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Holy Week arrived in Latin America and those that are considered national holidays are, for many , the most anticipated dates of the year. Beyond the celebrations and family time we spend on days off, they are dates where the Christian faith of a large number of Peruvians is demonstrated. However, not all countries in the world commemorate this date. What are they?
It is known that in April there is not only the celebration of Christianity, but also other religions have important events such as Ramadan, by Muslims. Most Asian and African countries are those that do not commemorate Holy Week. Let us remember that apart from the Christian and Muslim religion, there is Buddhism, Shinto, Islam, among others.
COUNTRIES THAT DO NOT CELEBRATE HOLY WEEK
China
Most people preach Buddhism and don't celebrate Holy Week. The few Christians (1%) celebrate it in their homes or churches, even though there are no holidays. Taoism, shamanism, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Dongba religion, Protestantism and Islam also appear in China.
Mongolia
According to the 2010 national census, 53 per cent of the country's population practises Buddhism, making it the religion most followed by its population. In recent years, the percentage of believers has decreased, from 89.61% to 69.05%. A minority is Catholic who won't be able to celebrate much either since there are only three churches and one cathedral in the whole country.
Catar
It is a country where the Christian faith is not preached for the most part. The one that will host the 2022 Football World Cup, is a country with an absolute monarchy known as the emirate. Along these lines, it is mentioned that 70% of the population is mostly Muslim.
Uzbekistan
A country on the Asian continent that joins the list of those who will not celebrate Holy Week, is known to have one of the oldest customs in the world. Sunni Islam is the dominant religion, to the point that anyone who practices a different religion is banned.
The newspaper El Tiempo indicates that 93% of the population in Uzbekistan profess Islam. A 2018 BBC report revealed that the most populous country in Central Asia was looking to become a second Mecca in the face of the large number of mosques and shrines, both sacred places.
The Government sought to boost tourism in the area for the architecture and history of religion. “Last year alone, nearly 9 million Uzbek citizens went on a pilgrimage,” said Abdulaziz Aqqulov, the deputy director of the Uzbek Tourism Committee. “World-famous Islamic scientists and scholars such as Imam Muhammad al-Bukhari or Bahauddin Naqshband are buried in Uzbekistan,” he added.
Kazakhstan
There is a prohibition on holding any Christian activity. El Tiempo pointed out that 88% of the population profess Islam and commemorate Ramadan every year. According to the IOC Report, the main religious groups are the Muslim (70.19% of the population) and the Orthodox Christian (23.9%), the remaining 7% are divided among small communities of Jews, Buddhists, Catholics, Jehovah's Witnesses.
Vietnam
The country that marked the time of the 60s of the 20th century by war does not preach for the most part Holy Week either, because there are more citizens faithful to Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. These religions are dominant what prevents one is the celebration of Holy Week and Christmas. The 2010 census revealed that the most widespread religion is Buddhism, with 49% of people professing it.
Japan
The majority religion is Shinto, which is an animistic belief important to the customs and daily lives of the Japanese. In that vein, they do have religious celebrations but not for Holy Week (Christianity). Japan has several Shinto shrines, such as the Fushimi Inari Taisha, in Kyoto or the Itsukushima on the sacred island of Miyajima (Hiroshima Prefecture).
South Korea
In this country it is different because Western New Year, Samiljeon (independence day), Hansik (cold food day), Sikmokil (Arbor Day) and Christmas are celebrated, but Holy Week has never been celebrated at the level of the entire population. In short, these are normal days with nothing commemorative or a holiday to travel on vacation.
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