Should Christians Celebrate Christmas?

While most people recognize the Christmas season as the time of year for parties and celebrations, many are unaware it is also the time of year with the highest suicide rate.

In recent decades, many have sought to “secularize” (Actually re-secularize) Christmas by removing from it all references to Jesus Christ and His birth. Here in the United States, legal battles have successfully removed manger scenes from courthouse squares, and have created liabilities that prevent most school choirs from singing Christmas carols with “religious themes”. All while promoting Santa Clause as something to be worshipped as a God.

Millions of evangelicals have been deeply troubled by these trends. Feeling that they are in a battle with hostile secular forces that seek to eliminate everything that points to Christ and the Bible, they want to “reclaim” Christmas from the secularists. while not realizing that it rightly belongs to the pagans and secularists in the first place.

Millions more are simply turned off or offended by the crass commercialism associated with the Christmas season. Christmas has become a sales gimmick in the modern westernized world. Christmas-related sales are the key component of yearly profit margins for most retail sales operations. That is why, by the beginning of November, familiar Christmas music blares from the public address systems of malls across North America. Retailers are trying to get the public “in the mood” to begin Christmas shopping (Spending) early.

Decrying the commercial exploitation of the holiday season—and deeply bothered by efforts to remove all reference to God and the Bible from public life—many well-meaning Christians are demanding that Christ be put back into Christmas. The secularists, they claim, have hijacked a sacred Christian holiday for their own ends.

Western society is increasingly described as “post-Christian,” and secular elites have been dubbed “the new pagans.” In such an environment, should Christians join together to somehow reclaim Christmas? In a society that is more and more disconnected from God, can this disconnect be healed by encouraging more references to Jesus Christ during the Christmas season?

What approach does God want His people to take regarding Christmas? Is Jesus Christ, in fact, “the reason for the season?” You may be shocked to learn that Christmas is actually not Christian in its origins! For centuries before Jesus Christ’s birth in Bethlehem, December 25 was associated with decorating evergreen trees, exchanging gifts and carousing at parties and celebrations.

How did Christmas become the primary “Christian” holiday? Is it—and can it ever be—Christian at all? You can search the New Testament from start to finish, and you will never find a reference to any sort of Christmas celebration. Moreover, you will never read of a religious service held to commemorate the birth of Jesus.

But if the first Christians did not celebrate Christmas, then why did they not do so? When and how did this celebration achieve such prominence on the calendar of professing-Christian churches?

What Is The Origin Of Christmas?

Did you know that there were Christmas celebrations in Rome long before there were any in Jerusalem? How could a holiday that most associate with Jesus Christ of Nazareth have its origins in Babylon and Egypt many centuries before His birth? And how could such a holiday come to be so widely accepted as Christian?

To help us understand, we can look at the word “Christmas” itself. It means “mass of Christ,” and has its origins in the practices of the Roman Catholic Church. Yet even Catholic sources acknowledge that Christmas was not among the earliest festivals of the church, and that it does not have apostolic origins. Notice: “Christmas (i.e. the Mass of Christ), in the Christian Church, the festival of the nativity of Jesus Christ… As late as 245 Origen, in his eighth homily on Leviticus, repudiates as sinful the very idea of keeping the birthday of Christ ‘as if he were a king Pharaoh.’ The first certain mention of Dec. 25 is in a Latin chronographer of A.D. 354, first published entire by Mommsen.… [December 25 was] a Mithraic feast and is by the chronographer above referred to, but in another part of his compilation, termed natalis invicti solis, or birthday of the unconquered Sun” (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th ed., article: “Christmas”).

The New Testament makes certain key dates plain; for example, it tells us that Jesus Christ died on the day of the Passover. Yet Scripture does not mention the date of Jesus’ birth, and does not recount any Christians celebrating His birthday. In fact, the Bible associates the celebration of birthdays with the practices of heathen kings, and never mentions such celebrations in a positive light. This is why Origen—one of the early “Fathers” of the Roman Church, writing in the third century—was shocked at the very idea of celebrating the Savior’s birthday.

When the early Roman Church established a festival to celebrate the Messiah’s birth, it timed that festival to coincide with an existing pagan festival celebrating the birthday of the sun god. By co-opting existing pagan rituals and customs, the church sought to win the pagan masses to its idea of Christianity, allowing converts to continue to practice familiar customs—just calling them by different names.

