Christmas lights in shopping centers and towns often include stars. Christmas cards frequently show a star directly above a thatched stable in Bethlehem ... any shining object in the sky ...

shining at -1.4 mag. That's probably not bright enough for Mars to be considered as a potential "Star of Bethlehem," though golden light when it gets close to opposition provides an argument.

Was the “Star of Bethlehem” an actual astronomical event ... It’s Jupiter, which is currently shining very brightly all night. It’s just past its annual opposition on November 2-3 ...