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Qatar - Qatar is not a Christian country, and few Christmas celebrations are organized by the expat community.
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Qatar - However, the capital, Doha, has seen more festive decorations in recent years.
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Mongolia - Mongolia is very in touch with its ancient history. Christmas is not celebrated in this East Asian country.
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Mongolia - On Christmas Day, locals go to school and to work. However, Mongolians do celebrate the Lunar New Year, with fireworks and parties in the street.
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China - Like in Mongolia, on Christmas Day Chinese locals go to work and school like any other day. Offices and shops are expected to be open.
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China - China is recognized as a non-religious state, and Christmas is widely reported to have been banned.
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Tunisia - There isn’t much Christmas spirit in Tunisia. Apparently locals see the day as an economic opportunity if nothing else.
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Tunisia - As reported by Green Global Travel, you can expect florists to sell Christmas trees, but December 25 passes without much celebration.
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Morocco - Head to Morocco for its incredible geography and unique shopping, sure, but not for Christmas celebration.
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Morocco - The population of Morocco is mainly Muslim, so Christmas isn’t popular here.
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Egypt - In Egypt, Christian groups celebrate Christmas on January 7. The holiday isn’t celebrated in a traditional way here.
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Egypt - From November 25 to January 6, Christians fast and tend to maintain a vegan diet. There's not a lot of tinsel and trees.
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Thailand - The population of Thailand is mostly Buddhist, so Christmas usually goes by like any another regular period.
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Thailand - Instead of bustling around busy cities like Bangkok, why not enjoy your own quiet Christmas on the beach?
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Russia - Russians do celebrate Christmas, but not like Western countries. Christmas is observed on two separate days.
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Russia - Instead of December 25, the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates on January 7. However, there are still Catholics who honor the December date.
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Maldives - The Maldives is a predominantly Muslim country, so Christmas Day is not observed as a public holiday.
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Maldives - This makes the Maldives a perfect getaway from festive madness. Swap out the blinding Christmas lights for a colorful coral reef below the Indian Ocean.
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Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia has some pretty anti-Christmas attitudes, so don’t expect to see any tinsel or Christmas lights around the country.
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Saudi Arabia - As reported by Arab News, the country’s Health Ministry has even disallowed personal Christmas celebrations in hospitals.
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Laos - Laos is considered a Buddhist country, so you won’t find much Christmas cheer around here.
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Laos - Trade Christmas stress for a hike up Mount Phousi, or a chilled day out by the seashore.
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Comoros - In Comoros, Christmas is celebrated by a small minority of Roman Catholics.
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Comoros - But the holiday is definitely not celebrated on the same scale as Independence Day, New Year’s Day, or Eid al-Adha.
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Turkmenistan - Turkmenistan celebrates many public holidays, but Christmas is not one of them.
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Turkmenistan - The first Sunday of December is recognized as “Good Neighborliness Day,” while December 12 is the official “Day of Neutrality.”
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Mauritania - Mauritania is home to Chinguetti, one of the Holy Cities of Islam. You shouldn’t expect to find much Christmas celebration here.
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Mauritania - Instead, visit Mauritania for its warm, year-round climate. There are also stunning natural wonders like Arguin island, and the landmark Richat Structure.
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Kazakhstan - During winter, Kazakhstan gets pretty snowy, turning the country into something of a winter wonderland.
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Kazakhstan
- But Christians in the country don’t tend to celebrate on December 25—most instead celebrate the Sunday before. And while Christmas is not widely-celebrated, New Year's is a big deal in the country. In contrast, find out the best places to spend a white Christmas!
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Where in the world can you escape Christmas this year?
Countries that don't celebrate Christmas the typical way
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Every year Christmas is celebrated by countless people around the world. But if you want to escape the stress of Yuletide this winter, there are plenty of countries you can fly to where the festive season doesn't really take place.
Browse this gallery and find out where not to celebrate Christmas.
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