INSTRUCTIONS
1. Follow the journey of the Holy Family. Southeast of Bethlehem's Basilica of the Nativity, you'll find a cave where Joseph and Mary are thought to have stayed before fleeing to Egypt.
2. Visit the grotto in Bethlehem (about 6 miles south of Jerusalem) where Jesus Christ is said to have been born. Look for the 14-point silver star on the floor that marks the spot of Christ's birth.
3. Explore Shepherd's Fields (Beit Sahour) nearby. This is where the shepherds of the Nativity are said to have come from.
4. Attend Christmas Eve Mass at the Nativity Church. Some believe that a cave beneath this church, rather than a manger, was the actual birthplace of Jesus.
5. Understand that three separate Christmas Eve celebrations will take place in the Holy Land. One is for the Protestant and Catholic Churches; one for Greek Orthodox, Coptic and Syrian Churches; and the third for the Armenian Church.
6. Realize that all three religious services may take place under one roof, but will be held in different sections of the church and will be conducted in different languages.
7. Watch for the annual Christmas Eve procession, which enters the doors of the Nativity Church and places a figure of the Christ Child inside the church.
8. Prepare a turkey with pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg for lunch. Stuff it with rice, meat, pine nuts and almonds.
9. Open Christmas presents in the morning, before breakfast.
10. Attend church on Christmas Day, then visit with family and friends.
TIPS WARNINGS
Bring back a souvenir from the Holy Land if you're just visiting. This area is known for olives, olive oil and olive wood.
Plan to sing Christmas carols on Christmas Eve if you're Protestant. Invite a Catholic priest to bless holy water in your home and then ask family members to take a sip.
Celebrate Epiphany if you belong to the Greek Orthodox Church. This holiday signifies the refusal of an old woman to accompany the three wise men on their pilgrimage to Bethlehem. Now she wanders the earth searching for Jesus Christ.
The Holy Land contains people of many ethnic and religious groups at Christmastime, so Christmas traditions are diverse and cannot be generalized. The preceding steps represent a few local traditions that may or may not be appropriate for your personal celebration of Christmas.
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