Mosul is illuminated with hope… Christmas trees and Santa Claus return after years of darkness
Mosul is illuminated with hope… Christmas trees and Santa Claus return after years of darkness
2025-12-31 00:25
Shafaq News – Nineveh
As the year draws to a close, Mosul appears brighter and more joyful this year than its residents have experienced in previous years. Colorful lights, Christmas trees, and Santa Claus figures adorn some streets and markets, gradually restoring the city’s lost spirit after years of violence and extremism.
The scene is not just a celebration, but a clear message that Mosul, which lived under the weight of fear, has chosen to open a new page entitled “security and coexistence,” amid the interaction of the residents and the restoration of normal life in the markets and streets.
Ahmed Mahmoud, a shop owner on the left side of the city, told Shafaq News Agency, “The decorations today restore Mosul’s old spirit. Years ago, we wouldn’t have dared to hang anything that might be misinterpreted, but today there is a sense of reassurance and a desire for joy after a long period of hardship.”
Citizens recall that before 2014, hanging a Christmas tree or any festive symbol could cost someone their life. That was the period when extremist groups imposed a single way of life, eliminated joy, surrounded people with fear, and made the simplest manifestations of celebration an accusation that could end in execution or beheading.
But after the liberation of Mosul, the city was never the same. Although the return was neither quick nor easy, the years of reconstruction and stabilization gradually restored confidence to the people of Mosul. Markets that were dark on winter nights began to regain their vibrancy, and families started to stroll around without worry, while some shops and cafes chose to express this new phase with Christmas decorations and colors.
In this context, Sarah Yohanna, a resident of Mosul who left for Qaraqosh, believes that “the city today is more open and tolerant. This decoration does not signify a religious ritual as much as it signifies general joy, and a message that Mosul is a city for everyone.”
In her interview with the agency, Yohanna added that “the presence of Santa Claus and Christmas trees in the streets reflects a psychological and social transformation, after years of isolation.”
The celebrations aren’t limited to decorations; some simple events have begun to be organized as the New Year approaches, drawing a notable presence of young people and families. Although the celebrations are still limited compared to other cities, their mere appearance in Mosul is a significant indicator of a shift in the general mood.
Observers believe that these scenes, although they may seem ordinary in many cities, in Mosul they carry a deeper significance, as they reflect the city’s recovery from the effects of war, its people’s attachment to life, and their determination to restore their city from a memory of fear to a horizon of hope.
Today, amidst the Christmas lights and festive decorations, Mosul bids farewell to one year and welcomes another with a different spirit. A city that has chosen peace after years of violence, and has decided to say, calmly, that life has returned and that joy is no longer a crime.
shafaq.com
