Christmas Celebrations Are a Sign Of Freedom

Christmas of course is preeminently about remembering Christ's birth. Some sourpusses like to grouch, understandably, about the holiday's commercialization. But the globalization of Christmas, for alls kitschy faults, overall seems good for humanity. Even in its most vulgar forms, Christmas retains at least an echo of good cheer and generosity. The most despotic tyrannies typically do not like Christmas. Today, unsurprisingly, North Korea and Saudi Arabia actively suppress Christmas. But much of the rest of the world seems to have at least secular versions of the holiday. Although still officially communist, Chinese cities are more and more decorated with holiday trees and lights, partly reflecting the country's growing economic integration with the West, partly reflecting the growing Christian population. Much of the world's Christmas ornaments are now manufactured in China.