My people, e be like say Christmas don land for Bethlehem again! Na true wah o, after two years wey no celebration happen due to serious wahala wey dey ground, dis year, joy don show face like say dem use am shine torch!

For Manger Square, wey dey for the heart of Bethlehem, thousands of people gather like say dem dey for concert! Dem carry big Christmas tree come back to shine light and as the scouts dey play their bagpipes, everywhere jolly, you go fit feel the holiday spirit wey don dey miss for many years.

This year celebration no be like before. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa wey be big man for Catholic Church come bless the area with him presence. He don waka from Jerusalem, carrying message of hope from the oppressed Christians for Gaza. You fit hear am talk about how everybody suppose come together to shine light like true Christmas no matter wahala wey dey happen for Gaza and Israel.

As the excitement dey build, even residents wey dey suffer from wahala of high unemployment and no money, from strange happenings for the war, don begin dey feel say normal life fit return. Georgette Jackaman, one tour guide wey no see work for two years, talk say, ‘Today na day for joy, hope don show face again for our land.’ Her two pikin wey dem never even sabi Christmas well-well, dey enjoy the music and the celebration.

Tourism wey be the main way wey people dey earn money for Bethlehem, don dey rise small small, as people no wan miss this season. Some visitors from very far places don waka come see the joy for Manger Square and dem talk say dem no fit believe say na for the same place wey so much bad news dey come from.

Even if e no dey easy, many people still dey bring their pounded yam spirit come! The mayor, Maher Nicola Canawati, stand gidigba and talk say e get signs of hope as hotel occupancy don rise from 25% to 80%! Na big achievement, considering say before dis, the place dem dey run like ghost town.

But make we no forget say everywhere no dey so rosy. As e be now, dis peace fit just be mirage; Israeli forces still dey do their regular patrol and check anybody wey dem see. Visitors talk about the long wait for checkpoints wey be wahala for people wey try to move around.

Despite all di wahala, one visitor from France, Mona Riewer, tell us say she come because she wan feel the love wey dey for the area. ‘Christmas na about hope, even when wahala dey everywhere!’ she talk.

No vex, but dem say about 4,000 people don run away from Bethlehem since Nigeria dey see series of serious issues for Gaza and West Bank. Na these things dey make the increases in celebration bittersweet.

As for the scouts wey don return to march and play, dem tell say dis year na a big deal, especially as dem don keep quiet for two years because of the war. Irene Kirmiz wey na one of dem, talk say, ‘E dey move me to see the people dey try to enjoy life again.’

So, my people, as Christmas don shine light for Bethlehem, everybody dey hope say this one go last and peace go settle for dem land. E be like say e go take all of us to hold hands and shine the light together!