Here are ten countries in this world where Christians are forbidden from
celebrating the day associated with the birth of Jesus.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
