Feliz Navidad

Nearly thirty years ago, Fidel Castro's Communist government canceled the national Christmas holiday in Cuba, citing an economic emergency. It was never reinstated.

Officials claim it has nothing to do with being anti-religion. But given the uneasy history of church-state relations in communist Cuba, many have long found that their claim doesn't ring quite as sincere as Christmas bells.

Because of their tropical climate, Christmas time is also harvest time for many Cubans. In 1969, to support an important sugar cane harvest, the government canceled the Christmas day-off, saying it couldn't afford to have workers leaving the fields.

Celebrations of the New Year and Cuba's Communist revolution were also canceled for that season, but those non-religious holidays came back. Christmas remained a holiday only in the hearts of Cuba's many Christians.

In 1997, as a gesture to the pope, Castro declared a one-time Christmas holiday. This year, his government says, Christmas will be coming home to Cuba permanently. They claim this is happening because machinery has changed the face of agriculture. Others say it's a part of an effort to reform the Cuban government's totalitarian image.

Whatever the reason, Cubans are expecting Christmas to come home for more than just a visit this year.

Feliz Navidad.

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