Santa Claus won’t be coming to this town, as Chinese officials ban Christmas
- Ban on festive decorations, retail sales intended to ‘maintain stability’, officials in Langfang say in social media post
- Locals also asked to report people ‘spreading religion’ in public
Father Christmas will not be visiting one northern Chinese town this year as officials there have ordered the removal of all festive decorations and banned shops from holding sales to “maintain stability”, according to a notice circulated on social media.
The statement from the city management office in Langfang, Hebei province, also appealed to the public to report anyone “spreading religion” in parks and squares, though it did not specify which religion.
Christmas is not a recognised holiday in mainland China – where the ruling party is officially atheist – and for many years authorities have taken a tough stance on anyone who celebrates it in public.
In December last year members of the Communist Party’s Youth League at the University of South China in Hunan province were asked to sign a code of conduct which told them not to participate in Christmas-related celebrations, according to social media posts circulating at the time.
The statement by Langfang officials said that anyone caught selling Christmas trees, wreaths, stockings or Santa Claus figures in the city would be punished.
“Shops are strictly prohibited from holding Christmas performances or promotional sales,” it said.