is still top of mind.
AMIN: (Speaking Arabic).
AL-SHALCHI: "We're thinking about not only how to make the kids happy, but all of us happy," he says.
With NPR's Anas Baba in Gaza City, I'm Hadeel Al-Shalchi, NPR News, Tel Aviv.
UNIDENTIFIED CHOIR: (Singing in non-English language). Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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