Christmas celebrations 2014

Christian palestinians launched fireworks but in the Palestinian territories, Christmas will be a deliberately low-key affair after a July-August war with Israel which left nearly 2,200 Gazans dead and the tiny enclave in ruins in the third such conflict in six years. Cars carrying foreign pilgrims could be seen passing through the festooned streets of Bethlehem early on Wednesday while small groups could be seen gathering in Manger Square ahead of the midnight mass.