Milad majid! Did you know that Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7th?

This episode examines the millennia-long history of Christianity in Syria, the ways that Christians have participated in both the Syrian Revolution and Syrian Civil War, and ending with an overview of the country's Christmas traditions.

This one's got everything from empires and caliphates to revolutionaries protesting against a dictator and even an immortal camel who brings presents to children once a year. 

Sources / Quotes:

https://www.worldofchristmas.net/christmas-world/syria.html

https://countrystudies.us/syria/34.htm

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-22270455

https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/syrias-christians-personal-story-stolen-legacy

https://minorityrights.org/minorities/christians-armenians-and-assyrians/

https://international.la-croix.com/news/politics/christian-communities-in-iraq-and-syria-are-still-very-fragile/17807

https://www.hart-uk.org/blog/the-religious-landscape-in-syria-part-1/

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/syria-war-anniversary-christians-assad-manipulation

https://erlc.com/resource-library/articles/why-christian-communities-in-northeastern-syria-may-soon-be-gone/

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/we-must-defend-ourselves-christian-fighters-warpath-raqqa

https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/commentary/ct-opinion-christmas-syria-homs-20211223-fec7pqar7jde7myh3qv77dsxny-story.html

https://www.middleeasteye.net/discover/christmas-middle-east-traditions

https://www.damascena.co.uk/posts/how-christmas-is-celebrated-in-damascus

https://www.newarab.com/news/youth-exodus-takes-joy-out-syria-christmas-celebrations

https://syriacpress.com/blog/2020/12/27/first-ever-erected-christmas-tree-in-kobani-deliberately-burnt/

https://time.com/4617957/aleppo-christians-christmas-syria/

https://csi-usa.org/there-were-about-1300-christians-in-idlib-but-now-only-two-remain/

https://npasyria.com/en/89664/

https://syriafreedomforever.wordpress.com/2013/12/25/christmas-in-liberated-saraqeb-idlib-provence-syria/

https://syriadirect.org/hts-looks-to-idlibs-christians-and-druze-to-whitewash-violations/

https://www.newarab.com/news/syrian-christians-reopen-church-hts-dominated-idlib

https://www.duo.uio.no/handle/10852/16181

https://www.thebyzantinelegacy.com/early-christian

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7nfOGsuo2I

https://syriadirect.org/syrian-christians-exploited-or-protected-minority/

https://www.ncronline.org/news/christian-activists-say-militias-target-religious-minorities-syria

https://www.newarab.com/news/syrian-christians-reopen-church-hts-dominated-idlib

https://npasyria.com/en/89664/

https://syriadirect.org/hts-looks-to-idlibs-christians-and-druze-to-whitewash-violations/

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/christmas-middle-east-santa-sahlab-dabke-photos

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/03/03/muslim-syrian-refugees-converting-christianity/98685852/

https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN1RS19E/

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/30/muslim-refugees-converting-christianity-find-safety/

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/life-under-isis-led-these-muslims-christ-n963281

https://www.newsweek.com/evangelical-christian-church-muslim-converts-syria-isis-1398210

https://syriacpress.com/blog/2020/07/19/christianity-in-syria-a-policy-of-persecution-or-deliberate-attempts-to-eliminate-it-once-and-for-all-part-2/

https://syrianobserver.com/features/51332/kurds-embrace-christianity-and-kobani-celebrates-inauguration-of-church.html