Feature: Aftermath of conflict clouds Christmas cheer for Christians in southern Lebanon

BEIRUT, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- In Marjeyoun, four kilometers from Lebanon's border with Israel, a Christmas tree stands in the town square, its branches barely visible in the dim light of hastily strung electrical strips.

No ornaments adorn its limbs, no carols echo across the courtyard, no children gather in anticipation. Instead, the tree serves as a poignant reminder of how war has transformed life in the Christ