Colin Sheridan: A homecoming like no other for Syrians

The memory of a poignant Christmas ad has resonated even more this year

Syrian activists gather at the Umayyad square during a protest to demand a secular state, in Damascus, Syria. Picture: Omar Sanadiki/AP

When I think of Christmas as a kid, the most recurring memory I have is not of Santa or watching Indiana Jones on Christmas day with my family, but of an ad from about 1988.

Scored by Dusty Springfield’s ‘Game of Life’, it followed the journey of a college kid returning home for the holidays, picked up by his dad from a bus and driven across the bog road to his childhood home, where his mother was diligently preparing the house for him, readying his bedroom, cooking, and baking.