Christmas

Iraq makes Christmas Day a Public Holiday

During the 29th session of the Iraqi Parliament on Wednesday December 16th 2020, Christmas was officially recognized as a public holiday for all Iraqis.

The approval came after a request by Iraqi President Barham Salih to make December 25th a public holiday, a move widely welcomed by Iraqis of all backgrounds.

The Iraqi Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Antiquities, Hassan Nazim, confirmed that the Ministry is preparing for an expanded meeting to draft a list of public holidays to be proposed the Council of Ministers.

Previously, Christmas was a recognized holiday for only Christians. It was made a public holiday in a one-off move in 2018, but the Parliament’s recent decision makes it a public holiday for all Iraqis from this year on.

Toby

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