Syrian Christians attended Christmas Eve services for the first time since President Bashar al-Assad was overthrown in early December.

In Sednaya, Syria, a large crowd gathered near a historic monastery on Christmas Eve to watch a tall tree with green lights being lit.

The celebrations brought a rare moment of joy to a city scarred by more than a decade of war and a notorious prison that holds tens of thousands of people.

Family and friends stood around the brightly lit Christmas tree, some wearing Santa hats, others watching from rooftops as bands played holiday music and fireworks lit up the sky.

“This year is different, there is happiness, victory, new life in Syria and new life in Christ,” said attendee Houssam Saadeh.

Another, Joseph Habaz, expressed hope for unity among all sects and religions in Syria.

The pews of the Church of Our Lady of Damascus in the Syrian capital were filled with young and old people holding candles as the air filled with the sound of hymns and echoed through the church.

Hours before the ceremony, hundreds of protesters in Damascus gathered to denounce the burning of Christmas trees in the countryside of northern Syria’s central-western Hama province.

They carried wooden crosses and shouted, “Jesus, we are your soldiers,” “Sacrifice for Jesus with our blood and souls,” and “The Syrian people are one.”