SHOTLIST:

JERUSALEM (DEC. 18, 2025) (ANADOLU - ACCESS ALL)

1. VARIOUS OF ISSA KASSISSIEH, A CHRISTIAN PALESTINIAN WHO WEARS SANTA CLAUS COSTUME, DISTRIBUTING CHRISTMAS TREES / KASSISSIEH GREETING PEOPLE / PEOPLE TAKING PICTURES WITH KASSISSIEH
JERUSALEM - DEC. 18, 2025: Christmas preparations are gathering pace in Jerusalem, with festive celebrations beginning across the city’s most sacred Christian sites.

Issa Kassissieh, a Christian Palestinian who has portrayed Santa Claus for many years, walked through the cobblestone streets of the Old City this week to greet residents and tourists.

Kassissieh, a well-known local figure dedicated to keeping the holiday tradition alive in the historic quarter, posed for souvenir photographs as the city prepares for the upcoming holiday.
West Bank, particularly in Bethlehem, is considered the birthplace of Jesus.

Christian denominations following the Eastern calendar, including the Orthodox denomination, celebrate Christmas on Jan. 6-7 every year.

Approximately 70% of Christians in the Gaza Strip belong to the Greek Orthodox denomination, while the rest are of the Latin Catholic denomination.