In Syria, Catholic Christmas was declared a day off

.The Syrian authorities, against the backdrop of protests by Syrian Christians in a number of cities, declared December 25 and 26, which coincide with Catholic Christmas, as official days off.
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“For all employees of government institutions, December 25 and 26, 2024 are declared official days off. Those institutions and relevant ministries whose activities are necessary will continue to work,” the government statement published in the Al-Watan newspaper said.

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On Monday evening, in the suburbs of Damascus, peaceful rallies were held in Christian neighborhoods of the Syrian capital against the oppression of the Christian population in Syria after the new government came to power.

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Earlier, a group of foreign mercenaries and a number of armed groups burned a Christmas tree in the city of Skalbiya in the north of Homs province. Local authorities later stated that the criminals had been detained and would be punished.