Christians call off holiday celebrations throughout Iraq

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – According to a statement issued Sunday by the Chaldean Patriarchate, all activities in clubs and churches during Christmas, and New Year's Eve will be canceled in protest against the removal of the Patriarch Raphael Louis Sako from his role as patriarch, among other issues faced by the community.

Cardinal Sako relocated to Erbil in July after Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rasheed withdrew a presidential decree that had recognized him as the leader of the Chaldean Patriarchate and custodian of the church’s assets in Baghdad.

The celebrations are also being called off as a tribute to the victims of the Hamdaniya fire that killed 133 people in September, with nearly all of the victims being Christians.

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In addition, the statement cited the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in the “Holy Land,” currently resulting in the deaths of over 19,000 people on both sides, as another reason for the cancellations.

“There will be no Christmas and New Year celebrations except for prayers for peace and stability in Iraq, the Holy Land, and the region. We apologize that we will not receive any congratulations from government officials during these holidays," the statement read.

This is the third time in the past 10 years that Iraqi Christians have canceled New Year's Day and Christmas celebrations, with the last instance being in 2019 when numerous deaths were recorded in Baghdad’s Tishreen protests.  

Before then, Christmas celebrations were canceled in 2014 in solidarity with displaced Christian families who fled the ISIS offensive.

Despite the cancellations, the ongoing Christmas Festival in Erbil, hosted by the Erbil International Fair (EIF), has been open since Dec. 13, although it is believed the festival has no affiliation with the Chaldean community.

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