In pictures: Christmas in Bethlehem

Sunday night's Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem were overshadowed by the months of violence that have engulfed the West Bank and Gaza. The day regarded by Christians as the 2,000th anniversary of Jesus Christ's birth was meant to be a joyful occasion, but the annual procession went off without music.

A nun kisses a figure of the baby Jesus at the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem

Christian pilgrims from all over the world re-enact the journey of the Magi

People also called for peace during the traditional procession. The sign reads: "We are candles that light the darkness"

Banners hung from trees in Manger Square bore the names of Palestinians killed recently

Latin Patriarch of the Holy Land Michel Sabbah celebrates Mass during at the Church of Nativity

A group of monks attend midnight mass in Saint Catherine's Cathedral