Christians in Iraqi Kurdistan were determined to keep their Christmas Christian traditions, even though attacks from the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) and al-Qaeda have decimated the population.
#Erbil #Kurdistan #Christmas #eve ISIS can't even touch our spirit of love and coexistence pic.twitter.com/m0lCvUd3GE
— DarbazDara (@darbazdara) December 25, 2015
The Royal Ankawa Hotel advertised Christmas buffets and celebrations, which included a visit from Santa Claus.
The Erbil Rotana Hotel hosted a Kermesse event for the refugees in Erbil. A Kermesse event is a celebration “on the anniversary of the foundation of a church (or the parish) and in honour of the patron.” The hotel also held delicious buffets for the families on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Iraq boasted a population of 1.3 million Christians in 1997, but now it only houses 650,000. Kurdish outlet Rudaw reported that “95 percent of Iraq’s Christians now shelter in the Kurdistan Region.”
Kurdistan’s Save the Children visited refugee children and handed out presents for Christmas.
Kurdistan Save the Children visiting the children at the refugee camp in Barîke and also giving out Christmas gifts. pic.twitter.com/HmhbbCBnyP
— Lawên | لاوێن (@Lawwwen) December 25, 2015
Christians openly celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ across Kurdistan on December 24 and 25.
https://twitter.com/Stellina_25/status/680281042893291520
Santa comes to Rojava, West Kurdistan. pic.twitter.com/lrJFL4YEvR
— Dr Partizan (@Dr_Partizan) December 25, 2015
IPD's Christians celebrating Christmas in Ankawa Erbil pic.twitter.com/scdH0ZaV0M
— Rand Omran (@omran_rand) December 26, 2015
Midnight mass at St Joseph's #Ainkawa #Erbil.
Happy Christmas
كل عيد وأنتم بألف خير pic.twitter.com/pWDqvDoF1R— Angus McKee (@AngusMckeeUK) December 24, 2015
#Christian celebrate #Christmas in #Kirkuk, the city which is being protected by #Peshmerga forces, south #Kurdistan pic.twitter.com/Rddvm3VcRK
— Omed Xoshnaw (@omed_xoshnaw) December 25, 2015
Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani, along with other Muslim leaders, celebrated Christmas at the eastern Assyrian Church in the Ankawa neighborhood.
Muslim clerics attend #Christmas celebrations in Ainkawa, #Erbil, @KurdistanRegion.#coexistence
Photo: @Hiwaosman pic.twitter.com/GDjynNWk3K— Baxtiyar Goran (@BaxtiyarGoran) December 25, 2015
Happy Christmas to F. Immanuel & all at Ainkawa2 camp #Erbil, home to some of 1000s who fled Ninewa from Daesh pic.twitter.com/HIG3AR6PXO
— Angus McKee (@AngusMckeeUK) December 24, 2015
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