Christmas is huge here in China. Everything is decorated, including lights and signs down the streets. All the stores have big sales and huge Christmas decoration sections.
It has no offical recognition, but it’s Saturday this year so we have it off. I did work yesterday, though(Christmas Eve).
To begin with, we use a Thursday-Friday weekend here. Today is Saturday, so that is my version of Monday.
One Wing gave their Westerners the day off, one of a periodic ‘Saudi-only’ days that sometimes are used to see if the Saudis can keep the planes flying. My wing is backed up with stuff until next Strove Tuesday, so I have to head into the office in a few minutes.
Over the weekend I had friends over, I baked cookies and we talked. Religious services are not available here, sometimes people get together for that sort of thing. Sometimes they are arrested and executed.
Dying for one’s religion is an idea praised in many religions.
I will take some cookies into the office tomorrow. I can’t today as people would comment upon it.
Oh, Saudis are taught in school not to wish us a ‘Merry Christmas,’ so the day will go un-noted.
I am not an apologist for the PRC govt, but Christians are not persecuted in China. Provided they are members of state-approved congregations (which most are), they are free to build churches (quite flashy ones in the southern areas of the country) and worship. Any organization that is not state-approved - a religion or otherwise - is a different matter, of course.
And here in HK, anything goes. It’s a holiday here.
Do you have a cite for this?Because I can provide plenty of examples that they are
And by state-approved,the state decides what they are permitted to teach and if they don’t like it,they can close the church down.And those under 18 are not free to worship the Lord.
Christmas is actually a pretty big deal in Japan, even though Christianity is in the 1% range. Basically, it’s what religious Americans keep complaining that Christmas in the States is being turned into: a completely secular day centered around shopping and having fun rather than religious worship. Personally, I rather like it this way.
One thing to keep in mind about Japan is that not only is Christianity not as widespread, religion in general isn’t as big. There just aren’t nearly as many deeply, devoutly religious people of any faith as there are in the US. No Shinto groups are trying to have schools teach the Amaterasu theory of creation, and store clerks have never wished me the blessings of Buddha in thanks for having shopped with them.
Anyway, about asking for time off. There’s certainly no rule against it, but if you did take the day off you’d probably have to use your sick/vacation time to do so. If you’re a Japanese person asking to take the day off for religious reasons, you might get an odd look from your boss on the grounds of “what does Christmas have to do with religion?” but I doubt there’d be a problem. If you’re a foreigner, then it’s generally accepted that Christmas is an important holiday, and people may actually be surprised if you’re not going back to your home country. Generally, though, the impression seems to be that it’s more important as a time to see your family, like Thanksgiving or Japanese O-bon, than as a religious day, so simply asking for one day off may get the same puzzled reaction that a Japanese person would.
About the closest thing I saw to religious fervor in Japan (mid 60’s) was fandom for sumo wrestling. And rock & roll. 
Here’s a Reuters report from a few days back.
Here’s a more detailed story.
Yes, there are numerous examples of Christians and other religions’ adherents being persecuted in Mainland China. But adherents as such are free to worship if they stick to state-approved congregations. Contrast this with Saudi Arabia or North Korea, where any open Christian activity is simply forbidden. China has 3 hang-ups about organizations of any sort: they might rival the Party/State as a power structure; they might create social chaos (like cults - cheating followers out of money or encouraging mass-suicides, etc); they might be a front for foreign influence. If a religious group can satisfy the authorities that it won’t pose any of those threats, it’s no major deal. I suspect that the PRC govt sees ‘safe’ religion as a positive outlet for people in a society that has lost its moral bearings since plain communism was replaced by quasi-capitalism plagued by corruption and inequality.
It’s not ‘free’ as we understand it in HK or the US, but religion is not banned.
Christmas is celebrated widely in Japan but it has practically nothing to do with Christ or Christianity. I’ve never seen a cross or a nativity scene in Japan although there are some santas, reindeer, snowflakes, and christmas tree decorations.
As far as taking time off… Japan treats Christmas just the same as the US treats minority religious holidays. As long as you consume paid vacation, or take the day without pay, of course you can take the day off. Individual employers may be more or less liberal in this regard, owing to their ties to western countries and the criticality of the business.
It is mostly a wintertime romantic couples’ holiday with overtones of gift-giving… more like Valentine’s day in the US. It isn’t a national holiday. In Japan, New Year’s Day is the biggest festive holiday, and is also a national holiday. Japanese Christmas almost certainly owes its popularity to its proximity to New Year’s Day.