Hello my love,
Today is Christmas Day in New Zealand and I have been busy collecting stories. So much in the news inspires me, especially the ways people push back against hatred, fear and darkness. This little story was inspired by a new article I read, “protest in Syrian capital after burning of Christmas tree.“
It’s a hateful thing to burn any tree, but more so a beautiful tree of light. You don’t have to be any particular faith to know something is not right.
I hope you enjoy my wee short story. The image is a photo I took of the icing on the Christmas Cake my lovely neighbour baked for us. And she grew a special orchid too. I can’t wait to see it flower. Orchids play staring roles in many of my books, including Claimed By The Sheikh and Stolen By The Sheikh. I am an orchid lover, and while I don’t celebrate Christmas the way others do, I do enjoy the pageantry. I would never burn down a Christmas tree!
~ lyrics: Simple Minds, Alive and Kicking
The night the Christmas tree burned in the central square of Aleppo was supposed to be a night of joy. Families had gathered, their breath misting in the crisp air, children’s laughter mingling with the sound of carols sung by the local choir. The towering tree, decorated with handmade ornaments, was a beacon of hope for a city battered by years of conflict.
Then came the fire.
Extremists swept through the square like a shadow, their torches turning the symbol of unity into a blazing pyre. Screams of shock echoed as people fled for safety, the flames consuming not just the tree but the hope it symbolized. When the fire died down, all that remained was ash and silence.
But the silence didn’t last.
In the days that followed, whispers began to spread. They started small, in markets and at church gates, in crowded homes where families huddled together. The tree may have burned, but the spirit of Christmas could not be extinguished. Aleppo had seen worse, survived worse. A fire couldn’t destroy what was already burning bright in their hearts.
The first act of defiance came from an unexpected place.
Fatima, a widowed seamstress who had lost everything in the war, carried a bundle of old fabric scraps to the center of the square. Under the watchful eyes of her neighbors, she began weaving. Stitch by stitch, she turned those scraps into a banner that read, “Hope Never Dies.” Inspired by her courage, others followed.
A carpenter named Youssef brought planks of wood salvaged from bombed-out buildings. A baker named Amal contributed tins of paint. Children scoured the rubble for bits of glass and metal to turn into ornaments. Within days, the people of Aleppo were working side by side, Muslims and Christians alike, rebuilding what had been destroyed.
The second tree was smaller, scrappier, but it was stronger because it was built by everyone. On Christmas Eve, the square was full again—not just with Christians, but with Muslims, Druze, and people of no faith, united in their determination to reclaim joy. The air was thick with the scent of spices from shared meals, and the sound of a hundred voices singing together.
As the sun set, Fatima and Youssef climbed a rickety ladder to place a star made from twisted metal at the top of the new tree. The crowd erupted in cheers as the lights flickered on, illuminating the square with a warm glow that pushed back the darkness.
When the extremists returned, they found not fear, but defiance. Men and women locked arms, surrounding the tree, daring anyone to touch it. And for the first time in years, the people of Aleppo stood as one.
The tree stood through the night, its lights shining brighter than the stars above. And as dawn broke, it was clear that something had shifted. The extremists had tried to extinguish hope, but they had only fueled it.
That Christmas, Aleppo didn’t just survive. It triumphed.
Because the light that burns in human hearts—the light of resilience, love, and unity—can never be extinguished. And every year after, the Christmas tree in Aleppo became not just a symbol of faith, but a symbol of a people who refused to be broken.
I hope you enjoyed this wee short story. Praying for peace xxx
“We want stability, we’re tired. We’re tired of the Christian infighting, the Islamic infighting, the Hezbollah-Israel war, every person is tired, not just Christians.”
You may enjoy some of my Christmas Romances and other short stories