Iraq did declare Christmas Day a national holiday. Good for the country after enduring years of hardship AND, as said in this day in Military History, Saddam was hanged in 2006.
50,000 tourists ringing in the New Year in Erbil
A sign at Erbil's Family Mall weclomes the New Year 2019. Photo: Mohammed Shwani/Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Fifty thousand tourists have come to Erbil to ring in the New Year, according to police.
“They have come through checkpoints and airports, and the police have taken necessary measures to welcome them,†Abdul-Khaliq Talaat, head of Erbil Police, told Rudaw on Sunday.
The visitors come from southern and central Iraq, as well as neighbouring countries.
Read more at (and see pictures of Christmas decor below in Erbil, Iraq) http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/301220184
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More at:
http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/30122018
