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Patron saint of Beit Jala, St. Nicholas has many legends attributed to him, the most important related to his interventions that saved the city from invasions. The statue of the saint is believed to have intercepted the cannon balls with which the Ottomans were hitting the town during World War I. St. Nicholas made his pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 312 AD, at a time when Palestine was emerging as the centre of the monastic movement. It is believed that he has lived in a cave located underneath the standing Greek Orthodox Church that carries his name. In the cave, visitors can see an icon of St. Nicholas and a flame burning in his honour. The Church was built in 1925 during the building boom the country witnessed under the British Mandate. It was built by local stonemasons using a local stone – Beit Jala was famous for the many quarries that its inhabitants were exploiting to good effect. The church was renovated in 2000. It is situated on Saint Nicholas street right at the edge of the pedestrian area called the Kanees Quarter, so-called because of its proximity to the Church (kanees is the Arabic word for church). Every year on 19 December, the citizens of Beit Jala celebrate the festival of St. Nicholas with great pomp. In addition to the religious celebrations, street parades, theatre plays, choirs, and a Christmas bazaar are organised to which visitors flock from all over the country.
