When Fidel Castro Canceled Santa Claus

2 minute read
By Lily Rothman

For most of the Western world, the so-called holiday season ended about a week ago, as New Year’s Day brought to a close a few weeks full of religious holidays, gift-giving and days off from work.

But for decades, despite its ties to Catholicism, Cuba marked Jan. 6 — the Feast of the Epiphany, also known as Three Kings’ Day — as the central focus of the gift-giving season, instead of Christmas.

Here’s how TIME explained, in 1959, how that came to be:

Much can be said of Fidel Castro’s wild schemes, but no one can accuse him of lacking imagination. In the high name of the revolution last week Castro nationalized 1) Cuba’s bat guano caves, 2) every chicken egg in Havana province and 3) Santa Claus, who has gradually become the symbol of Christmas through much of Latin America.

Santa, ruled Castro’s director of culture, Vicentina Antuña, is out because he is “a recent importation [from the U.S.] and foreign to our culture.” From now on Cuban children will expect presents from the Three Wise Men on January 6, the feast of the Epiphany. No cardboard Santas or reindeer will be permitted. “Decorations must be made of Cuban materials, with traditional Cuban scenes,” ruled Senora Antuña, “and Cuban Christmas cards must be used instead of imported ones.” Yankee Christmas trees are out; everyone will use the good Cuban palm.

In 1969, Castro cancelled Christmas altogether, so that celebrations wouldn’t get in the way of the sugar harvest. Cuba was officially an atheist nation and the Christmas ban lasted until December of 1997. In anticipation of a visit by Pope John Paul II that was planned for January of 1998, Castro declared that, for that year only, Christmas would be a national holiday. The change, however, stuck.

Read TIME’s full coverage of Pope John Paul II’s visit to Cuba, here in the TIME Vault: Clash of Faiths

More Must-Reads from TIME

Write to Lily Rothman at lily.rothman@time.com