Social Media Users Surprised to Learn About Syria's Christmas Traditions

On Christmas Day, President Bashar Assad and First Lady Asma Assad paid a symbolic visit to the Our Lady of Saidnaya Monastery and orphanage about 25 km north of Damascus. Footage of the visit, which shows the Assads greeting and embracing the monastery's nuns and children, has since gone viral online.

The Assad family's gesture of support for the country's ancient Christian community has led to questions among social media users about why much of the mainstream Western media continues to berate the country's tolerant secular nationalist government, while tacitly downplaying the radical Islamist beliefs of forces seeking regime change.

President Assad and his wife spent Christmas Day at Our Lady of Saidnaya Monastery, north of Damascus. ❤️secular, multi-cultural #Syria. pic.twitter.com/d52mZ9k3CV

— Marcus Papadopoulos (@DrMarcusP) 25 декабря 2016 г.

Syrian president Assad & wife visiting a church today as part of Christmas celebration. Tell me why again the west has been fighting him ?

— PeterSweden (@PeterSweden7) 25 декабря 2016 г.

Assad's visit to the monastery was just one snapshot amid celebrations that broke out across the country on December 25th as Christians celebrated Christmas, some in defiance of terrorist intimidation and shelling. In the city of Aleppo, much of which had been under terrorist rule for over four years, tens of thousands of Christians publically celebrated the holiday for the first time since jihadist forces arrived in the city in 2012.

#Syria: Jubilant Syrians gather for #Christmas celebration in west #Aleppo pic.twitter.com/lbTmhGg4JV

— jow.ruly (@JowRQ) 25 декабря 2016 г.

Other cities held similarly bright, public celebrations on Christmas Eve and into Christmas Day.

Merry Christmas everyone, happy holidays.#ChristmasEve in #Tartus #Syria. 😊 pic.twitter.com/daqyb0Kryd

— iad tawil (@iadtawil) 24 декабря 2016 г.

Muslim and Christian "Santas" are spreading the joy of #Christmas in the streets of #Damascus #Syria
This is #Syria without terrorist scum! pic.twitter.com/sL8PgFlTrG

— maytham (@maytham956) 24 декабря 2016 г.

🆘‼️🎅🎄 The other media do not show this: #Aleppo on 24.12.2016 ... the secular #Syria celebrates Christmas. pic.twitter.com/OlW6lZ2sE1

— Onlinemagazin (@OnlineMagazin) 25 декабря 2016 г.

Rebel-free Syrian Christmas#4WordVictory pic.twitter.com/p1fujNMZAW

— Viceduke Vendetta (@VendettaVidame) 24 декабря 2016 г.

Some social media savants, including prominent independent researchers Maram Susli and Kevork Almassian, also weren't shy in criticizing the hypocrisy and ignorance among much of the Western media, and the effort to portray the Assad government and its international allies as the bad guys in the Syrian conflict.

The @Dailybeast thinks a #Syria|n has never seen a nativity scene. Lol 😂 Syria has the oldest churches in the world. @BLNadeau you bimbo! pic.twitter.com/Xvf2Jv0gC1

— Partisangirl (@Partisangirl) 25 декабря 2016 г.

How the #Christians of #Aleppo celebrate #Christmas after the #US regime change project in #Syria. pic.twitter.com/kVDMw3jGzn

— Kevork Almassian (@KevorkAlmassian) 25 декабря 2016 г.

Over the holidays Americans interested in Syria should note where in that country Christmas celebration is possible.

Hint: Not rebel areas.

— Max Abrahms (@MaxAbrahms) 24 декабря 2016 г.

Syria's Ba'ath Party government, which has ruled the country since the 1960s, formally governs under the principle of secular nationalism and Arab socialism, and has made an effort to account for literally dozens of religious and ethnic groups in Syria, including Christians from seven different denominations. The Syrian constitution guarantees religious freedoms, and the country's state-run educational system mandates religious study in Islam and/or Christianity, by parents' choice.

Syrian Christians are estimated to make up about 10% of the country's population; they have been particularly hard hit in the war that has devastated the country over the last six years, with numerous jihadi groups, including Daesh (ISIL/ISIS) and Nusra Front explicitly targeting Christian minorities for attacks in areas under their control.

Ultimately, Twitter users suggested that Sunday's jubilant celebrations were an important sign – that the jihadist efforts to take over Syria have failed, and that the country's long and brutal war may finally be coming to an end.

When the media Says "The western world has failed" in #Aleppo, they mean they failed to stop christmas. They failed to destroy secular Syria pic.twitter.com/B5LDkWNkYO

— Partisangirl (@Partisangirl) 21 декабря 2016 г.

In Aleppo's victory, secularism won, Christmas won, happiness won, civilization won, & Syria won! pic.twitter.com/wWwAwCWGcN

— Fares Shehabi (@ShehabiFares) 22 декабря 2016 г.