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To many people, Christmas is a season of joy. It is a time of celebration for families and loved ones around the world. People observe lots of traditions during Christmas including decorating Christmas trees, exchanging gifts, singing Christmas carols and so much more.
Years ago, it was actually illegal to celebrate Christmas in this country. Not only was it illegal, people were not even allowed to wish others a merry Christmas as that was also against the law.
This was solely because over 30 years ago, the fatwā authority in Saudi Arabia issued a religious edict barring celebration of such religious festivals. It was so serious that in 2015, the Health ministry in Saudi Arabia issued a circular instructing hospitals and health facilities not to allow such celebrations inside their compounds.
The circular reiterated that "Saudi Arabia does not allow the celebration of the birthday of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)". The circular also explained that Christmas was considered as an innovation in religion.
A Saudi scholar, Sheikh Mohammed Al-Oraifi, has also emphasized that Saudi Arabia is a Muslim country and Muslims over there are not even allowed to greet non-Muslims on their religious occasions like Christmas. “If they celebrate the birth of God’s son and you greet them…it means you endorse their faith,” he explained in an interview with Arab News.
Also, years ago, Riyadh banned all non-Islamic celebrations in public. It was gathered that the country’s official Wahhabi religious ideology regards such celebrations which includes Christmas, as a form of blasphemy.
Well, thankfully, the tide is changing and Christmas is being celebrated more in Saudi Arabia. The Islamic nation which is under Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s cultural revolution, now allows various events to take place from fashion shows to film festivals and of course, Christmas for those who want to celebrate it.