By Homeland Coalition | Dec. 24, 2023
This project is the first collaboration by Homeland Coalition, a group of organizations around the world that work together to support Assyrian communities in Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria. This page will be updated as more letters come in.
Children around the world have long been sending their Christmas wishes to Santa. It’s no different in the homeland, where Assyrian children in Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria ask Santa for gifts and peace for their family and friends.
We asked children across the homeland to write letters addressed to Santa and to include a description of what they do on Christmas day and a photo of themselves or with their families. Here’s what the children wrote:
Baghdeda, Iraq
Dear Santa,
I wish in this Christmas that wars will end and peace prevails in the world, especially in my country of Iraq. And I wish to get an Ipad as a gift.
On Christmas evening, I go with my family to church. After that we take beautiful souvenir photos in our town where it is decorated with tricky light flyers and wonderful Christmas trees.
Then we go to my grandfather’s house where we celebrate, rejoice and eat dinner.
Qamishli, Syria
Dear Santa,
Could you please bring peace for my country Syria and save all of its kids?
Alqosh, Iraq
(left) My dear Santa,
I love you a lot. I ask you for two gifts and I hope you will fulfill them for me and my friends. Christmas is a beautiful time, I am going to visit my friends and my relatives and I will eat pacha. I am going to leave you milk and cookies by the Christmas tree so you can eat it at night when you bring the presents to us.
(right) My dear Santa,
I am 10 years old. I am from Iraq. Every night I wish and I ask from you to bring to me and my youngest brother a lot of Christmas gifts. I will go on Christmas night to church so we can celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. I will ask from Jesus Christ to save all the kids in the world. After that I will visit my family and friends and share with them the joy of the birth of Jesus Christ.
Baghdeda, Iraq
Dear Santa,
I wish for this Christmas to meet my aunt and see my grandparent’s house. The thing I want to have is a marker set.
On Christmas, we go to church. After church, we celebrate in the street with people by singing Christmas songs. After that we continue celebrating in my grandparent’s house.
In the future, I want to be a pharmacist.
Batnaya, Iraq
Hello Papa Noel,
For Christmas, I want you to give a beautiful present to me and to all kids. Before Christmas, we will prepare a party for me and all of my friends. We will decorate a Christmas tree and we will wear nice clothes to go to church with our family on Christmas because we’re happy about the birth of Jesus.
We will play with toys and with our friends and spend a lot of fun time together filled with freedom, health and peace for all.
Tur Abdin, Turkey
Greetings Saint Nicholas,
I am from Beth-Qustan, Tur-‘Abdin. I am 8 years old. On Christmas we go to church in the morning. After church, we firstly wish our families a Merry Christmas. After this, we children go around to all the houses together and eat sweets and fruit, having a very pleasant day.
I long so much to see Saint Nicholas and play with him, to hold his staff and look into his sack, which is full of gifts for little children. I request from the Nineveh Rising Foundation, which is in America, shoes and a shirt. Thank you very much to this foundation, because they were the reason for this thing and they gave me the chance. I have hope that one day we will see each other and spend a pleasant time together.
Stay healthy Father Christmas
Nohadra, Iraq
Dear Santa,
I am a student in grade 1 in Akkad Syriac School. Can you appear so that I can see you? My parents have told me a lot about you and my wish is to see you. And can you bring a lot of candies with you?
Merry Christmas
Nohadra, Iraq
Dear Santa,
All I want from you is to protect my family, and also protect my friends. I hope that both of my siblings get better anytime soon! They have a heart disease. But they are good because they take pills that make them better! And I also was hoping for you to protect my mother.
Nohadra, Iraq
Dear Santa,
I am a student in grade 2 in Ashtar Syriac School. Can I know why every year I see you looking fat and with a thick beard? My wish is to have a belly like yours and a beard like yours and also a sleigh so that I can fly in the sky.
Merry Christmas
Nohadra, Iraq
Dear Santa,
I am a student in grade 3 in Akeeto Syriac School. I want peace and security in my country, and to protect the sons of my nation from all destruction, and for there to be cooperation, love and success between them.
Tur Abdin, Turkey
Greetings Saint Nicholas,
I am from Anhel, Tur-‘Abdin. I am in the second grade. On Saint Nicholas Day, we went to the church and I celebrated the Feast of Saint Nicholas. We sang to Saint Nicholas and I got a present. I was so happy, in my heart I said thank you Saint Nicholas!
I came home and put it there. My mother made keleche, and we helped mama clean the house. I have clothes to wear on Christmas day when we go to church. After we ate marga, we went around to the neighbors for all of Christmas day. We also went to wish grandma and grandpa a happy Christmas.
I love Saint Nicholas. I want him to come to us and give us presents, a toy commando car and books!
Qamishli, Syria
Dear Papa Noel,
Please stop the war in my country. Love you so much.
Berzawa, Ninewe, Iraq
Dear Santa,
I am from Iraq, Nineveh, village Berzawa. I go to church every single year and when I come back, I eat and I change to good clothes and I like my Christmas and I want a big present. Bye.
About this story
The project began 2022 but was postponed until this year. Letters from Iran were omitted for safety reasons. All names of the children were kept anonymous.
Editing by Ashuriena Abraham and Joe Snell. Translations by Nicholas Al-Jeloo.
The collection of letters were organized by Evette Shahara of Shlama Foundation, Savina Dawood of Etuti Institute, Karmella Borashan of Assyrian Aid Society and Ranna Abro Salem of Nineveh Rising.