Small presents and hymns offer a glimmer of holiday spirit to Gazan Christians in a devastated Gaza, where a fragile cease-fire has brought some relief but the losses of Israel's genocidal war and hardships faced by displaced residents have muted traditional celebrations.
Attallah Tarazi recently received Christmas presents that included socks and a scarf to shield him against the Gaza winter and he joined some fellow Palestinian Christians in a round of hymns.
"Christ is born," the group sang in Arabic. "Hallelujah."
Tarazi and much of the rest of Gaza's tiny Palestinian Christian community are trying to capture some of the season's spirit despite the destruction and uncertainty that surround them. He clings to hope and the faith that he said has seen him through the war.
"I feel like our joy over Christ's birth must surpass all the bitterness that we've been through," he said. He's been sheltering for more than two years at the Holy Family Church compound in Gaza, where a church group, including choir members, toured among displaced people this Christmas season, he said.
