Syrian Christians attended Christmas Eve services for the first time since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad in early December.
In Sednaya, Syria, a large crowd gathered near a historic monastery on Christmas Eve to watch the lighting of a towering tree decorated with glowing green lights.
The celebration offered a rare moment of joy in a city scarred by more than a decade of war and its notorious prison where tens of thousands were held.
Families and friends stood by the illuminated tree, some wearing Santa hats and others watching from rooftops, as a band played festive music and fireworks lit up the sky.
“This year is different, there is happiness, victory and a new birth for Syria and a new birth for Christ,” said participant Houssam Saadeh.
Another, Joseph Khabbaz, expressed hope for unity across all sects and religions in Syria.
The pews of the Lady of Damascus Church in the Syrian capital filled with a mixed congregation of young and old, holding candles as hymns filled the air and echoed throughout the church.
Hours before the service, hundreds of protesters had gathered in Damascus to denounce an incident in which a Christmas tree was burned in the northern outskirts of Hama governorate in west-central Syria.
They carried wooden crosses and sang: “We are your soldiers, Jesus,” “With our blood and our souls we sacrifice for Jesus,” and “The Syrian people are one.”
