The first time I spent Christmas away from home, I was in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam.
Videos by TravelAwaits
My partner and I had jet-setted from India, where we were studying at the time. We flew into Ho Chi Minh City, then took the train up to Hanoi. From there, we took a ferry to Ha Long Bay. Our hotel had a few Christmas decorations put up for other Westerners like us—a plastic tree with blindingly bright lights and fake presents beneath.
We even exchanged gifts with another traveling duo we had met. If memory serves, we got them vodka and Red Bulls because someone was a fan of the drinks. On the big day, I think we took a boat tour with our Santa hats on, then treated ourselves to a large meal at a local restaurant.
Despite the decorations and the gift-giving, it wasn’t a very festive Christmas—and why would it be? We were in a more rural part of Vietnam, a country whose religious identity includes elements of Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, and folk beliefs. In short, Christmas isn’t a public holiday, nor a cultural or religious one for the vast majority of Vietnamese people.
Half of me loved the experience. The other half felt like I’d skipped Christmas that year.
If you’ve spent the holidays in Asia, you might have felt similarly—the majority of places don’t celebrate Christmas at all. But Asia isn’t the only continent that’s home to countries that don’t partake.
Wondering about popular destinations that don’t celebrate Christmas? Start with the list below. To clarify, I’m only including countries where tourists are likely to end up, and places that don’t include Christmas décor or celebrations.
Dubai, for example, is a Muslim-majority city, meaning most residents don’t celebrate the holiday. However, it’s still viewed as a cultural festivity, meaning you’ll see tons of decorations and even a Christmas market or two.
To be fair, the same is true for some of the countries listed below. While Christmas isn’t celebrated traditionally, you’ll still notice Santa hats galore, and even a few decorated trees.
10 places that don’t celebrate Christmas that you might end up as a tourist
Whether you want to avoid Christmas festivities and tons of decorations like a Grinch or want to avoid visiting a place that doesn’t partake, take a look at this shortlist. It includes places that don’t celebrate Christmas but that are still popular for tourists during the holiday season.
- Bhutan
- China
- Japan
- Jordan
- Maldives
- Morocco
- Oman
- Thailand
- Turkey
- Vietnam
