Christmas is a public holiday in most countries; however, there are still many countries that do not celebrate Christmas at all. Most of those countries are usually from the Middle East or Asia. There are also other countries that observe Christmas without it being an official holiday. Lastly, Orthodox countries celebrate Christmas on January 7 instead of December 25. The number of Christians and Catholics in Asian and Middle Eastern nations is rather low. This has led to a shift away from a religious focus on Christmas in those nations.
African Countries
- Algeria
- Libya
- Mauritania
- Somalia
- Comoros
Africa is a continent home to many different faiths (mostly Christianity, Islam, and traditional African religions). Most of Africa actually celebrates Christmas on designated official holidays. However, in some of them, where Islam is usually more prominent, Christmas is mostly another day, and in other countries, they have more traditional and unique celebrations in December.
Asian Countries
- Maldives
- Mongolia
- North Korea
- Tajikistan
- Uzbekistan
- Brunei
Another major population of religions whose members don’t observe Christmas is Buddhism and nearly 99% of them live in Asia. In many of these nations, Christmas is not recognized as a public holiday, and workplaces, schools, colleges, and institutions stay open. Some Muslim countries in Asia also don’t celebrate Christmas because of their customs.
Middle Eastern Countries
- Bahrain
- Afghanistan
- Israel
- Yemen
Christmas is not a significant holiday in the Muslim calendar since Muslims do not believe that Jesus is God’s son. Some Middle Eastern nations observe Christmas unofficially with a secular aim, but the above three countries completely ignore it. There are no Christmas festivities there since Islam is the state religion.
Countries Where Christmas Is Not a Public Holiday but People Still Celebrate It
Even though Christmas is not a nationally recognized holiday in these countries, many people nonetheless observe the season by exchanging gifts, decorating their homes, and putting up Christmas trees in a non-religious fashion.
Africa
- Morocco
- Senegal
- Sudan
- Tunisia
Even though secular Christmas celebrations are on the rise (particularly in urban areas), many citizens of these mostly Muslim nations are unsure whether Islam permits such celebrations, but they often allow it.
Asia
- Turkey
- Turkmenistan
- China
- Bhutan
- Cambodia
- Thailand
- Vietnam
In countries like Turkey, where the population is predominantly Muslim, people put up Christmas decorations for the New Year celebrations and they still celebrate Christmas in a secular manner.
Middle East
- Iran
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- United Arab Emirates
- Kuwait
- Laos
In the above countries, Christmas is again not a public holiday, but some people celebrate the secular aspects of this day. Hotels, businesses, and restaurants in their main cities have Christmas celebrations for the country’s tiny Christian population and visitors.
Countries That Celebrate Christmas on January 7
Several nations use the Julian calendar, which is used for religious purposes, to celebrate Christmas on January 7. Instead of December 25, most of the Orthodox countries celebrate this holiday on January 7. Before the Gregorian calendar was established, there was the Julian calendar, which lags behind it by 13 days. Here are all of them:
Africa
- Eritrea
- Egypt
- Ethiopia
Europe
- Belarus
- Macedonia
- Moldova
- Montenegro
- Serbia
- Ukraine
Asia
- Russia
- Georgia
- Kazakhstan
Some Unexpected Countries That Celebrate Christmas
Christmas is celebrated in many different ways across the globe, each reflecting the particular cultural, historical, and religious aspects of the host country.
Africa
- Chad
- Congo
- Mali
- Egypt
- Ghana
- Nigeria
- Kenya
- Tanzania
Asia
- Kazakhstan
Middle East
- Iraq
