Nestled off of a bustling shopping avenue in central Baghdad, Babylon Farms offers all the retail trappings of Christmas.
Baskets brim with glitter-dusted ornaments. A 4-foot Santa Claus doll towers over the cash register. Rows of decorated trees and plastic poinsettias line the shop.
The only thing missing? Customers.
"All the Christians have left the country," said Saif Sadi, the manager of the store, where sales this season are down 75 percent.
Christian leaders estimate that 50,000 of Iraq's nearly 800,000 Christians have fled the country since last year, mostly to Jordan and Syria.
And after a year of church bombings, death threats and assassinations, the Christians who remain have all but canceled Christmas.
"Officially, we are not celebrating this year," said Rev. Peter Haddad, head of the Virgin Mary Church in Baghdad.
Fearing insurgent attacks, Christian bishops across predominantly Muslim Iraq recently announced they would call off the usual Christmas celebrations. Some churches will forgo Christmas Eve mass, unheard of even during the Saddam Hussein regime.
More than 700 people once packed Haddad's church during the holidays. Last Sunday, 27 worshipers showed up.
Christians have lived in Iraq for hundreds of years, enjoying peaceful relations with Muslims for most of that time. But after the U.S.-led invasion, insurgents began targeting the community, accusing Christians of cooperating with American "infidels" by working as translators, house cleaners and merchants. Harassment became so bad that many Christian women began wearing a hijab, or Muslim head scarf.
"We are the agents of no one, and we don't accept being linked to the occupiers because of our religion," Louis Sako, the Chaldean Catholic archbishop of Kirkuk, recently told parishioners as he announced the cancellation of Christmas celebrations in that northern city. "Blowing up our churches and frightening our sons will not solve the problems of Iraq."
In the past, George Goryal, 50, a father of four, celebrated Christmas by taking his family on a picnic. This year they are staying indoors.
Attacks feared
The family hopes to attend Christmas Eve mass, but Goryal says he is so worried about attacks he has developed a strategy to reduce his exposure.
"We will go to the church only two at a time," Goryal said. "When the first two come back, then two more can go. It's safer this way."
Some churches have resorted to armed guards. At the Assyrian Our Lady of Salvation Church, men with assault rifles and pistols stood guard during a recent funeral for a parishioner who was shot dead on his way to work as a bartender for a Baghdad social club.
Some church leaders said they are loath to use metal detectors and body searches or have U.S. troops stand guard during the Christmas holiday, and would rather cancel events.
"Christian families are going to suffice with celebrating with friends and relatives at their houses," said Sameer Khoori, vice chairman of the Hindiya social club for Christians.
Traditionally, Christians in Iraq mark the holiday with lavish parties at restaurants, outings to amusement parks and large family gatherings. As in the United States, families usually decorate homes with colorful lights and pine wreaths.
But Christians say there's little point in hanging Christmas lights when electricity outages mean they have just four hours of power a day. Gas shortages have cut into plans to visit relatives in other cities.
Keeping the faith
Despite the problems, many Iraqis said they are determined to keep a Christmas spirit.
"Our beliefs will never fade," said Hazim Jameel, 47, a taxi driver who was buying a Christmas tree on his day off. "It's vital that people live their normal lives." His wife, Fadia Issa, 31, said the family would prepare a traditional Christmas dinner and give gifts to their three young children. "It's important for the children," she said.
Haddad, who will keep his Baghdad church doors open for Christmas services, said the hard times would encourage Christians to reflect on the religious significance of the holiday, rather than on gifts and parties. His Christmas Eve sermon will draw parallels between the U.S. occupation of Iraq and the Roman occupation of Jerusalem during the time of Jesus Christ, a message he said he hopes will inspire worshipers.
"There are very bad days," he said, "but they will pass."