Hundreds of millions across the world celebrated pared-down Christmas festivities yesterday due to coronavirus restrictions, as Pope Francis called for vaccines for everyone, describing them as “glimmers of hope in this period of darkness and uncertainty”.
The pandemic has claimed more than 1.7mn lives and is still running rampant in much of the world, but the recent launching of mass vaccine campaigns has boosted hopes that 2021 could bring a respite.
Like so many across the globe, the Pope was forced to break with normal Christmas tradition, holding his annual Urbi et Orbi speech by video from the apostolic palace, to prevent a crowd from gathering in St Peter’s Square (see accompanying report below).
In her own annual Christmas speech, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II also spoke of hope during “difficult and unpredictable times” (see report on page 7).
Britain has been through a particularly difficult time after the discovery of a new strain of coronavirus believed to spread much faster.
It had already been one of the hardest countries in Europe, which passed a total of 25mn confirmed cases yesterday.
Last week it became the first global region where more than 500,000 people have died of the virus.
World Health Organisation (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a video message that “vaccines are offering the world a way out of this tragedy” but one that will “take time”.
He hailed the “heart-wrenching sacrifices” millions were making by staying away from loved ones on Christmas Day (see accompanying report above).
Germany has been forced to cancel its famous Christmas markets, and for many, the isolation that has defined the past year will continue beyond Christmas Day – such as in Belgium, where residents are largely limited to welcoming a single visitor.
Britons, meanwhile, were cut off from swathes of the world, following the emergence of the new coronavirus strain.
Some UK border restrictions have been temporarily relaxed for the holidays, but thousands from other European countries are still stranded in England.
“Home for Christmas? Forget it,” said Laurent Beghin, a French truck driver who delivered his cargo but was still stuck days later.
However more than 1,000 waiting trucks did arrive at the French port of Calais yestera, with hopes that the bottleneck could be cleared by today.
Meanwhile, for the first time since a fire that nearly destroyed it, the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris played host to a Christmas Eve choral concert, an annual tradition in France.
In a concession to the fact that the Gothic cathedral is still being rebuilt, the choristers wore construction hard hats and boiler suits, and there was no audience.
The concert was recorded at the cathedral earlier this month, and was broadcast on French television just before midnight on Thursday.
The choristers performed classical pieces by composers Mozart and Schubert, but also a more light-hearted repertoire, including Jingle Bells.
“It was very moving,” said cellist Gautier Capucon, describing the experience of recording the concert.
Along with an organist, he provided the musical accompaniment for the choir.
“It was the first time we had all been back at Notre-Dame cathedral since the fire, so it was a moment full of emotion,” he said in an interview with television station franceinfo.
The cathedral, a landmark of Gothic architecture dating to the 13th century and a major tourist attraction, caught fire on April 15, 2019.
The blaze destroyed the spire and roof.
French President Emmanuel Macron gave an undertaking to restore the iconic cathedral within five years.
However, to date, most work on the site has focused on making the building safe, including clearing up toxic lead from the roof and spire that melted in the fire.
In the meantime, Notre-Dame is closed to the public and masses are cancelled.
In April this year, seven people were allowed to attend a religious ceremony in the cathedral to mark Good Friday.