Why Christmas is such a big holiday in Iraq?

   Why Christmas is such a big holiday in Iraq?

It can be partly explained by consumerism, globalization, social media, as well as how entertainment — things like movies and games — is marketed to all cultures.

In Iraq, the trend is also political. After the defeat of the extremist group known as the "Islamic State" there in 2017, many Iraqis told local media they were celebrating Christmas to show tolerance and solidarity with those minorities the extremist group had so brutally persecuted.

"Yes, it could be all of those reasons," Bashar Matti Warda, the Chaldean Catholic archbishop of the northern Iraqi city of Erbil, speculated. "But as an Iraqi, I think it might also be about the message behind Christmas, which is one of joy and good news. The Iraqi people have experienced a lot of tough times over the past decades. This is a way not just to celebrate, but to fight hopelessness," Warda suggested.

The archbishop pointed to the way his countrypeople greeted the visit of Pope Francis earlier this year. "We saw so many people participating, not just Christians," he told DW. "It's not just about tolerance, it's all about needing to find joy."

-MICHELLE LÓPEZ