News Analysis It’s Christmastime in the People’s Republic of China, a season for shopping, taking pictures with Santa, and giving gift-wrapped apples to friends. Christmas is widely celebrated in China, but not as a religious holiday, or even as a day off from work. It’s similar to St. Patrick’s Day in America—a fun day with its own special traditions and decorations. For many young people in China, Christmas is also a romantic holiday, a lot like Valentine’s Day. Chinese shopping centers are decorated for the season, with all the Christmas trees, twinkling lights, and Christmas carols that Americans would find familiar. But for China’s Christians, this season may be a little less festive, as they find themselves ever more limited in their ability to practice their faith. This year many will find themselves reliving an ancient Christian tradition: meeting in secret, in fear of government persecution. “The situation of Christians …