More and more people are celebrating Christmas this year as the festive spirit spreads around the globe.

Cubans will pause for the first time in almost three decades as a gesture to the Pope, who is due to visit the island in January.

Young Cubans are now experiencing Christmas for the first time

Christmas celebrations were abolished there by the Communist Government in the 1960s to avoid disrupting the sugar harvest.

The public holiday, which has only been reinstated by President Castro for this year, is young Cubans' first experience of Christmas and many adults remain ignorant of its meaning.

Tom Gibb reports on Christmas in Havana, Cuba (3'05")

The last decade has seen a remarkable religious revival in Cuba and the impending visit of Pope John Paul II is causing much excitement.

Children are now being taught details of the Christmas story that their parents' generation had long forgotten.

Cuban children are learning the Christmas story

However, outside the Church, Christmas celebrations are fairly low-key with no mention of the festival at all on State-run television. There have been decorations and Christmas trees for sale in State shops and the churches have set up nativity scenes, but most celebrations are at home with the family.

Enthusiasm high in China

Christmas also seems to be taking root in China, where the Government has been running a campaign to promote the country's own traditions.

It may only be as a cultural or commercial phenomenon, but Yuletide enthusiasm is high, especially among the young. Christianity is only legal under the auspices of state-approved organisations in China.

Nonetheless, at Sunday markets, thousands of shoppers - mostly teenagers or children with their parents - browse at stalls selling hundreds of Christmas cards.

Duncan Hewitt reports from Beijing on how enthusiasm for Christmas is booming (5'08")

Market researcher Victor Yen said many Chinese youngsters see Christmas as fashionable and fun.

"Many of our public holidays or traditional holidays are becoming more and more boring," he told the BBC.

"Public holidays mean leaders making speeches and holding meetings. Traditional holidays mean having a meal with your family.

"But young people want something more romantic. They want to communicate with their friends and Christmas satisfies that desire.

"And of course, it's a good way for businesses to sell things."

Chinese youngsters find fun in the festivities

Beijing's Christian community, is also greatly cheered by the increasing popular interest. Last year, an estimated 30,000 people attended one Catholic church - 100 times the normal number of worshippers.

Father Jantian Lu says this may reflect curiosity resulting from Christmas marketing, but that is no bad thing.

"In the Beijing streets there are many gifts and Christmas trees. But, from the commercial dimension, they are getting more interested in Christmas.

"Maybe this road is an approach to the truth. Who knows?"

Japanese celebrate in style

Japan, which has long had a knack of copying and improving other countries' good ideas, is also adopting Christmas. Not much religion is involved, but there is lots of music and eating.

Jingle Bells is now an important part of December and children learn the song in Japanese at school with other Christmas tunes. Festive music is also played loudly in shops all over the country.

Christmas food, however, is a different matter in Japan. Branches of the fast food chain, Kentucky Fried Chicken, are crowded at this time of year and it dominates the market in festive fare in Japan.

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