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Christmas is a time of year when people around the world come together in a spirit of giving, love and hope for humanity, but there are many countries where Christmas is not celebrated.
Christmas is one of the most important times on the calendar for Christians. This religious and cultural festival is celebrated by billions of people every year on the 25th of December.
Christian countries recreate cribs representing the birth of Jesus Christ. They also participate in religious celebrations such as the midnight mass.
Christmas customs vary greatly from country to country.🇧🇷 People from many different nations set up and light Christmas trees, hang Advent wreaths and put on their Christmas stockings for Santa to fill with goodies.
(Check out our fascinating story about theHistory and names of Santa Claus around the world!)
But although it has its roots in religious traditions andSymbolFor thousands of years, there have been many countries where Christmas has not been celebrated.
KEEP READING:75 Christmas traditions around the world
Countries that don't celebrate Christmas
- China
- Egypt
- Mongolia
- Morocco
- Trem
- Tunisia
AccordingPew Research Center, "In 2010, Christianity was by far the largest religion in the world, with an estimated 2.2 billion adherents, nearly a third (31%) of the total 6.9 billion people on Earth."
However, the rest of the world (about 69%) follows a variety of different religions that may or may not celebrate Christmas.
Below are just a few of the dozens of different places around the world where December 25th is just another day.
If you're a traveler looking to escape the hustle and bustle of the Western world's Christmas season, these countries might just be the perfect place!
KEEP READING:40 fascinating Christmas traditions in Mexico
China
NatalChinait's just another day at work. Schools, offices and stores remain open. But although December 25th is not celebrated as a festival or holiday, the Chinese have adopted some Western traditions over the years.
China is officially a non-religious country, so Christmas has already been completely banned along with Christianity.
But while the government still imposes restrictions against observing a Western-style holiday, the country is participating in the commercial shopping season.
The commercial version of Christmas in China is only celebrated in big cities (where more people can afford it) and is treated more like Valentine's Day.
It's usually a day spent with friends, not family, and usually celebrated by going to the movies, shopping, or spending a romantic day with your partner. Christmas Eve is the biggest shopping day of the year here.
Outside the big cities, Christmas isn't even a commercial thing. With only 1% of Chinese officially Christian, there is not much Christian cultural influence. Therefore, people in rural areas do not celebrate the holiday.
Christmas is celebrated as a public holiday in Macao,Taiwan, and Hong Kong, and these destinations celebrate the well-known Western-style holiday.
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Egypt
Christmas is celebrated in Egypt by 15% of the Christian population (the so-calledcopts).
But like Orthodox Christians in countries like Russia and Serbia, even faithful Christians in Egypt do not celebrate Christmas in December.
Coptic Orthodox Christians in Egypt celebrate Christmas on January 7,as the Church uses the old Julian calendar for religious festivals.
From November 25th to January 6th (also known as the 43 days ofAdvent), Coptic fasting and adhering to a vegan diet for the “Holy Birth Fast”.
On Christmas Eve (January 6th) they celebrate mass around 10pm, and most services end just after midnight (although some continue until 4am).
There are many other countries that don't celebrate Christmas in a western way.
These include Afghanistan, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bhutan, Cambodia, Iran, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Laos, Libya, Maldives, Mauritania, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Arabs United Emirates Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Yemen.
But travelers to Egypt have a unique choice: visit in December to escape the Christmas-time holiday madness, or visit in early January and have the opportunity to celebrate Christmas twice!
KEEP READING: The 20 Best Places to Spend Christmas in the US
Mongolia
Mongolia is a country where travelers can experience countless traditions from the ancient past firsthand. But Christmas is not one of them.
Since Mongolia is officially a Buddhist country, December 25 seems like any other day. People go to work, children go to school, and Christmas carols don't play in stores.
You might find a decoration or two lined up in big cities like Ulaanbaatar, but Christmas is really a strange affair here.
Which is ironic, as in December Mongolia looks like a picture perfect winter wonderland, complete with wild reindeer!
As in Qatar, Christmas celebrations in Mongolia are left to the expat community.
But people inmongolian cultureCelebrate the Lunar New Year. There are fireworks, street parties and a televised speech by the President of Mongolia at midnight.
Lunar New Year is also celebrated with a "New Year tree" that bears an uncanny resemblance to a Christmas tree!
KEEP READING: How the New Year is celebrated around the world
Morocco
travelers go toMoroccofor many things – Hiking in North Africaatlas mountains, riding a camel, shopping, sleeping in a famous riad – but celebrating Christmas is not one of them.
Moroccans are mostly Muslim, so it's no surprise that Christmas isn't a big deal in Morocco.
Instead of listening to bells and folk songs, listen to the beautiful sound of theAdhan(the Muslim call to prayer). Instead of seeing Christmas lights lining the streets, you see hundreds of colorful lanterns.
So you might not be celebrating Christmas in Morocco when you visit. But you can pair mint tea with spicy lamb and lose yourself wandering through the country's many medinas and alleyways.
When visiting Morocco, be sure to head down to the bustling Djemaa el-Fnaa (in Marrakech's main square) to pick up some trinkets to take home as Christmas presents!
KEEP READING:The best places to spend Christmas in Europe
Trem
You won't be able to tell that it's Christmas in Qatar, a non-Christian country. Any organized celebrations are usually organized by the growing expat community.
The variety of festive decorations available in stores has increased over the years (Doha is a modern city with extravagant malls, after all). But these are still relatively scarce prey.
In a country known for its historic souks, Islamic art and monolithic sand dunes, it's perhaps not all that surprising that there's a notable shortage of Christmas trees here.
Real Christmas trees in Qatar are very expensive and very rare. But for travelers who crave the smell of areal christmas tree, visit the Ritz-Carlton or a similar internationally renowned 5-star hotel.
These hotels serve Christmas Eve buffets annually if you want to partake in a seasonal celebration.
KEEP READING:Traditional Lebkuchen Recipe (also known as German Lebkuchen)
Tunisia
Those who want to have many opportunities to celebrate Christmas in Tunisia North Africa.
Flower vendors haggle over the price of a tree, vendors sell Christmas decorations and accessories, and you'll never have trouble finding a unique gift in the huge variety of souks there.
Many local churches offer services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. But for locals, Christmas means nothing more than an economic opportunity for their businesses.
Visit Tunisia for incredibly warm weather and beautiful African beaches. But don't go waiting to get into the Christmas spirit: the festivities usually pass without fanfare!-Megan Gerard
KEEP READING:15 easy-to-make recycled Christmas cards for kids
Megan Gerardis an Australian journalist and the
Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Mapping Megan, an award-winning travel blog that brings you the latest adventure travel from around the world. Megan and her husband Mike believe that travel has the potential to inspire change in people and, in turn, create change in the world. They embraced travel as a lifestyle in 2007 and are dedicated to documenting their journeys and observations through fun, honest articles and brilliant photography. You can continue to follow your journeyFacebook,Twitter,Google+,YouTube,pinteresteInstagram.
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