The Christmas season is celebrated in different ways around the world, varying by country and region.
Asia
China, Hong Kong and Macau
In Mainland China, December 25 is not a legal holiday. The small percentage of Chinese citizens who consider themselves Christians unofficially, and usually privately, observe Christmas. Many other individuals celebrate Christmas-like festivities even though they do not consider themselves Christians. Many customs, including sending cards, exchanging gifts, and hanging stockings are very similar to Western celebrations.
Both Hong Kong and Macau designate Christmas as a public holiday on December 25. Both are former colonies of Western powers with (nominal) Christian cultural heritage.
However, commercial Christmas decorations, signs, and other symbolic items have become increasingly prevalent during the month of December in large urban centers of mainland China, reflecting a cultural interest in this Western phenomenon, and, sometimes, as part of retail marketing campaigns.
Most of the Chinese people are not Christians. They also celebrate New Years around the end of January.
Korea
South Korea recognizes Christmas as a national holiday. Christian and non-Christian Koreans engage in some holiday customs such as gift-giving, sending Christmas cards, and setting up decorated trees in their homes; children, especially, appear to have embraced Santa Claus, whom they call Santa Haraboji (Grandfather Santa) in Korean, Local radio stations play holiday music on Christmas Day and a few days before, while television stations are known to air Christmas films and cartoon specials popular in the Western countries. In addition, increasing numbers of stores and buildings are displaying Christmas decorations.
As in the West, Christian churches in Korea hold Christmas pageants and conduct special services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Young people especially enjoy the fellowship these observances provide; after the Christmas Eve services, for example, they go caroling to the homes of older church members, where they are usually treated to hot drinks and snacks.
South Korea is the only East Asian country to recognize Christmas as a national holiday.
India
Being a British colony till 1947, many British traditions stayed on in India. Christmas is a state holiday in India, though only 2.3% of the population is actually Christian. Sincere devotees attend the church services. In many of the schools that are run by the Christian missionaries, the children actively participate in the programmes. Christmas is officially celebrated at the Rashtrapati Bhavan by the President of India. The celebrations continue and merge with New Year's celebrations. Christmas often coincides with the Winter Solstice as celebrated in India (Makar Sakranti).
In India, most educational institutions have a mid-academic year vacation, sometimes called Christmas vacation, beginning shortly before Christmas and ending a few days after New Year's Day. Christmas is also known as bada din (the big day). Commercialization and open markets are however bringing more secular Christmas celebration to the public sphere, even though it is not widely celebrated as a religious holiday.
Christmas is particularly well celebrated in Bengal and South India where the Christian population is relatively high.
Israel
Israel is a Jewish state. The Jewish majority does not celebrate Christmas. At this season they celebrate their own holiday, Hanukkah. In some areas of Israel where Christian people live and Christian churches and shrines exsist, Christmas is celebrated. These celebrations are especially prevalent in Bethlehem, Nazareth, and Jerusalem.
Japan
Encouraged by the commercial sector, the secular celebration of Christmas is popular in Japan, though Christmas is not a national holiday. A unique feature of Christmas in Japan is the Japanese type of Christmas cake, often a white whipped cream cake with strawberries.
The first recorded Christmas in Japan was celebrated with a Mass held by Jesuit missionaries in Yamaguchi Prefecture in 1552, although some believe that unrecorded celebrations were held prior to this date, starting in 1549 when Saint Francis Xavier arrived in Japan to begin missionary work. Starting with the expulsion of missionaries in 1587, Christianity was banned throughout Japan beginning in 1612, a few years into the Edo Period, and the public practice of Christmas subsequently ceased. However, a small enclave of Japan Christians, known as Kakure Kirishitan ("hidden Christians"), continued to practice underground over the next 250 years, and Christianity along with Christmas practices reemerged at the beginning of the Meiji period. Influenced by American customs, Christmas parties were held and presents were exchanged. The practice slowly spread in major cities, but its proximity to the New Year's celebrations makes it a smaller focus of attention. During World War II, all celebrations and customs, especially those from America, were suppressed. From the 1960s, with the aid of a rapidly expanding economy, and influenced by American TV dramas, Christmas became popular, but mostly not as a religious occasion. For many Japanese, celebrating Christmas is similar to participating in a matsuri, where participants often do not consider which kami is being celebrated, but believe that the celebration is a tribute nevertheless. From the 1970s onwards, many songs and TV drama series presented Christmas from a lover's point of view, for example 'Last Christmas' by Exile.
The birthday of the current emperor, Akihito, on December 23 is a national holiday. Shortly thereafter businesses close for the New Year's holidays, usually reopening on the first weekday after January 3.
Lebanon
Christmas is a state holiday in Lebanon. Most Lebanese Muslims celebrate Christmas with Christian friends. A poll showed that around two thirds of the population celebrate Christmas, while only 45% of the population is Christian. Commercialization and open markets are bringing a more secular celebration of Christmas to the public. Churches are open all night for praying and people go to visit friends and families, often to villages in the mountains. Christmas concerts are popular, not to forget to mention the wide popularity of both local and western Christmas Carols. Prayers and carols start to be said and sung around mid-December and continue till the New Year's Eve. Internationally famous fashion designer, Elie Saab, donates a giant Christmas tree of 25m high for public display every year in Downtown Beirut.
Lebanese Christmas food is a mixture of European and Middle Eastern fare, for example, Tabbouleh, Kibbeh, Turkey and wine, and for dessert a "buche de Noël". Most of Christmas Greetings are spoken in French like "Joyeux Noël" or English. Christmas lights fill the roads. Houses are also decorated and beneath the Christmas tree, families place a nativity scene or crêche with a unique style, representing Jesus, St. Mary, St Joseph, the Three Kings, shepherds men and miniature animals.
Malaysia
Christmas is a public holiday in Malaysia, however, much of the public celebration is commercial in nature and has no overt religious overtones. Occasionally, Christian activist groups do buy newspaper advertorials on Christmas or Easter but this is largely only allowed in English newspapers and permission is not given every year. The advertorials themselves are usually indirect statements.
In 2004, the government organized a national-level Christmas celebration but allegedly imposed an unofficial ban on all Christian religious symbols and hymns that specifically mention Jesus Christ. The event was jointly organised by the Arts, Culture and Heritage ministry, the government of the state of Selangor and the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM). It has been reported that the Sultan of Selangor and his consort, the Prime Minister as well as assorted cabinet ministers will be in attendance. It will also be televised on TV in a majority Muslim country.
OC Lim, a former lawyer turned Jesuit priest and director of the Catholic Research Centre (also assistant parish priest of St. Francis Xavier's Church) has lodged a formal complaint. He has also stated that "To exclude (such) carols and to use (Christmas) for political gain is outrageous, scandalous and sacrilegious." He also said "To call it a cultural event (as rationalised by Christian politicians who are more politician than Christian) is to downgrade Jesus to a cultural sage such as Confucius."
CFM general secretary Rev Dr Hermen Shastri stated that the government wanted "nothing that insults Islam" during
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