Early Wednesday morning, pilgrims gathered in long lines to pass through the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, marking the start of the 2025 Holy Year. This Jubilee celebration, a Catholic tradition observed every 25 years since 1300, is expected to draw approximately 32 million faithful to Rome.
The pilgrimage includes the opportunity to walk through the Holy Door, a ritual symbolizing forgiveness of sins and spiritual renewal. Pope Francis inaugurated the Jubilee on Christmas Eve by being the first to walk through the door, dedicating this Holy Year to hope.
Pilgrims paused to touch the door and made the sign of the cross as they entered the basilica. Security was heightened due to concerns following recent violent events, including a deadly car attack at a Christmas market in Germany.
At noon, Pope Francis is scheduled to deliver the “Urbi et Orbi” address from St. Peter’s Square, reflecting on the challenges facing the global community this year.
This year, Hanukkah, Judaism’s eight-day Festival of Lights, begins on Christmas Day—a coincidence that has occurred only four times since 1900. The overlapping holidays have inspired interfaith celebrations, including a “Chicanukah” gathering in Houston, Texas, where Jewish and Latino communities shared traditional Hanukkah latkes topped with guacamole and salsa.
Despite its festive spirit, Hanukkah arrives amid global concerns, with ongoing wars in the Middle East and rising antisemitism casting a shadow over the celebrations. The last time Hanukkah began on Christmas Day was in 2005, highlighting the rarity of this confluence due to differences between the lunar-based Jewish calendar and the Gregorian calendar.
In Germany, Christmas festivities have been overshadowed by a devastating car attack at a Magdeburg Christmas market on Friday. Five people, including a 9-year-old boy, were killed, and over 200 others were injured.
President Frank-Walter Steinmeier addressed the nation, revising his Christmas message to acknowledge the tragedy. “There is grief, pain, horror, and incomprehension over what took place in Magdeburg,” he said, urging unity and rejecting hate and violence.
The suspect, a 50-year-old Saudi doctor who had been living in Germany since 2006, was arrested on charges of murder, attempted murder, and bodily harm. His social media activity revealed anti-Islamic rhetoric and support for Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
As both Hanukkah and Christmas unfold amid global tensions and local tragedies, religious and community leaders call for reflection, unity, and hope to guide the days ahead.
