List of countries that do not celebrate Christmas (this is the reason) (2023)

Christmas is a holiday that brings families and friends together, as well as a time to spread love and remind us of the ties that unite all people, regardless of race, tribe, religion, country of origin or worldview. However, some regions and nations do not observe Christmas.

Christmas or the holiday actually formed a holiday around Christmas Day to honor a specific occasion, such as the commemoration of Democracy Day, the birth of a founder, or other national or public holidays, without attaching any meaning to Christmas. .

Others, however, do not celebrate the day as a holiday or special occasion; in these nations it is observed the same as any other day of the week and has no special significance.

Also, in some nations where Christmas is not observed, it has become a day similar to Valentine's Day where friends and sweethearts express their love for each other.

1. Comoros Island

As 98% Sunni Muslim, the island nation of Comoros in the Indian Ocean is strongly opposed to Christianity. Sunni Islam was declared the country's official religion in 2018 following a referendum that, according to the World Watch Monitor, "was expected to have a strong impact on the country's small Christian minority".

The open practice of Christianity is banned in Comoros, which "has been on the World Watch list for persecution of Christians for the past 22 years," according to WorldAtlas. One of the nations that does not observe Christmas is this one.

2. North Korea

Another East Asian nation that does not celebrate Christmas is North Korea. The Independent claims that Christmas in North Korea is "not an event". The nation's radical and authoritarian view of atheism, as ostensibly depicted in communist theory, led to an outright ban on all things Christmas.

North Korean authorities deny the so-called hermit state information about religious festivals at all costs. Anyone who did not celebrate the festival ran the risk of being “arrested, tortured or killed”. Although it is forbidden to celebrate Christmas in North Korea, Kim Jong-Suk, Kim Jong-late Un's grandmother, can be honored on her birthday.

Pilgrimages are made to Hoeryong, a city in the Northeast, to honor the revolutionary idol's birthday, which falls on Christmas Eve (his birthplace).

When living in North Korea, Independent Co.Uk's correspondent stated that he didn't know any Christians, adding: “I didn't know any Christians or anyone who believed in God. The North Korean government controls all the media and the Internet, and the people I met don't know Jesus.

However, the situation was not always like this. Pyongyang was something of a Christian hotspot before the Korean War, which split the peninsula into a communist north and a capitalist south, and many Christian preachers were, in fact, from the north of the country. Furthermore, “about 60 years ago it was a very Christian nation; people refer to it as the "Jerusalem of the East," says Kang.

3. chino

One of the nations where Christmas is not celebrated or celebrated nationally, nor is it considered a holiday, is Greater China. China sees Christmas as "another business day" with "all schools, offices and shops open". Christmas used to be completely banned in China due to the country's secular government.

In 2018, the government began to “crack down on Christmas” and residents were told to focus on promoting traditional Chinese culture. In many countries around the world, Christmas Day is a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus. Christmas in China is yet another secular holiday of partying and shopping, with only 3-5% of the population identifying as Christian. Shopping malls and other commercial businesses take advantage of seasonal sales to attract customers.

In Western countries, Christmas is a time of family gatherings, while in China it is more of a celebration of Valentine's Day. On this fun day, young people go out with their partners and celebrate with small gifts. They also go out shopping, to the movies or to a karaoke bar with friends.

4. Mongolia

Mongols, who live in a predominantly Buddhist nation in East Asia, are one of the nations that do not celebrate Christmas.

In Mongolia, which is largely a Buddhist nation, few Christians live and Christmas is not a public holiday. In addition to the Mongolian Lunar New Year, or Tsagaan Sar, which is celebrated over three days at the beginning of the first lunar month, January 1st is a public holiday in Mongolia.

The most recent national census, taken in 2020, was reported in the US Department of State Report, revealing that 40.6% of respondents age 15 and older say they are not religious, while 59.4% identify as religious.

Furthermore, Buddhists make up 87.1% of people who identified their religious affiliation, while Muslims make up 5.4%. Likewise, 4.2% of people identify themselves as shamanists, 2.2% as Christians and 1.1% as belonging to another religion.

Most Buddhists follow the Mahayana school of thought. Many people who practice shamanism do so in conjunction with other religions, particularly Buddhism. The vast majority of Christians are Protestants. Two more Christian institutions in the country are the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Church of Jesus Christ).

5 Israel

Israel does not celebrate Christmas as often as other nations. Due to the small number of Christians in Israel (1.9%), as well as the fact that it is not a national holiday, Christmas is not a generally observed holiday in Israel.

Israel is one of the countries that does not celebrate Christmas, despite the fact that a large number of pilgrims travel there every year to visit the holy city, despite the fact that the Christian story takes place in Israel and the character of the festival, Jesus Christ. , it was predicted that he would be born there about 2,000 years ago.

6. Brunei

The tiny, oil-rich Islamic kingdom of Brunei has banned public Christmas celebrations since 2015. The penalty for breaking the law is up to five years in prison, a $20,000 fine, or both.

The country's Muslims, who make up nearly two-thirds of the population, can celebrate the holiday in their own communities, but non-Muslims cannot share their plans with them. According to the country's Ministry of Religious Affairs, the rules "are intended to control the act of celebrating Christmas excessively and openly, which may harm the aqidah (belief) of the Muslim community."

7. Tunisia

Although it is not prohibited by law to celebrate Christmas in Tunisia, there are very few public events and the day is usually spent working. It is one of several nations around the world that observes the day or season as a holiday, even if it is not Christmas.

8. Afghanistan

The Muslim-majority nation has a rocky history with Christianity and its festivals. As there is little evidence that the Taliban has evolved after two decades, John Pontifex of The Times commented that this was especially acute during Taliban rule in the 1990s.

Tensions between Christians and followers of other minority religions in Afghanistan are expected to persist as the extremist organization returns to rule the country. Pontifex described the acquisition as "a catastrophe" for these Catholic institutions. Christmas is rarely celebrated in this nation and those who do risk persecution.

9. Libya

Christmas is now not observed in this nation, which has a sizable Muslim population. However, there is cause for rejoicing because December 24th is National Independence Day. It is one of the nations that does not observe or refer to Christmas, declaring it a national holiday or ordering its inhabitants to do so.

10. pakistan

It is an Islamic state where Christianity does not flourish and where the percentage of Christians is very low. However, the country's incredibly small Christian community "remains full of insecurity" about celebrating Christmas, and there could be a "threat to the lives of people celebrating the events", according to the Parhlo news website.

Instead of celebrating the birth of Jesus, Pakistan celebrates Muhammad Ali Jinnah's birthday on December 25th as a public holiday. Jinnah is believed to have founded the nation.