Yaasub Ali stands inside his shop in Baghdad's Shorjah market surrounded by nearly empty shelves cleared of decorations by Iraqis seeking holiday cheer after a year of relentless violence.
In the narrow market, which dates to the Abbassid era more than 700 years ago, Iraqis peruse Christmas and New Year's decorations ranging from wreaths and ornaments to red-and-white Santa Claus outfits and figurines.
Many of them are not members of Iraq's dwindling Christian minority but Muslims who have embraced the end-of-the-year holiday season as an occasion to celebrate.
Plastic Christmas trees are available in green and white, some boxed up and others on display, including one that sells for $200 and features built-in lights.
The area is crowded with customers, and the workers carting boxes of decorations who pass every few minutes struggle to get through.
"Demand was unusually high this year... this is the first time we sold this amount," says Ali, who has worked in the shop for 10 years.
"We did not expect this demand," he says, pointing to shelves emptied of decorations except for Santa costumes and some ornaments.
He speculates that there is heightened demand because "people are looking for an outlet".
They have ample reason to -- Iraq has suffered through a year that saw the brutal Islamic State (IS) jihadist group overrun large parts of the country, displacing hundreds of thousands and leaving thousands dead.
At another shop, Safa -- who goes by the name "Abu Hadaya," meaning "Father of Gifts" -- says sales have been unprecedented.
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