This year, Christmas - the preparation for which begins today, Thursday - does not resemble the holidays of previous years, as the celebrations appear brief everywhere, but rather burdened with restrictions imposed to contain the outbreak of the new Corona virus.

On the five continents of the world, more than 1.7 million deaths were recorded due to the virus, while new epidemic foci continue to appear, raising fears of a delay in the return to normal life despite the arrival of the first vaccines.

Limited celebrations in Bethlehem

The city of Bethlehem - in which Christ, peace be upon him, was born according to Christian belief - is preparing to hold a midnight mass to celebrate Christmas, amid unprecedented precautionary measures imposed by the Corona pandemic.

The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Pierre Batista, and the clergy arrived at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem in preparation for holding a midnight mass to celebrate the birth of Jesus, peace be upon him.

Because of the Corona pandemic, the patriarch's reception - who arrived from Jerusalem - was restricted to clerics and the people of the governorate, and all ceremonies and celebrations were canceled, and the security services deployed hundreds of their members at the entrances to the governorate, to prevent the entry of any visitor from outside.

Local scouts, not from all of the Palestinian territories, participate, as happens every year to receive the Latin Patriarch, Pierre Batista.

Also, due to the pandemic, this year will not include Palestinian officials - the most prominent of which is Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas - but will be restricted to clerics only, and it will be broadcast on television all over the world.

In the last days before the feast, the residents reopened the Church of Saint Catherine, adjacent to the Cathedral of the Nativity, and came to it with their best suit.

In many other parts of the world, many will spend this year's Eid in isolation, just as most days of this year.

Most of Europe is also experiencing the saddest winter seasons, amid the resurgence of the epidemic in many of its countries.

Germany was forced to give up the opening of its famous Christmas markets, while Pope Francesco is looking to revive the midnight mass two hours before its due date, in line with the measures of the Italian authorities.

sad ending

Jimmy Arslan, the owner of two cafes in one of Sydney's hardest-hit districts, says his heart breaks, and "It's a sad end to a sad year."

And he indicates a decrease of 75% in the work of his two institutions, and that he will not be able to breathe a sigh of relief this Eid with his family, as they live in Canberra, and are therefore not allowed to travel during the holiday to visit him.

"We should all welcome 2021, and kick 2020 away," he joked.

In the Philippines, some chose to spend the holidays alone for fear of catching infection on public transport.

"I'll order food, I'll watch old movies, and I'll make a video call with my family," says Kim Patria, 31, who lives alone in Manila.

Birth in Dover

Meanwhile, thousands of European truck drivers will spend this Eid night in miserable conditions stranded near the port of Dover in the United Kingdom, which is reluctantly emerging from isolation caused by the emergence of a new mutant of the Corona virus on its soil.

Faced with a rise in the number of injuries in Brazil, the municipality of Rio de Janeiro banned entry on the night of December 31 to the famous Copacabana neighborhood to avoid gatherings.

Usually, millions of people expect to watch the fireworks that accompany the New Year celebration, but their cancellation has been announced since last July.

Sydney intends to embark on welcoming the new year with its dazzling fireworks, and Gladys Peregiklian, Prime Minister of New South Wales State, said that the 7-minute show will be staged "whatever happens".