HAVANA AP Christmas in Cuba is back for good. The Communist Party on Tuesday used the entire front page of Cuba's only daily newspaper Granma to recommend that ``from this year on'' Dec. 25 should be a holiday in Cuba formally re-establishing a custom that had been abolished in 1970. The proposal is sure to be adopted by the communist country's government. The government granted a Christmas holiday last year as a one-time favor to Pope John Paul II who visited in January. But at the time it balked at declaring the measure permanent. Cuba abolished the Christmas holiday in 1970 arguing that it interfered with the mobilization of manpower for the sugar harvest. The party declaration insisted that the abolition of the holiday in 1970 was not inspired by any antireligious sentiment. However the government at the time was avowedly atheist and Christians were barred from being members of the Communist Party or of holding many sensitive jobs. Christmas trees were strongly discouraged. In recent years the government has declared itself secular rather than atheist has dropped restrictions on Christians and moved to improve ties with Cuba's churches and other religions. The Roman Catholic archbishop's office contacted by telephone said it had no immediate reaction. APW19981201.0589.txt.body.html APW19981201.1362.txt.body.html