Although Christmas is deemed by many as the most wonderful time of the year, there are some nations which have prohibited the celebration of the holiday.
In 2015, three countries announced that Christmas is banned, mainly due to religious conflict -- these include Somalia, Tajikistan and Brunei.
1. Somalia. The Independent revealed that the Somali government banned Christmas celebrations on Dec. 22, 2015. They warned that the celebrations can threaten the country’s main Islamic religion.
“Having Muslims celebrate Christmas in Somalia is not the right thing, such things are akin to the abandonment,” said Mohamed Kheyrow, a top official at the justice and religious affairs ministry in Somalia.
2. Tajikistan. The education ministry of the country decreed that Christmas trees and exchanging gifts in schools are banned in 2015, The Guardian stated. Also, people are prohibited from having festive meals, raising money for Christmas and New Year celebration purposes -- including the use fireworks.
Locals were not allowed to set up a Christmas tree, whether it is artificial or living. Tajikistan also banned the Russian version of Father Christmas, known as Father Frost, from TV screens in 2013. The reason was to reduce public celebrations in the country.
3. Brunei. The country recently banned the setting up of festive decorations and caroling on Dec. 22, 2015, stating that these could threaten Muslim faith, based on the same Independent report. Violators would be fined $20,000 or imprisoned for 5 years, or both.
“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,” said the Ministry of Religious Affairs in Brunei.
4. Saudi Arabia. International Business Times wrote that Christmas celebrations were not allowed in the kingdom. Muslims were not allowed to greet non-Muslims during Christmas. One Saudi scholar said that if non-Muslims celebrate the birth of God’s son and they are greeted by Muslims, it indicates that the latter endorse their faith.
5. North Korea. The country did not officially ban Christianity, but it is said to be among the most hostile nations against Christians. Christmas Eve in North Korea is actually the birthday of Kim Jong II”s mother, also known as the Sacred Mother of the Revolution, so the people celebrate it instead.
As noted by IBT, when South Korea set up a giant Christmas tree between their borders in 2013, North Korea deemed it as an act of psychological warfare.