Fr. Guido Gockel, former director of the pontifical mission for Palestine, describes the Christmas customs in Bethlehem, including the marathon of liturgies at the Basilica of the Nativity that begin on Christmas Eve. Fr. Gockel, a member of the Mill Hill Missionaries, also describes his current work for the Catholic Near Eastern Welfare Association [2], which published the magazine One [3]. The fresco at right is from the Basilica of the Nativity.