Countries Where Christmas Is Not Celebrated

While much of the world prepares each December to celebrate Christmas with lights, music, and family gatherings, there are countries where this tradition is not part of the official or cultural calendar.

In these nations, the reasons for not celebrating Christmas range from religious and cultural factors to political decisions and specific legal frameworks. However, in most cases, the end of the year is still marked in other ways, especially through New Year celebrations.

Reasons why some countries do not celebrate Christmas

Christmas has Christian origins, so its celebration is closely linked to the historical and cultural presence of this religion. In countries where Christianity is not the majority faith or does not have official recognition, Christmas is not celebrated institutionally.

One of the most representative cases is Saudi Arabia, where Islam is the official state religion. For years, any public expression related to Christmas was prohibited. Although restrictions on private celebrations have eased in recent times, Christmas is not officially recognized and is not part of the festive calendar. Nevertheless, the New Year is observed discreetly, mainly in private spaces or tourist areas.

In Iran, a country with a Shiite Muslim majority, Christmas is also not a national holiday. Although there is a small Christian community that can celebrate the date privately, there are no public decorations or events. Instead, the country places great importance on Nowruz, the Persian New Year, which takes place in March and marks the beginning of spring.

Another example is Afghanistan, where Christmas is not celebrated for religious and cultural reasons. The Islamic calendar governs official festivities, and end-of-year celebrations are more closely linked to religious dates such as Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, while the Western New Year holds little social relevance.

Countries where Christmas is not a cultural tradition

In Japan, Christmas is not celebrated as a religious holiday. Christianity represents a very small minority of the population, so Dec. 25 is not a public holiday. However, the date has been adopted in a commercial and cultural sense, associated with consumerism, couples, and urban events. Unlike Christmas, New Year (Shōgatsu) is one of the most important celebrations in the country, marked by family rituals, visits to temples, and several public holidays.

In China, Christmas is neither an official nor a traditional celebration. Although decorations and commercial campaigns can be seen in major cities, Dec. 25 is a regular working day. The country prioritizes the Lunar New Year, celebrated between January and February, which is the most important holiday on the Chinese calendar and includes several days off and large family gatherings.

North Korea is a particular case, as Christmas is not only not celebrated but is also prohibited as a religious expression. The regime prioritizes celebrations linked to state ideology and the country’s leaders. New Year, on the other hand, is officially commemorated, though through government-organized events.

Is New Year celebrated in these countries?

Unlike Christmas, New Year is celebrated in almost every country in the world, although not always on Dec. 31. In many nations across Asia and the Middle East, the change of year follows calendars other than the Gregorian one, such as the lunar or Islamic calendars. Even so, the idea of closing one cycle and beginning another is nearly universal.

In countries where Christmas does not exist as a tradition, New Year celebrations often take on a cultural, religious, or symbolic character, with rituals that reflect the identity of each society.

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