News Analysis Beijing effectively banned Christmas, underscoring the lack of religious freedom in China, where Xi Jinping Thought is now being incorporated into religious writings. The ban allegedly came in order to preserve Chinese culture and prevent foreign influence. Generally, Christmas is celebrated as a commercial holiday in China, providing retailers with a tremendous spike in earnings. However, apart from Christmas as a consumer holiday, some Chinese celebrate Christmas as part of their religious beliefs. It is difficult to know the actual number of Christians in China, because the vast majority attend unregistered “house churches.” By some estimates, China is home to as many as 115 million Protestants and at least 12 million Catholics. The Chinese Constitution supposedly guarantees religious freedom, but cults, superstitions, and non-orthodox beliefs are banned. And the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) decides what is a religion and what is orthodox, and everything else is prohibited. Numerous religious …