The Philippines has earned the distinction of celebrating the world’s longest Christmas season. Although faint traces of the holiday arise beginning from early September, it is traditionally ushered in by the nine-day dawn Masses that start on Dec. 16. Known as the Misas de Aguinaldo (Gift Masses) or Misa de Gallo (Rooster’s Mass) in the [...]

In Pakistan, December 25th is a public holiday that coincides with the birth anniversary of Jinnah – the founder of the nation. Christians constitute approximately 1 percent of the population, mostly from Punjab who were once outcaste before British Raj. In Christian households, cards and presents are exchanged. People wear their best new clothes and [...]

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 [...]

Christmas is a state holiday in Lebanon, a country in which 40% of the population is Christian. Most Lebanese Muslims celebrate Christmas with Christian friends. 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, [...]

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 [...]

Though Jordan is located in the heart of the Muslim world, the Christian community make up 6% of the population celebrates Christmas freely. Christmas day is a public holiday in Jordan. December in general is a very busy month for the bigger shopping centers and smaller specialized stores for the Christmas decorations trade. Artificial trees [...]

Encouraged by the commercial sector, the secular celebration of Christmas is popular in Japan, though Christmas is not a national holiday. The Japanese have adopted the character of Santa Claus in their celebrations. Christmas is not as important to most Japanese as New Year’s Day. In contrast to Western customs, Christmas Eve is a day [...]

Christmas is a state holiday in India, though only 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. This involves singing carols etc. Christmas is officially celebrated at the Rashtrapati Bhavan by [...]

In 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. [...]

Christmas also referred to as Christmastide or Christmas Day, is an annual holiday celebrated on December 25 that marks and honors the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. His birth, which is the basis for the Anno Domini system of dating, has been determined by modern historians as having occurred between 7 and 2 BC. The [...]