But there were also wider expressions of universal fellowship in the town where Jesus was born, keeping with the spirit of the season.
In Bethlehem itself, Christmas Eve Mass was celebrated at the 1, 700-year-old Church of the Nativity, on the spot where it is believed Jesus was born.
The Koran states that Jesus was born miraculously of the Virgin Mary, but the Koran states that none of the prophets were divine, including Jesus.
During this week's visit, Mr Obama is due to visit the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, built on the site where Christians believe Jesus was born.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Felipe de Jesus Calderon was born on October 18th, 1962, in Morelia.
Mexico-born developer Jose de Jesus Legaspi suggests that Mexicans come to malls because they find them more appealing than the somewhat grimy, and sometimes crime-ridden, traditional downtowns.
"A Roman census was responsible for Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem, where God was born to the world in Jesus, " he said.
BBC: Archbishop's message: Children teach us joy of Christmas
In his homily, Francis said Christian joy "isn't born from possessing a lot of things but from having met" Jesus.
Despite his goal of promoting harmony between the faiths, Pope Benedict stuck firmly to what he saw as a gift of truth that he had been born into in his native Bavaria - namely that the Roman Catholic Church was founded by Jesus Christ and despite all its human imperfections, had the authority to define doctrine and make definitive statements about truth and falsehood.
应用推荐