Christmas Eve passed quietly across much of China this year as the Chinese communist regime tightened restrictions on religious gatherings, public celebrations, and even seasonal decorations, according to interviews with pastors, Christians, and residents across the country.House churches in several provinces said planned Christmas services were blocked by state security officials, universities warned students against public celebrations or social media posts related to Christmas, and police in Shanghai detained people participating in spontaneous street activities. Commercial Christmas displays were also noticeably reduced or confined to designated locations.Interviewees said religious activity related to Christmas was largely limited to officially sanctioned venues, while public expressions of the holiday were increasingly curtailed. For safety reasons, interviewees spoke to The Epoch Times on condition that their full names not be published.House Church Gatherings BlockedOn Dec. 24, Christians affiliated with China’s underground house churches in Shandong, Zhejiang, and Sichuan provinces said they were prevented from holding Christmas Eve services by local state security officers.Pastor Huang in Qingdao, Shandong Province, told The Epoch Times that the authorities informed congregants they were not permitted to gather for Christmas Eve service. He said he and his family instead met privately at home with a few friends.“All collective gatherings here are banned,” Huang said. “Shopping malls are also not allowed to put up Christmas trees or decorations. There’s no Christmas atmosphere at all this year—not just in Qingdao, but elsewhere as well, according to [Christian] brethren from other places.”In Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, a city known for its large Christian population, Pastor Wang told The Epoch Times the authorities only allowed Christmas activities at the regime’s officially registered churches.“Several believers detained earlier in December have not been released,” he said. “So now, many [Christians] here are discouraged from attending group events.”Under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the country officially only permits a state-sanctioned denomination of Christian churches that are loyal to the CCP, and sermons and activities must strictly follow regulations by the CCP’s National Religious Affairs Administration. These regime-approved churches have been forced to remove Christian symbols such as the cross and images of Jesus and replace them with portraits of CCP leaders while promoting communist ideology in its sermons.Pastor Li, also from Wenzhou, told The Epoch Times that state security officials questioned him ahead of Christmas Eve about attendance numbers and warned against expanding participation beyond regular church members.Universities Warn Students Against CelebrationsSeveral universities across China issued notices restricting student behavior during Christmas.At Dezhou University in Shandong, students were instructed not to post Christmas-related content on social media platforms. The university warned that online activity could be monitored and traced to individuals. Northwest University in Shaanxi Province reportedly required students to remain on campus on Dec. 24 and 25, with nightly roll calls. Those instructions were screenshotted by students and circulated on social media.Students in Zhejiang shared online that university officials instructed them to remove Christmas-themed profile images and avoid posting related content online.Street Activity Curbed in ShanghaiIn Shanghai, police detained a woman who dressed up as Santa Claus and handed out apples to passersby, according to footage circulating on social media. A video showed several people in Santa costumes waiting to be questioned at a police station, alongside confiscated Christmas hats and decorations.One Shanghai-based Christian told The Epoch Times on condition of anonymity that commercial Christmas decorations were restricted to designated areas in the city. Some displays were reportedly removed as early as Dec. 22.“Christmas can now only exist within clearly defined boundaries,” said another Shanghai resident to The Epoch Times. “Young people still like Christmas, but the government wants economic activity without promoting the holiday.”Similar Restrictions Reported NationwideA Christian in Fujian Province told The Epoch Times that public Christmas events outside state-sanctioned churches have largely disappeared over the past two years. A student in Shenyang said schools discouraged students from wearing Christmas hats, while local officials visited families to advise against bringing children to church activities.In southwest China, residents described similar conditions. Mr. Yang, a Christian in Chengdu, told The Epoch Times that authorities notified churches ahead of Christmas Eve that gatherings were prohibited.“There’s almost no Christmas atmosphere anymore,” he said. “Some large shopping malls still have decorations, but the big street displays from previous years are gone. [Christian] gatherings at home are also fully banned.”Yang said Christians were instructed to attend services only at state-sanctioned churches and otherwise limit activities to immediate family members.Official Policy and Broader ContextThe CCP’s regulations require religious activities to take place only within approved venues and prohibit religious festivals from extending into public spaces. In recent years, local governments have repeatedly emphasized that Christmas celebrations should “not expand outward, not be amplified, and not be promoted.”Underground churches across multiple provinces say they have received annual notices ahead of Christmas barring public or collective celebrations, with some cities requiring churches to submit attendee lists in advance or allowing officials to conduct on-site inspections.Against that backdrop, on Dec. 23 the U.S. Embassy in China posted a holiday video on social media wishing viewers “a joyful, peaceful holiday season!” The video circulated widely on Chinese platforms, drawing a mix of positive responses and commentary on the regime’s stifling of Christmas in China.Xing Du contributed to this report.
China Tightens Controls on Christmas Gatherings and Public Celebrations
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