Christian Communities in Jerusalem and Bethlehem Begin Christmas 2026 Fasts and Preparations on Different Dates

Preparations for Christmas 2026 in Jerusalem and Bethlehem begin in November, and the starting dates differ among the Christian communities because each follows its own church calendar and fasting practice. According to the source, the Armenian tradition begins on November 15, the Coptic Christmas fast on November 25, the Roman Orthodox fast on November 28, and the Latin Church’s coming time on November 29.

The source gives different dates for the feast itself. The Latin community celebrates Christmas on December 25, 2026. The source lists January 7, 2027 for Orthodox and Coptic Christmas, and says the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem will celebrate on January 19.

The Christmas fast, as the source describes it, begins on Wednesday, November 25, 2026, and runs 43 days until Wednesday, January 6, 2027, with Christmas on Thursday, January 7. The source says the fast combines 40 days linked to the memorial of Moses with three days in the Coptic tradition. Fasting Christians refrain from meat, dairy products and other animal products, while fish is permitted under the church’s Christmas fast rules.

At the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem, the birth fast begins on Saturday, November 28, 2026, and lasts 40 days until January 6, 2027. The source links this date to the use of the older Julian calendar for fixed holidays, noting that on November 28 the Greek calendar coincides with the civil calendar now in use. The source says preparations include prayer, repentance and acts of mercy, along with the withholding of certain foods in line with Orthodox tradition. Care for others is part of this season, a point that echoes the charity described in the source (Matthew 25:35).

The Armenian preparation is connected with Hesnak, a 50-day spiritual season. According to the Armenian church’s explanations cited by the source, it includes three fast periods of about one week each, and during the other periods members are committed to fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays. The Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem celebrates Christmas on Tuesday, January 19, 2027, while most Armenian churches outside Jerusalem observe January 6. The source attributes this difference to the Patriarchate’s continued use of the Julian calendar, under which January 6 corresponds to January 19 on the civil calendar.

The Latin Church’s coming time begins on Sunday, November 29, 2026, the first Sunday of the season in the Catholic calendar, and extends until December 24. The source describes it as a time of prayer, repentance, spiritual readiness and acts of love, and notes that it does not impose a single diet of 40 or 43 days on all believers.

The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is, according to the source, the most prominent centre for Christian Christmas celebrations in the Holy Land, because it is linked to the site where Christians believe Christ was born. Ceremonies there follow different church calendars, and some are associated with particular areas and sanctuaries of each tradition. The source says the arrangements for processions, prayer dates and entry procedures change from season to season, so arrangements from previous years do not confirm the 2026 and 2027 programme until the approved church schedules are issued.

Source: Read the original report (translated from Arabic)