The vast majority of people look forward to the holiday season, primarily because of how enjoyable it is for everyone involved.
Not to mention the pure euphoria that enters someone’s mind when they exchange and receive gifts from others.
Without stating the obvious, Christmas is an all-around great time.
Still, there has been some controversy attached to Christmas for so many years, mainly because it’s a Christian holiday and not every person is a Christian.
So, should Christmas be banned?
To answer this question…no, barely anyone actually believes Christmas should be banned. Some people feel the religious portion of Christmas shouldn’t be as public since not everyone shares that faith but still celebrates the holiday. Whereas others feel Christmas is a religious holiday and shouldn’t be celebrated without the religious portion. Regardless, most people who want the public religious portion out of the holiday still want to celebrate it.
As simple of an idea as that might seem, there is a lot of controversy surrounding the holiday, especially when national brands make a statement or adjustment pertaining to it.
Nevertheless, if you hope to learn more about Christmas and the controversy surrounding it being banned or not, you’re in the right place!
Let’s discuss where Christmas is banned, reasons for banning and not banning it, and much more.
Let’s take a look!
Where is Christmas banned?
Christmas has been banned plenty of times throughout history; after all, it’s a holiday that has been around for almost 2000 years.
As for where Christmas is banned today, there aren’t many countries that actually partake in it.
Countries that currently have Christmas banned include Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Tajikistan, and Brunei.
These four countries have a flat-out ban against the holiday.
There are some countries that greatly frown upon celebrating it.
Still, more countries than not actually celebrate it.
The countries that have banned the holiday are due to religion.
However, again, even countries that aren’t primarily Christian still celebrate the holiday.
That isn’t to say there aren’t Christmas-like celebrates in these countries.
For example, in North Korea, there is a massive celebration every year for Kim Jong-Suk, the deceased grandmother of Kim Jong Un.
Her birthday coincidentally falls under December 24th, so it’s like they celebrate Christmas regardless of it being banned.
Who canceled Christmas?
Broadly asking who canceled Christmas is a challenging question to answer, since there could be many answers to it.
As of today, there isn’t any single group that’s out-right trying to ban Christmas.
There are some people who want the religious overtone, not as public, so it’s more of a neutral holiday.
Still, no one cares that much about the ordeal.
Besides the countries already listed that currently have Christmas canceled, there are plenty of instances throughout history where it was canceled and banned.
For example, there was a Christmas crackdown enacted in the 17th Century by English Puritans, often regarded as Oliver Cromwell’s ban on Christmas.
More recently, Albania had a ban on Christmas throughout much of the 20th century until their government dissolved in the late 1990s.
There are plenty of examples of Christmas being canceled or banned, but this isn’t a significant theme nowadays.
Most people enjoy holidays, regardless if it’s religious or not.
Is Christmas banned in the UK?
Usually when people wonder if Christmas is banned in a particular area, they typically live in areas where it’s heavily celebrated.
As for Christmas being banned in the UK, no current laws are banning Christmas in the UK.
Some companies have chosen to stay neutral when celebrating Christmas, but that doesn’t mean the holiday is banned in the country.
However, that doesn’t mean Christmas wasn’t at one time banned in the UK.
For example, the confirmed abolition of the feasts of Christmas, Easter, and Whitsun from 1644 to 1660 made it so the holiday couldn’t be celebrated during those 16 years.
Since then, the holiday has been celebrated every year in the UK by many UK citizens.
Is Christmas banned in the US?
It’s hard to find a country that doesn’t celebrate Christmas as much as the United States does.
With that being said, there are currently no laws or anything for banning Christmas in the country.
Similar to the UK, some companies have chosen to be neutral for the holiday instead of referring to it as a Christian holiday.
Again, that doesn’t mean there are any active laws trying to ban the holiday.
However, prior to the formation of the United States in 1776, Christmas was banned in the Boston colony in 1659.
This ban was revoked in 1681, where the holiday has been celebrated every year since.
Reasons for banning Christmas
Although there aren’t many people who are advocating for banning Christmas, there are some people who feel the holiday should be changed slightly.
Again, this isn’t entirely in the norm, but it’s worth highlighting both sides, even if one isn’t heavily talked about.
The apparent reason Christmas is banned has to do with the country being an authoritarian theocracy most of the time.
Seeing as there are only four countries that currently ban the holiday, even an authoritarian theocracy isn’t enough for the holiday to be banned.
Besides that, there are no real reasons why someone would advocate for the holiday to no longer exist.
As for general reasons why it should be banned, here are some essential explanations:
- Not everyone is religious
- It supports consumerism
- It can be expensive
Reasons for not banning Christmas
Even the people who want the religious overtone of Christmas to change feel that it’s a wonderful holiday worth celebrating.
It’s more or less a reactionary position people make a bigger deal than it actually is.
Barely anyone cares to entirely ban Christmas since it brings joy, anyone can celebrate it, and people love gifts.
What more could you want?
Regardless, the holiday will continue to be loved and celebrated by so many people across the world, and here’s why:
- It brings joy
- Anyone can celebrate it
- People love gifts