ICC Note: With China not allowing religious freedom the fact that they would allow a Christian holiday is encouraging.
By George Thomas and Laura Robertson
12/9/06 China (CBNNews) – With seventeen days left before Christmas, many people in communist China have just a handful of days to finish their holiday shopping.
Although China is officially an atheist state, in recent years it has allowed people to celebrate this very significant Christian holiday.
“Christmas is becoming more and more important to the Chinese,” said business professional Shan Shan Zhao.
“It’s been a lot more celebrated than we anticipated,” said one American woman. “Especially when you look over there: There’s a set up church and manger scene, which is so confusing because this is an officially atheist country.”
While Christian Christmas symbols have been taken down in some U.S. cities because of political correctness, at a display in Beijing ‘s Pacific Century Plaza , Mary, Joseph, and the angels herald Christ’s birth. They even have a church with pictures of Jesus.
But with so many in China now celebrating Christmas, it has developed a strong Chinese flavor and is quickly becoming a new Chinese tradition.
