Today is Christmas, a time that families and friends use to share and strengthen the bonds of brotherhood. This is a season full of lights, colors; and joy is usually on the surface of all those who celebrate it.
December 25 is commemorated The birth of baby Jesus, from the years 320-353, which was when Pope Julius I set the solemnity of this date, perhaps with the intention of turning Roman pagans into Christians, according to National Geographic History.
This is one of the most important festivals celebrated by Christians from almost all over the world. However, there are countries where Christmas is not celebrated and it is even punished to do so.
For this reason, the Caribbean brings you some of the countries that do not celebrate Christmas.
China
Since 2018 the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un, has banned Christmas, considering it an offense against ancestral traditions.
Going against this mandate can result in punishment, including arrests and fines. Despite this, in Hong Kong and in cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Canton, this day is celebrated. Because in this nation there are a large number of Christians.
For this reason, in some places the president of this country is considered the grinch who has stolen Christmas.
Somaliia
This is a country located in the horn of africa, east of the African continent. Somali fearing the wrath of Al Shabab, a splinter branch of Al Qaeda, banned on December 23, 2015 all traditional festivals contrary to Islamic culture, assuring that they could harm the faith of the Muslim community. This includes Christmas and New Years.
Tajikistan
It is a country located in central Asia. It was established after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. It is recognized for the various restrictions that the government and its ministries have issued over the years, among those measures are the celebration of Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
Tajikistan’s Ministry of Education has banned fireworks, festive meals, gifts and money-raising from the New Year. In addition, since 2015 they have prohibited the installation of a natural or artificial Christmas tree in schools, universities and other educational institutions.
Justifying that these customs are considered Catholic and do not respond to the secular nature of government guidelines.
Brunei
It is an Asian nation. It is governed by the Muda Hassanal Bolkiah, since 1967. In 2015 this leader banned the celebration of Christmas arguing that he “could mislead Muslims and damage their faith.”
Despite this, all those who do not profess the Muslim religion can celebrate Christmas, as long as the celebration is private and with great discretion.
Failure to do so is punishable by fines of $20,000 or up to five years in prison.
Saudi Arabia
This country located in Western Asia is one of the Muslim nations that does not celebrate Christmas. Most of its inhabitants practice the religion of Islam and celebrating this festivity is seen as a transgressive act.
In Saudi Arabia, churches, crosses, and Christian gatherings of any kind are illegal throughout the country. There is no church and they even prohibit the use of any type of religious symbol.
Israel
It is considered the cradle of Christianity, because the most important events in the life of Jesus originated there, according to the Bible. Despite this, Christmas is not celebrated like in the rest of the world.
Christmas celebrations in the so-called Holy Land focus on liturgical worship in Bethlehem and communal feasts.
Unlike any country in the world, in Israel Christmas is celebrated according to religions, on December 25, January 7 and January 19, also centered on Christian masses and pilgrimages.
These confusions, some think that it comes from their calendars, these are the Julian calendar, the oldest; and the Gregorian, so named because its promoter was Pope Gregory XIII.
