Video spreading falsely claims to show Muslims attacking Christmas tree

A video is spreading across the Internet that – according to the caption – shows Muslims tearing down a Christmas tree in a shopping mall, in a protest to the Christian religion.

FALSE

The specifics of what the video allegedly depicts depends largely on what instance of the video you happen to come across. Most versions we see purport that the shopping mall is in Sweden. Others vaguely assert Europe, while other imply the Christmas tree is inside the United States.

A quick Internet search reveals that the video was taken in Cairo, Egypt. What’s more, according to various spectators and locals, this was not an attack on Christianity or the Christmas tree, but a common post-holiday tradition called ‘tree plundering’ that involves people stripping a tree of its ornaments and hidden gifts which are then given to children, before the tree is taken down and disposed of. The tradition originated in Sweden, but has since may its way to other countries.

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In this case, the Christmas tree is purposely made for climbing, for exactly this purpose.

The tree itself appears to have been located in a shopping mall in Cairo named The Mall of Arabia. According to social media posts and other stock photos, the shopping mall regularly displays a Christmas tree. The video purportedly showing people “attacking it” is demonstrably false upon a closer inspection. Revellers are climbing the tree and passing (or throwing) down gifts they discover within its branches. Many of the people surrounding the tree can even be seen wearing Christmas hats. At one point some lights fall off the tree, and are soon put back up.

Thus this is not an attack of Christmas – it is clearly a celebration of the end of Christmas.

Other videos showing the same tradition in a Iraq mall are spreading as well.