Christmas was celebrated across the Middle East on December 24 and December 25. There are Christian communities in many countries in the region. Over the years, some of these communities have suffered from terrorism and conflict. This is particularly true in Syria and Iraq. This year, Syria is finally free from the Assad regime, and the civil war has ended for now. In Iraq, the country continues to recover.
In Lebanon, where there are an estimated 2 million Christians, Christmas was celebrated in many places. Orthodox Christians, who make up a sizable part of the Christian community in the region, celebrate it on January 7. The Catholic News Agency noted that “with a rhythm of hymns carrying prayer and hopes for the nation, a group in Lebanon has launched an exceptional event aspiring to make history: a continuous Christmas hymn recital lasting 170 uninterrupted hours in an attempt to break a world record and inscribe the name of the Land of the Cedars in the Guinness World Records.”
The Shi’ite Parliament Speaker Nabih Berry extended Christian greetings. “Speaking from what he described as places symbolizing faith and resilience, from near the Church of the Nativity in Palestine to St. George Church in Yaroun, Berri said Christmas reaffirms life, love, truth, and hope in the face of destruction and hatred,” Lebanon’s MTV said.
Samir Geagea, leader of the Christian Lebanese Forces party, posted a video of a Christmas event on Christmas Eve. Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rahi said, “This Christmas will be the beginning of a new phase, a phase in which trust is restored, the prestige of the state is restored, institutions are protected, and respect is restored for the constitution, the law, and the values upon which this nation was founded.”
Syrian Christmas
In Syria, the Christian communities enjoyed a peaceful Christmas Eve. Syrian state media SANA said that “churches in Damascus, Homs, Tartous, and other cities held Christmas masses attended by worshipers from various Christian denominations, as clergy emphasized themes of reconciliation, unity, and hope.” It said that “in Damascus, Christmas services were held at several major churches, including the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Dormition, where Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch Youssef al-Absi led mass alongside senior clergy. In his sermon, he highlighted the values associated with Christmas, including tolerance and compassion, and hopes of peace for Syria and the wider world.
At the Mariamite Cathedral, Greek Orthodox Patriarch John X Yazigi presided over Christmas mass, describing the holiday as a message of joy and peace and calling on Syrians to work together for the country’s future.” Syrians have been posting online about their Christmas events and how proud they are to live in a free Syria today.
Many Syrians are proud of their holiday this year, the second Christmas after the fall of the Assad regime. In one case, a Christmas tree burned down, and there was a dispute about what had caused the fire. In eastern Syria, the Christians of various towns under the control of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces also celebrated the holiday. Video from Hasakah showed a festive Christmas event. The Kurdish-led SDF posted online “wonderful scenes of Christmas celebrations in our regions of northern and eastern Syria. We are proud of this remarkable religious and ethnic diversity and pledge to our people to continue strengthening security and the spirit of brotherhood.”
Across the border from eastern Syria is the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. In the KRG, many Christians live in Erbil, in the neighborhood of Ainkawa. They also celebrated Christmas amid a festive atmosphere. Posts online showed people at a church, as well as Christmas trees. Kurdish leaders extended greetings to Christians. KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani wrote, “Merry Christmas to Christians in Kurdistan, Iraq, and around the world. I wish you a blessed and joyful holiday.”
US Envoy to Iraq Mark Savaya posted a message online celebrating Christmas. “May this Christmas bring comfort to families, peace to communities, and renewed hope for a future of unity and stability for all Iraqis.”
Comments by the Iraqi Patriarch of the Chaldeans, Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, about celebrating the holiday led to some controversy. He used the word “normalization” referring to Iraqis but politicians leapt at the word and accused him of advocating normalization with Israel. Iraq’s Prime Minister Shia al-Sudani said, “Normalization is prohibited legally, religiously, and morally… and it is a term that does not exist in the Iraqi dictionary because it is associated with an occupying entity.”
Not everyone was negative, Ammar al-Hakim, a Shi’ite leader, attended St. Joseph’s Chaldean Catholic Cathedral in Baghdad in the presence of Cardinal Sako and said, “I bless the Christians in Iraq and the world for the glorious Christmas holidays, and I said that the Christmas holidays are a message of solidarity and a continuation on the path of the prophets and apostles, and the Lord Christ.”
In Iran, the former foreign minister Javad Zarif wished people a happy Christmas. “A very happy, healthy and peaceful Christmas to all celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ (PBUH), including, of course, my fellow Iranians who belong to the Assyrian and Armenian churches, and who celebrate either the Gregorian or Julian (January 7) calendar dates,” he wrote. Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian sent a message to Pope Leo XIV, leader of the Catholic Church, “extending his best wishes on the birth anniversary of Jesus Christ and the arrival of the New Year,” Iranian state media IRNA said.
In the UAE, Christmas is always a festive season with huge displays in many hotels and other places. Mohammed Bin Zayed, president of the UAE, wrote on X/Twitter, “I extend my warmest regards to all those celebrating Christmas in the UAE and around the world. May this day bring peace, joy, and harmony to you and your loved ones.” The UAE Embassy in Tel Aviv wrote, “May your holiday be filled with joy, peace, and wonderful moments with loved ones.”
In Bethlehem, there were the annual and important Christmas Eve events at the Church of the Nativity. United States Ambassador Mike Huckabee wrote Merry Christmas to everyone and noted that, along with his wife, they “had a wonderful dinner at the Casa Nova restaurant in Bethlehem before going to midnight service at the Church of the Nativity. It was overflowing, the first time in three years for Christmas in Bethlehem.”
Earlier on December 24, Cardinal Pizzaballa, said, “The light of Bethlehem is the Light of the World… I saw in Gaza disaster there, the situation is really catastrophic, but I saw there also the desire for life.” He added, according to a post on X by Catholic Sat, “Today, what I see in Bethlehem is real Christmas! And today you are giving not just to Bethlehem, or the Holy Land, but to the whole world, what is the meaning of Christmas; I’m sure we are not out of all the problems, but today in Bethlehem I see light. Not just the sun, but you the people; I see the light, you are light, we all together are the light because you decided to be the light. And the light of Bethlehem is the Light of the World.”
In addition, some Palestinian activists sought to emphasize the Palestinian connection to the holiday. Munther Isaac, who describes himself as a Palestinian Christian Theologian, wrote that “Christmas is not a Western story – it is a Palestinian one.” He went on to note, “This Christmas, our invitation to the global church – and to Western Christians in particular – is to remember where the story began. To remember that Bethlehem is not a myth but a place where people still live. If the Christian world is to honor the meaning of Christmas, it must turn its gaze to Bethlehem – not the imagined one, but the real one, a town whose people today still cry out for justice, dignity and peace.” The Palestinian Authority worked to make sure the season passed peacefully. In Jenin, a Christmas tree was burned and perpetrators were detained.
In general, the holiday passed peacefully in the region. In Turkey, authorities said they arrested ISIS members plotting attacks. In Saudi Arabia, the English-language Arab News had a front page celebrating the holiday and a prayer for peace. At the Vatican, the pope also gave a message of peace and mentioned suffering in Gaza. “Since the Word was made flesh, humanity now speaks, crying out with God’s own desire to encounter us. The Word has pitched His fragile tent among us. How, then, can we not think of the tents in Gaza, exposed to weeks of rain, and wind, and cold?” Pope Leo said.