Marching bands were seen in Bethlehem, but this time around fewer people were there to receive them. The Christmas celebrations have taken a hit because of the coronavirus not only in Bethlehem but major cities across the world.
The world is seeing a second wave of coronavirus cases and therefore, the Christmas celebrations were hampered. Bethlehem is considered the holy place, but this year very few people were able to celebrate Christmas in that city.
It was unusual for people to have heard the church bells in Italy before their usual time. All the services were moved up to 10:00 PM because of the curfew that was imposed.
Rome usually becomes the center of attraction for tourists during the Christmas Holidays. But this year the streets of Rome were nearly empty as the coronavirus situation worsens in the country.
Similar situations were seen in Athens where Christmas Eve was horrifyingly silent. There is a tradition of children going to different houses to collect gifts in Athens, but it was banned this year.
This is the story of almost every city in Europe which would otherwise be populated with tourists on Christmas. All this is because Europe has seen a surge in the coronavirus cases during the previous few weeks and restrictions are strictly imposed.
Saint Peter’s Lutheran Church in New York City, which was usually filled with up to 800 people, was reduced to 60 only. These devastating numbers were seen around NYC as the coronavirus cases rise in the region.
People are hopeful that this Christmas will bring joy by ending the coronavirus cases as they see the dawn of the New Year. Despite all the restrictions, people still managed to enjoy this holiday with great zeal and zest.
Despite the hopeful behavior of the people, the fact that the major cities were almost empty is undeniable. Many iconic places like Rio de Janeiro’s beaches were open to the public, but only a limited number of people were allowed.
Around the world, the restrictions have been followed except for a few countries like Australia and Lebanon. Australia has seen less transmission of the coronavirus within the community while Lebanon is facing serious economic issues.
Lebanon has to lift most of the restrictions so people can come back home for the Christmas Holidays. This was just an attempt by the government to attract foreign remittance and currency exchange.
