Celebrations on Friday were quelled before Christmas Eve midnight mass.
The rise of the Omicron variant heralded another pandemic-fueled Christmas for billions, with the arrival of Santa Claus and longing for family reunions overshadowed by the prospect of more restrictions. of Covid.
The carnival jokes about reindeer having “herd immunity” and millions of isolated “Home Alone” reindeer may be thinned out, but the emergence of the super contagious Omicron variant Infection means the pandemic won’t go away anytime soon.
In the second year, increased infections complicate yuletide plans from Sydney to Seville.
The novel coronavirus has also disrupted holiday travel, with tracking site Flightaware.com reporting more than 2,300 flights were canceled around the world in 2015 GMT.
In Bethlehem — the Palestinian town in the Israeli-occupied West Bank that Christians believe is the birthplace of Jesus — hoteliers were sorely disappointed.
After almost completely shutting down last year, Israel has once again closed its borders.
Friday celebrations were toned down ahead of Christmas Eve midnight mass, which is open to a small group of people only by invitation.
“It’s a bit bizarre,” American student Hudson Harder told AFP.
“There’s a selfish part, like, ‘Oh I see this place is so empty’ but on the other hand you feel for the shops, all the money they’re losing, it’s really quite tragic.”
‘Small things in life’
In Europe, governments are reimposing safety measures that cause misery that is taking away the joy from Christmas for many.
The Netherlands is back in a state of lockdown while Spain and Italy have made it mandatory to wear masks when outdoors.
And with Britain again hitting a record high number of Covid-19 infections on Friday for the third day in a row, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson suggested a booster vaccine as a Christmas gift for loved ones.
France recorded a record number of positive cases for a second straight day and its health authorities urged people to get a booster shot just three months after their first shot, down from five currently. in.
However, Christmas gatherings will be easier than they were a year ago in many other parts of the world.
Most Australians are allowed to travel interstate over the holiday season for the first time in two years, with Catholic Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney saying Christmas is the “lightning ray” in dark times.
At the Vatican, Pope Francis during a traditional Christmas Eve mass from St Peter’s Basilica encouraged people to appreciate “the little things in life”.
He also appealed against “insulting the love of God, hurting him by belittling the poor with our indifference”.
Across the Atlantic, US First Lady Jill Biden brought an unexpected guest to a children’s hospital in Washington: her husband Joe, the first sitting president to accompany their spouse to the reading. Traditional Christmas books.
The couple chatted with patients and doctors, showing a young boy a photo of “Commander” – their new puppy – before taking a seat by the Christmas tree and reading a book inspired by the movie Disney “Frozen”.
‘Current drop operation’
Millions of Americans moved to see loved ones over Christmas, even as Covid infections passed the peak of the previous wave and hospitals ran out of beds.
Thousands could face a bad weekend, with major airline United canceling 120 flights as the number of infections has affected its fleet and other operations.
But Santa was undaunted to make his rounds.
Ottawa Transport Minister says holiday cheerleader has been allowed to travel in Canadian airspace after presenting proof of vaccination and negative Covid test prior to flight, Transport Minister Ottawa said.
Santa’s crew – including Rudolph the reindeer, whose “red and bright nose (but) made sure he had no Covid-19 symptoms before takeoff” – was also well explained.
The joint US-Canada command, NORAD, on a dedicated website has provided the public with the opportunity to track his sleigh as it flies around the globe.
Major General Eric Kenny, commander of Canada’s NORAD region, said Santa had distributed more than two billion gifts and was over Pakistan at around 1800 GMT.
“He’s been there for hours and will be gone all evening,” he said.
Australian authorities previously said they were working around the clock to ensure the “Operation Present Drop” went smoothly.
The aviation safety agency says Santa is “allowed to fly at 500 feet so he can glide over rooftops and deliver presents quickly and quietly”.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and was automatically generated from the feed provided.)
