American-Bolivian family prepare for Christmas in Duhok

DUHOK, Kurdistan Region — The Mark family are preparing to celebrate Christmas in Duhok amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

John, from the United States, and Mariam, from Bolivia, met in Sulaimani in 2010 and now live in Duhok with their son and daughter. 

"We have a Christmas tree from before. We are here now to buy a few small things to get ready for Christmas," John told Rudaw in Kurdish. 

Mariam, a dentist, volunteers in Duhok refugee camps. Her husband works for an NGO. 

"In my home country of Bolivia, in South America, we eat and open gifts on the night of the 24th, but my husband is from America and Canada. It’s their tradition to wake up and open the gifts in the morning of the 25th of December," she told Rudaw.

The family pray and read the Bible together on Sundays, and begin preparing for Christmas from the beginning of December.

"We make preparations four weeks before Christmas, we read the Bible and the story of Jesus Christ and his birth," John said. 

John's father was hoping to travel to the Kurdistan Region for Christmas, but is unable to visit because of the ongoing pandemic.

Reporting by Naif Ramadhan