Christmas celebrations 2021 Once Again COVID means scaled-back Christmas celebrations around the world From Bethlehem and Frankfurt to London and Boston, coronavirus growth has stalled Christmas Eve for a second year, forcing churches to cancel or reduce services and disrupt travel planning and family reunions.
Drummers and bagpipers marched through Bethlehem in front of a smaller crowd than usual after the new Israeli travel ban aims to slow down the highly contagious form of Omicron, with international tourists reportedly away from the city where Jesus was born.
One line halfway through Germany’s huge Cologne Cathedral has been cut, not for the midnight mass, but for the vaccination. Cathedral Provost Guido Asman told the sky news agency DPA that the offer to give the shot was an expression of “caring for others” that was consistent with the Christmas message.
Christmas celebrations 2021
Christmas celebrations 2021 The Holy Land is closed to pilgrims for the second Christmas due to Covid
Middle East
The Holy Land is closed to pilgrims for the second Christmas due to Covid
Around the world, people tired of nearly two years of lockdowns and other restrictions are looking for ways to safely enjoy the holiday season.
“We can’t let the virus take our lives when we’re healthy,” said Rosalia Lopez, a retired Portuguese government employee who was shopping at the last minute in the coastal town of Cascais.
She said she and her family were tired of the epidemic and decided to go with their celebration after a quick test at home and masks in public, with the help of vaccines and boosters. She planned a traditional Portuguese Christmas Eve dinner at Baked Cod.
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In New York City, where Omicron is widespread, people waited in long lines for tests, many doing so as a precaution before traveling to be reunited with family.
Brianna Sultan and her daughter Ava, 8, spent one of the long lines waiting for the test after learning about another infection at school on Friday.
Some Christmas travelers face canceled flights as Omicron Wave hits airlines
Coronavirus update
Some Christmas travelers face canceled flights as Omicron Wave hits airlines
“It’s a terrible way to spend the day before Christmas,” Sultan said after more than two hours of intense cold in the Harlem area of New York City. “It’s terrible that we can’t see our families because this cowardly strain is coming back.”
Christmas celebrations 2021
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Sadia Raine arrived in New York from Alexandria, Virginia on Friday to be with her 75-year-old mother. Raines said the two had not spent Christmas together for two years, and despite the risk of traveling during the outbreak, he could not stay away from his mother this year.
On Friday, members of the “Pirlipausen” winter swimming club in Seftenberg, Germany, enter Lake Senftenburg for their traditional Christmas swim, which is four degrees cold (39 degrees Fahrenheit).
Bernd W’stneck / DPA via AP
“We’ll cry,” he said, “We always talk on the phone, but it’s not like looking at anyone.”
In Britain, where the coronavirus is tearing apart alternative populations, some places of worship were hoping to move forward.
At St. Paul’s Old Ford, an Anglican church in East London, priests planned to serve on the eve of Christmas and on Christmas Eve. But to protect the parishioners, the church abolished the representation of birth.
“You may have to cancel the service, but you can’t cancel Christmas,” said Reverend April Kitch, an associate priest. “You can’t stop love. Love still stands.
Christmas celebrations 2021
Christmas celebrations 2021 Pope Francis celebrates Christmas Eve mass as Italy sets new epidemic record Pope Francis celebrates Christmas Eve mass as Italy sets new epidemic record
Numerous churches in the United States have canceled private services, including in the country’s capital, Washington National Cathedral, and in Boston’s historic Old South Church. Others plan outdoor celebrations or a mix of online and private worship.
In Rome, an unmasked Pope Francis held a mass celebration on Christmas Eve in front of a crowd of about 2,000 at St. Peter’s Basilica, where access was restricted and the faithful had to wear masks.
Although the number of trustees was much higher than the 200 approved last year, it was a fraction of the 20,000 who went to Basil.