A record number of Christian Arabs, tourists and pilgrims, estimated at over 5,000, crossed into Jordan this weekend to spend Christmas with relatives and to visit Christian shrines.
In accordance with the yearly practice, the visitors spent 48 hours in Jordan before returning to Israel through the Mandelbaum Gate.
In Israel, Christmas was celebrated at Christian centers of worship throughout the country. The major observance took place at the New Church of the Anunciation in Nazareth. In that city hotels and tourist accomodations were filled to capacity. Over 1,100 British tourists including 600 school children, landed in Haifa shortly before Christmas eve to spend three days sightseeing in Israel.
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