While the vast majority of Christian denominations celebrate Christmas on December 25 as the birth of Jesus Christ, a minority do not observe it as a religious holiday.

Here is a comprehensive list of major groups that officially or traditionally do not celebrate Christmas, based on their doctrines and practices:

1. Jehovah’s Witnesses

The most well-known group; they view Christmas as having pagan roots and note that the Bible does not command celebrating Jesus’ birth (or birthdays in general). They stopped observing it in the 1920s after research into its origins.

2. Armstrongite Churches of God (e.g., United Church of God, Living Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God, and other splits from the former Worldwide Church of God). These groups, influenced by Herbert W. Armstrong, reject Christmas due to its alleged pagan origins and lack of biblical mandate. They instead observe Old Testament holy days.

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3. Certain Strict Presbyterian
Denominations in Scotland (e.g., Free Church of Scotland, Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, Associated Presbyterian Churches, Free Church of Scotland). These conservative Reformed groups view Christmas as an extra-biblical “Roman Catholic” holiday with no scriptural warrant and historically discouraged or banned its observance.

4. Churches of Christ (Restoration Movement): Many (though not all) congregations do not hold special Christmas services or emphasize the holiday in church, seeing it as unbiblical and treating it as a private cultural matter rather than a religious observance.

5. True Jesus Church

A restorationist group that rejects Christmas for theological reasons, emphasizing only biblically mandated practices.

6. Iglesia ni Cristo

This restorationist church from the Philippines does not celebrate Christmas, viewing it as unbiblical and of pagan origin.

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7. Some Independent or Fundamentalist Groups (e.g., certain Independent Baptists, Oneness Pentecostals). Various conservative or fundamentalist congregations reject it on similar grounds of pagan influence or lack of biblical support.

8. Other Notable Mentions

God’s Kingdom Society — Celebrates Jesus’ birth in October instead.

Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) — Rejects it due to pagan origins.

Deeper Life Bible Church — Leadership has stated they do not celebrate it, viewing it as unbiblical.

Quakers (Religious Society of Friends) — Traditionally view every day as holy and avoid special religious holidays, though individual observance varies.

The Nigerian Government has instituted new money laundering charges against former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, over alleged financial transactions exceeding N1 billion.

The 16-count charge, filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja and marked FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025, lists the Federal Republic of Nigeria as the complainant, with Hajia Bashir Asabe named as a co-defendant.

According to court documents, the defendants are accused of handling, transferring, and concealing funds suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.

Investigators allegedly traced a total of N1,014,848,500 to a Sterling Bank account linked to the transactions.

READ ALSO:Christmas: NSCDC Deploys 1,100 Personnel As Police Assure Adequate Security In Bauchi

The prosecution claims the funds were laundered through corporate entities, including Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited, which was allegedly used as a front to obscure the source and movement of the money.

It is further alleged that between 2015 and 2025, several properties in Abuja, Kano, and Kebbi states were acquired with illicit funds.

The properties reportedly include luxury homes in high-end areas such as Maitama, Asokoro, Gwarimpa, and Jabi, with some transactions said to have occurred while Malami was in office as Attorney-General.

One of the counts alleges that between July 2022 and June 2025, the defendants procured Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal the unlawful origin of over N1.014 billion, an offence said to contravene the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

READ ALSO:5 Churches That Don’t Celebrate Christmas And Why

The charge sheet also outlines the alleged use of bank accounts, hotel businesses, and real estate firms to retain, move, or disguise large sums of money, including payments for hotels, plazas, duplexes, and landed properties.

Prosecutors argue that the defendants “reasonably ought to have known” the funds were derived from illegal activities.

Malami served as Nigeria’s Attorney-General from 2015 to 2023 under former President Muhammadu Buhari and faced repeated corruption allegations during his tenure, which he consistently denied.

Meanwhile, in a related case, the Federal High Court in Abuja had earlier granted Malami interim bail in a separate matter involving the EFCC.

The court ordered him to surrender his passport and meet existing bail conditions, including providing two sureties.
The case has been adjourned until January 5, 2026, for further proceedings.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), in Bauchi state says it has deployed 452 personnel to ensure free flow of traffic in the 2025 Christmas celebration taking place on Thursday.

Mr Apaji Boyi, the Sector Commander, FRSC, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Bauchi on Tuesday.

Boyi further explained that in order to ensure effective coverage and instant responses to any form of road traffic issues as well as a hitch-free celebration, the command also deployed 12 patrol vehicles.

The Sector Commander added that five ambulances and one tow truck were also deployed to that effect.

READ ALSO: Christmas: NSCDC Deploys 1,100 Personnel As Police Assure Adequate Security In Bauchi

“It’s an annual event and we are well prepared. We have deployed about 452 personnel and 12 patrol vehicles with five ambulances and one tow truck.

“We are quite conscious of the volume of traffic that will be coming into Bauchi and in view of that, we are well prepared. We have deployed both personnel and logistics and presently we are concentrating on the entrances to the state.

“This is because people will be coming in from all the nooks and crannies of the state and patrol operation is ongoing to ensure safe movement of all the participants to the city,” said the commander.

He said that the corp would maintain traffic control and free flow of movement would be guaranteed.

READ ALSO:Bauchi Opens Portal To Employ 10,000 Citizens

Boyi however, called on all the people to avoid speeding, overloading of passengers and goods as well as adhere strictly to all the traffic rules and regulations.

“They should have it at the back of their minds that it is only the living that celebrate.

“We are praying that by next year, we shall all be alive to also celebrate the Christmas,” said the FRSC boss.