Due to the war in the Gaza Strip, Christmas celebrations in Jordan will be smaller this year.
Christmas celebrations in Jordan’s Christian churches will be limited to prayers and liturgical celebrations this year. We ask that all other Christmas activities and celebrations be canceled “out of respect for the innocent victims and the pure blood of our martyrs in Gaza and throughout Palestine,” according to a report from the Arab-Christian portal “Abouna” on the night of Monday. in a statement from the council of church leaders in Jordan, as Kathpress reported.
This is done as a sign of respect and solidarity towards the innocent victims caused by the ongoing military operations in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian Territories. Christmas bazaars, scout campaigns and the distribution of gifts to children, among other things, must be eliminated. Christmas decorations should also be avoided.
The council also specified that next Sunday’s collection will be destined for the Gaza Strip, citing donation channels that some of the churches have created for this purpose. Prayer must be dedicated to peace.
The call to cancel events related to the Christmas season came from the Council of Church Leaders in Jordan. After a meeting last Thursday, November 2, in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Amman, the heads of the Kingdom’s churches and ecclesial communities issued a joint statement. In it, the heads of churches in Jordan also declare that they share the “position” taken by King Abdullah II regarding the atrocities in the Holy Land and that they support all efforts that aim to “silence the voice of war”.