As the Christmas and New Year holidays approach, the Progressive Syriac Youth Union lit the Christmas tree in Martyrs’ Square of the Syriac-Assyrian people in the city of Hasakah, in the presence of a large crowd from the Syriac community and all components of the city.
The program opened with a speech by the Union’s Co-Chair, Mr. Subhi Malki, delivered in both Syriac and Arabic. In his remarks, he expressed his gratitude to all civil society organizations that supported the initiative, emphasizing that the “Ilona” tree embodies the vision of a new Syria in which all components enjoy their linguistic, cultural, and constitutional rights and participate in building an inclusive homeland for all. Malki also thanked all participants from the various communities and wished that the new year would be a year of peace for all Syrians.
The celebration included the lighting of the tree accompanied by a fireworks display, followed by performances of traditional dances from the heritage of the Syriac-Assyrian people, presented by the Anana Troupe for Syriac-Assyrian Heritage, affiliated with the Syriac Cultural Association.
It is worth noting that the initiative was named “Ilona,” meaning “the fruitful tree” in the Syriac language, as an expression of hope, goodness, and fertility.
