Christians are forbidden from celebrating the day
associated with the birth of Jesus. Check them out below:
1. England
Oliver Cromwell overthrew the monarchy and oversaw the
execution of King Charles I during the English Civil War, but
for many the fiery Puritan leader is better known for banning
mince pies.
Christmas and the celebration of saints’ days was
discouraged – if not prohibited – in England between 1647
and 1660 as the country was ruled by a puritanical
movement that considered the feast day ‘giving liberty to
carnal and sensual delights’.
They mandated that shops had to remain open and cracked
down on celebrations, leading to violent clashes on the
streets of London and other cities. Life returned to normal
after Cromwell’s death in 1658 and the Restoration two
years later.
2. Brunei
Brunei banned public celebrations of Christmas and
imposed fines and jail terms for those caught celebrating
the festival in 2014, an edict that was reiterated in 2015 by
religious leaders writing in local newspaper, the Brunei
Times.
“These enforcement measures are …
intended to control the act of celebrating
Christmas excessively and openly, which
could damage the aqidah [beliefs] of the
Muslim community,” they said.
It specifically banned the wearing of Christmas costumes
such as Santa hats, the lighting of candles, the signing of
religious songs and putting up decorations such as
Christmas trees. The Sultan of Brunei, a billionaire who
owns hotels across the world, introduced a strict
interpretation of Sharia law on the territory last two years.
3. Tajikistan
The reclusive former Soviet republic country’s education
ministry issued a decree in December outlawing Christmas
trees, the exchange of presents, fireworks and festive
meals.
Sky News reported that while the restrictions in 2015 are
the strongest yet, anti-Christmas regulations have been
getting increasingly restrictive over the last few years in the
Muslim-majority country.
In 2014, the Tajik government banned Father Christmas and
three years earlier a man dressed as Santa was stabbed to
death in the capital on New Year’s Eve. Tajikistan also bans
Halloween and in 2013 and 2014 police rounded up
revellers dressed as zombies and vampires.
4. Saudi Arabia
Little surprise that Saudi Arabia, a theocracy governed by
the strict Wahhabi doctrine of Islam, is not a big fan of
Christmas.
In the past, expatriates had quietly celebrated in the
comfort of their own homes (and will likely continue to) but
rumours of illicit Christmas parties prompted state media in
January to reiterate that celebrating the festival was not
allowed in the kingdom.
It went further by forbidding Muslims from greeting non-
Muslims at Christmas, with a Saudi scholar saying:
“If they celebrate the birth of God’s son and
you greet them… it means you endorse their
faith.”
In 2015, it emerged that some expatriates in Saudi Arabia
were going further, tweeting pictures of their Christmas
trees and children dressed for the occasion.
5. North Korea
Back in 2013 North and South Korea almost went to war
after the latter erected a giant Christmas tree at the border
of the two countries.
North Korean state media said that the huge Christmas tree
– which was lit up in a town close to the border and clearly
visible from the North – was an act of psychological
warfare.
North Korea does not officially ban Christianity but is ranked
among the most hostile countries in the world towards
Christians.
To complicate matters, December 24th – Christmas Eve –
is celebrated in North Korea as the birthday of the Sacred
Mother of the Revolution, Kim Jong Il’s mum.
6. Albania
Albania not only banned Christmas but religion as a whole
in 1967, making the country the first and only
constitutionally atheist state.
The ban on any and all religious worship was only lifted
after the fall of the Communist regime in 1990, when both
Christians and Muslims were able to practice for the first
time.
During the Communist years many priests and religious
leaders were rounded up and jailed, but the pious
celebrated Christmas and Easter nonetheless in private.
They would have cake or chicken at meal times as a way of
marking the days.
7.USA
Puritans, up to their usual tricks, attempted to ban
Christmas when they arrived in the New World in 1620. They
branded the festival ‘Foolstide’ and decreed that the only
religious day that should be celebrated was the Sabbath.
The Puritans managed to keep the ban going until the
middle of the 18 century, at one point even arresting the
Sir Edmund Andros, the Governor of Massachusetts, when
he tried to sponsor a Christmas service.
8. CUBA
Fidel Castro announced the Cuban government as atheist as
soon as it took power in 1959 but it wasn’t until 1969 that
the Communist leader actually banned Christmas, as he
wanted the population to stop partying and start working on
the sugar harvest.
It was Pope John Paul II who eventually persuaded the now
late Cuban leader to lift his ban during a visit in 1998, when
Castro agreed to make the day a national holiday.
9. Somalia
Somalia banned Christmas in 2013 when a directive from
the Ministry of Justice and Religious Affairs stated that no
Christian festivals could be held in Somalia.
Sheikh Ali Dhere, the country’s director of religious matters,
called a press conference a week before Christmas to make
the announcement.
It was the first time that the Somali government had banned
Christmas since the country’s government collapsed in
1991. In 2015, the government in Mogadishu went further,
banning New Year’s Eve celebrations and ordering the
police and army to disperse any celebrations it found.
10. China
Christmas and Christianity as a whole were banned in China
after 1949 but you would not know that if you were to visit
during the festive season today.
China goes mad for Christmas, and it is not just Chinese
Christians that get in on the act – while Christmas is not a
national holiday it is a widely celebrated festival day, akin to
New Year, with fireworks and fancy dress in abundance.
While Santa Claus costumes and hats are a common sight
on the streets of Shanghai or Beijing during Christmas, other
costumes are less traditional – devil horns, for example,
are sold widely to mark the day.
Couples also like to treat Christmas as akin to Valentine’s
Day, exchanging gifts and going out for romantic meals.
Local media reported in 2012 that, like in the West, the
Chinese use Christmas an opportunity to hit the shops, with
Christmas Eve the biggest shopping night of the year for some retailers.
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