Christmas in Syria

In Syria, there is a special Mass on 6th of December in the honor of Saint Nicholas Thaumaturgus. He was a kind and generous man just like St. Nicholas or Santa Claus. On Christmas Eve, all the members of the family stand around an unlit bonfire outside their house with a lighted candle in hand. The youngest child or son of the family reads the Christmas story from the Bible. As soon as the story finishes, the bonfire is lit. The flames are believed to predict the fate of the household in the coming year. Psalms are sung and when there are only embers and ashes left, all the members jump over them thrice and make wishes.

On Christmas mornings, people attend Mass quite early. In the church, another bonfire is lit in the middle of the floor and ancient hymns are sung until it burns. Then the chief church official carries the figure of the Christ Child around the building and touches the nearest person. The person passes it to next until all have received the 'Touch of Peace'. Traditional Christmas dinner consists of chicken, oranges, nuts and pastries. Syrian children receive gifts on New Year's Day by the youngest of the camels that carried the Three Wise Men to Bethlehem. The children leave water and hay for the camel outside their homes. On New Year's Day, in the morning, children wake up to find that hay and water are missing there are presents for them instead.