DAMASCUS: Twinkling trees, festive markets, and decorations hanging from shop doors and balconies mark the Christmas season this year in Syria’s Christian neighborhoods — though celebrations remain more modest than before the war.
“The atmosphere is better than last year,” said Sahar Safar, a member of the Sisterhood of Our Lady of Damascus Church, recalling the air of uncertainty after the swift and sudden fall of the Assad regime’s 55-year strangle of the country on Dec. 8, 2024.
“Back then people were afraid, but this year there is relief and joy.”
Opposition factions, followed by the new Syrian government, have repeatedly assured Christian communities of their safety and pledged protection after the 14-year civil war. With that, Christmas festivities spread across Syria, with Muslims and Christians joining together to express a renewed desire for peace and fraternity.
Safar smiled as she photographed the Nativity scene set up in the basement of St. Elias Church in Damascus’s Dweilaa district, a site struck by a terrorist attack on June 22 that killed 25 people and injured at least 63 others.
