Damascus, Syria – Damascus says Christmas is a little different this year.

While last year’s decorations may have been more elaborate, Karol Sahaf said the holiday spirit was even better this year, less than two weeks before Bashar al-Assad’s flight and the collapse of his regime.

On both sides of what is known in the Bible as the Straight Street (or al-Mustaqeem or simply the Straight Street), lights and Christmas trees decorate the cafes, restaurants, shops and homes of Bab Sharqi, a neighborhood adjacent to the ancient Old City East Gate City.

The alleys around Straight Street are bustling with activity, a spring-like feeling in the air as shopkeepers repaint, dust off their shelves and hoist the green, white and black Free Syria flag.

Lights, cookies and optimism

Assad fled on December 8, and the Syrian people celebrated the fall of the Assad family and the end of more than 50 years of brutal rule. The entire country was plunged into jubilation that lasted for several days.

Olga Muti told Al Jazeera that as celebrations calm down, everyone begins to prepare for Christmas, New Year and Orthodox Christmas.

“I expect holiday celebrations to be revitalized in the next few days,” the 29-year-old said as she assembled cookie decorating kits in the back room of her eponymous bakery.

“After 14 years of war, I hope the coming year will bring us peace, love and the chance to live with dignity.”

From Olga’s shop, it’s a four-minute walk along Straight Street to the brightly lit Bab Touma Street, named after another tower on the Old City walls. It is named after the ancient gate.

Akop Safarian, 72, admired the lights as he walked with two friends nearby, bundled up in the cold night air and filled with joy.

He and his neighbors decorated their houses and the streets where they lived, he said, just as they do every year, except this year he did it with a special prayer.

“I hope there will be peace in Syria and the world in the coming year,” Safarian said with a smile.

“We, as Syrians”

“We are a little worried about the coming phase,” Shahaf said as he browsed a small handicraft stall in a cafe in the old city of Qishleh.

However, she added that she was very happy with all the changes in Syria.

“I believe that as Syrians of all backgrounds, we can prove to the world that we are a peace-loving people,” said the 28-year-old from Jaramana.

“The horrific scenes we are seeing in Assad’s prisons… we should truly mourn and stand in solidarity with the families of the detainees who were killed in the prisons and with the families of those whose fate remains unknown,” Carroll said.

Rawad Diop, who comes from Safita near Tartous, couldn’t be happier.

“Beyond the Christmas celebrations, I saw smiles on people’s faces that I had never seen before,” the 42-year-old said.

“Personally, I’m very happy and feel internally optimistic about the future.”