Celebrating Christmas with family in Syria brings back memories that George Bahjat and his wife Surat Balqis, who have been living in Egypt for years, deeply miss.
The Syrian Christian family expresses a lack of joy during the holiday due to being far from their homeland and the fear of returning due to the still "uncertain" political transition.
Bahjat said, "We are far from our country, not experiencing the joy of the holiday with our family, not living our memories.
As for the decision to return to Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, he has not yet made it, saying, "The situation remains unclear.
His wife, Balqis, hopes that Syria will regain its place and glory among the Arab nations.
She demands that the "new Syria" be a civil state for all Syrians, regardless of sects, denominations, and affiliations.
Churches in Egypt, which follow the Eastern calendar, celebrated Christmas on January 7.
Syrian Christians living in Egypt participated in these celebrations, amid hopes for political stability in their country, ensuring equality for all ethnicities and religions.