There might not have been much peace and goodwill in the Middle East this year, but Christmas 2013 was still celebrated with gusto in the Orient. With Christians being increasingly targeted by extremist groups, some festive cheer was much needed - and Santa delivered!
2013 has been a tough year for all the Middle Eastern states - if they are not rocked by all-out sectarian conflict (a la Syria), then there's a chance they've been impacted by dodgy governments, weak economies or settlement strife. Despite all this, Christmas 2013 went off with a bang across the region. Some bangs were bigger than others - in Egypt, a massive explosion ripped through Mansoura in the Nile Delta killing 14 people, overshadowing any post-Morsi Christmas spirit. But in Iran, Hassan Rouhani took to this Twitter to reach out to Christians through a festive message - complete with hashtags. Christmassy cheer also made it to the UAE - where Xmas-crazy residents have shelled out big bucks to create a fake winter wonderland in their back yards. The region has gone Yuletide mad!
With the Middle East being considered the birthplace of Christianity - and Jesus - it's no wonder that the festive season is particularly special in this part of the world. Take a look at Al Bawaba's gallery of how Christmas 2013 was marked across the Middle East.
