ISRAEL’S VERY OWN CHRISTMAS VILLAGE
A mid Operation Northern Shield, the border of Lebanon might not be the ideal tourist destination, unless you’re looking to celebrate Christmas. From December 27-29, the village of Fassuta will hold its annual Christmas festival, called Christmas-Suta, a combination of the holiday and the village’s name.
“After we came out with the idea of a tree, the local council came out with the idea of a Christmas market,” Father Michael Assi, of the Mar Elias Church, said.
The village of Fassuta straddles the blue line – the UN-demarcated border between Israel and Lebanon – on the northwest slopes of Mount Meron. It is a local council of some 3,400 residents, all of whom are Melkite Greek Catholics. The town has, since 2013, set its sights on becoming a hub for Christian tourism.
Boasting “the biggest [tree] in Israel,” Assi described the anticipation for this year’s event. “Year after year, people are waiting for our event, they come from Beit Jala, Bethlehem, and Beit Sahur.”
SOURCE JERUSALEM POST
