- 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.
Discussion about this post