Residents in Syria's coastal regions are approaching Christmas and New Year celebrations with unprecedented caution amid security tensions and rising influence of hardline Islamist currents, local sources said to the Syrian Observatory on Human Rights on December 17.

Syria’s first post-Assad year has left Christians balancing festive public Christmas celebrations with deepening fears over minority protections. Crowded masses in Damascus and Aleppo signal normalisation under the new Turkish-backed government, yet incidents like the Suqaylabiyah Christmas tree burning have sparked protests, highlighting persistent insecurity and lawlessness, especially in areas of larger concentrations of minorities like Latakia, where many Alawites live.

The holiday season has transformed from a source of joy into genuine concern, marking a stark departure from previous years, when these occasions were a natural part of social life without tension or security calculations.

Local sources warned that the presence of hardline groups has moved beyond rhetoric to manifest in social pressure, undeclared restrictive practices and fears of imposed behavioural patterns contrary to the region's nature and history.

One woman from the area said people now think carefully before any celebration, with even family gatherings becoming limited.

"Fear has become part of our daily lives," she said.

According to the foreign-based group, citizens fear that any celebratory displays could become grounds for harassment or targeting through social pressure, incitement or uncontrolled individual actions.

"Whilst no direct threats exist, the daily sense of insecurity prompts people towards caution and avoiding attention" the human rights groups wrote.

This perceived anxiety has driven many families, shop owners and café operators to reduce decorations, cancel public gatherings and limit celebrations to closed events inside homes.

Alcoholic beverages, traditionally part of holiday celebrations, have become a symbol of tension this year as the Islamist-led government continues to consolidate its power over all aspects of life across Syria, including public celebrations.

Café and restaurant owners fear serving them due to concerns about attracting attention or harassment, whilst some limit consumption even inside homes.

The danger lies not only in the holiday season but in what these restrictions indicate about a broader trajectory potentially leading to a new social reality based on exclusion and rejection of the religious and cultural diversity that has long characterised coastal Syria.

Activists argue that silence regarding these practices encourages further expansion, warning that transforming holidays into a "security problem" or "social taboo" sets a dangerous precedent affecting personal freedoms and threatening civil peace and societal stability.

"People now calculate a thousand times before any celebration. Even family gatherings have become limited," a local resident said.