36 Countries Where Christmas Is Not a Public Holiday, Israel Leads

For millions of Christians globally, December 25th is a day of public holidays, festive church services, and family reunions. However, in a significant number of countries, Christmas Day unfolds as an ordinary working day, highlighting the profound differences in national religious demographics, legal systems, and historical traditions. In Nigeria, the day is officially recognized as a public holiday, but this is not the universal norm.

Israel and the Middle East: A Different Calendar

Israel presents a notable case. Despite hosting sacred Christian sites and communities, Christmas is not a nationwide public holiday. The country's official calendar is primarily structured around Jewish religious observances, with holidays like Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Passover taking precedence. While local observances may occur in Christian-majority towns, businesses and government offices across the nation generally remain open.

This pattern extends across much of the Middle East and North Africa. In nations where Islam is the dominant religion and public life is shaped by Islamic traditions, such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Qatar, and Oman, December 25th is treated as a standard workday. In recent years, some governments have shown increased tolerance for private Christmas celebrations within expatriate communities, even without official legal recognition for the day.

Asia and Africa: Secular Governance and Minority Populations

In Asia, several countries with smaller Christian populations also omit Christmas from their public holiday lists. Mainland China does not observe it as a national holiday, despite its growing commercial and cultural visibility in major cities. Similarly, Japan does not designate December 25th as a public holiday, though it has embraced the day as a popular cultural and commercial event, especially among families and youth.

In contrast, North Korea, one of the world's most closed states, does not recognize Christmas and has historically discouraged religious observance altogether. Neighboring Mongolia and Vietnam, while permitting religious freedom, maintain secular governance structures that do not include Christmas among official nationwide holidays.

In parts of Africa, including Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia, Christmas is not an official public holiday despite the presence of Christian minorities. Public holidays in these nations are largely aligned with Islamic festivals and national commemorations. Somalia and Mauritania also fall into this category, where December 25th passes without official recognition.

Celebration Persists Without Official Status

The absence of an official public holiday does not equate to the complete absence of celebration. In many of these countries, churches hold special services, foreign embassies host events, and expatriate communities gather privately to mark the occasion. Governments often permit these observances, particularly in multicultural urban centers, allowing the festive spirit to flourish even without a day off.

The following is a list of countries where Christmas is not an official nationwide public holiday: