Bethlehem rings in more hopeful Christmas
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Thousands of pilgrims and a new Palestinian leadership are celebrating Christmas in the town of Jesus&#39;s birth with prayers for peace after the death of Yasser Arafat.
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BETHLEHEM, West Bank  - Hundreds of pilgrims and a  new Palestinian leadership celebrated Christmas in the town of  Jesus's birth on Saturday with new hopes for peace following  Yasser Arafat's death.
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As the faithful marked Christmas Day, political and religious leaders called for peace and reconciliation amid flickers of hope in places long plagued by conflict.
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Christians around the world have begun celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, with observances marking Christmas Eve. In Bethlehem, the town of Jesus&#39;s birth, Israel has relaxed travel restrictions
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As customers flock to buy brightly colored baubles and flashing lights, some church leaders hope the new interest in Christmas will lead to interest in Christianity.
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In Bethlehem, the town where Christians believe Christ was born, an estimated 3,000 Christians have moved abroad.
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With the lighting of a candle for peace in his window, Pope John Paul began Christmas holiday celebrations that posed a new test for his frail health not long after visitors celebrated in Bethlehem.
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BETHLEHEM, West Bank -- The floors are polished, a Christmas tree glitters near the bar, and the dining room is ready for hundreds of guests: The luxury Paradise Hotel is open for business for the first time since the latest Palestinian uprising erupted in 2000.
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Peace appeals are heard as Palestinian leaders join Christmas festivities in the town of Bethlehem.
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VATICAN CITY  - In a Christmas shadowed by violence and the threat of conflict around the world, Pope John Paul II expressed &quot;great apprehension&quot; over the situation in Iraq but optimism at the outlook in the Palestinian crisis.
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A life-sized Nativity scene is seen in front of the obelisk and near the Christmas tree in St. Peter&#39;s Square at the Vatican after the unveiling ceremony, Friday, Dec. 24, 2004.
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BETHLEHEM, West Bank  - Muslims and Christians united in the hope that the festive season will herald a new dawn after four years of violence, attending midnight mass in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ.
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Pope John Paul II led prayers for peace and a more tranquil future, pilgrims flocked to Bethlehem and Iraqis stayed away from church for fear of bomb attacks as Christians around the world celebrated Christmas over the weekend.
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BETHLEHEM, West Bank Israel is passing out candy as it allows people to freely travel into Bethlehem this Christmas Eve. Officials say they expect some five thousand people today and tomorrow to visit the town where Jesus was born.
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The occupied city of Bethlehem in the West Bank has been witnessing an atmosphere overwhelmed by sadness while celebrating Christmas because of the continued Israeli occupation, the besiege and building the wall of separation.
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The story of a special Christmas treeâ¦ and wishes for a happy holiday season.
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TIKRIT, Iraq, Dec. 25  -- The roaring bonfire licked the dark sky as Jennifer and Jeremiah Pray leaned closer to the pulsing warmth. Their faces glowing, their eyes bright, they relished their first Christmas Eve together in more than three years of marriage, not to mention the brief respite from the war going on around them.