The “mother and child” motif in religion was well known in the ancient pagan world. The ancient Babylonians and Egyptians worshipped a “Madonna” whom they revered as the “Queen of Heaven”—a title that the Roman Church would apply centuries later to Mary, the mother of Jesus. In Egypt, Isis was the mother and Horus was the child. In Mesopotamia it was Ishtar and Tammuz.

These stories trace back to Semiramis and Nimrod, in the early years after Noah’s flood. Nimrod was a mighty hunter (see Genesis 10–11), and led mankind’s rebellion against God at the Tower of Babel. Nimrod was one of the chief architects of the human civilization that began at Babylon, and that spread around the world as people migrated to repopulate the earth after the great flood.

The real origin of Christmas goes back to these ancient times, before it was carried forward by an apostate “Christian” church. The winter solstice—the day with the shortest daylight in the northern hemisphere—was anciently associated with the birth of the sun god. It was a time of festivity. Called Saturnalia by the Romans, this holiday was a time very reminiscent of our modern Christmas, when gifts were given, hostilities ceased, civic functions were suspended and parties were held. “It was usual for friends to make presents to one another; all animosity ceased, no criminals were executed, schools were shut, war was never declared, but all was mirth, riot, and debauchery” (Lempriere’s Classical Dictionary, article: “Saturnalia”).

Jesus Was Not Born In Winter!

“Christmas” festivities are not just “pre-Christian”—dating to pagan worship of the sun god—they in fact have no connection to the date of birth of the true Messiah, Jesus Christ. How do we know this? While the Bible does not explicitly tell us the exact day of Jesus’ birth, it gives us clear evidence of the approximate time. From Scripture, it becomes obvious that winter is the one season in which Jesus could not have been born.

Luke tells us that on the night of Jesus’ birth, the shepherds were still keeping watch over their flocks in the field (Luke 2:8). In ancient Israel, the rainy season began after the Feast of Tabernacles (which generally occurs in early October). By November, when the weather was turning cool and wet, the shepherds had already brought their flocks in from pasture and were keeping them in winter quarters. Shepherds were no longer spending the nights in the fields with the sheep, as they had done from the beginning of spring through the early fall season.

Another vital piece of evidence is overlooked by most. From Luke 1:35–36 we learn that John the Baptist, born to Mary’s cousin Elizabeth, was approximately six months older than Jesus. We are told that John’s father, Zacharias, was an elderly priest officiating in the temple, burning incense on the altar when an angel appeared to tell him that he and his wife would have a son who would prepare the way for the Messiah (vv. 8–17). We know approximately when the angel made this announcement, because we are told that Zacharias was “of the course of Abijah” (v. 5, KJV).

What was the “course of Abijah”? Centuries earlier, in the days of King David, there had been many priests. King David divided them into 24 “courses” (or groups) that served by rotation in the temple (1 Chronicles 24:1–19). The course of Abijah was the eighth of the 24 courses, and would normally have done its first week of service around the end of May. As Pentecost, the second of the three great pilgrim festivals, came the week after the eighth course served—and all 24 courses served during each of the three festival seasons—Zacharias could not have begun his return home until after the first week of June, or thereabouts. If John the Baptist was conceived shortly after his return home, near the middle of June, his birth would have been nine months later—around mid-March. Jesus, who was six months younger, would thus have been born soon after mid-September. This, of course, would have been while the shepherds were still staying with the fields at night with their flocks (Luke 2:8).

Consider also the traditional image of the three wise men who, together with the shepherds, are commonly represented standing in the stable to celebrate the newly born Messiah.

The Bible nowhere says that there were three wise men, and it makes clear that they did not come until at least a few weeks after His birth—by which time Jesus and His parents were living in a house (Matthew 2:11). We are told that these Magi came from the east. In first century parlance, this usually meant that they came from beyond the Euphrates River (which was then the eastern border of the Roman Empire). East of the Euphrates was the Parthian Empire, home to many remnants of the ten tribes of Israel who had gone into Assyrian captivity more than seven centuries earlier.

The Magi arrived at the king’s palace in Jerusalem several weeks after Jesus’ birth, looking for the Messiah. They had seen a mysterious “star” in the east, which had prompted them to make their journey to Judea. Upon hearing from the Magi about the timing of the star’s appearance, and what it portended, Herod ordered the slaughter of all boys in Bethlehem aged two years and younger (Matthew 2:16).

We know from Luke 2:22 that Jesus’ parents presented Him in the temple when He was 40 days old (cf. Leviticus 12:2–4), so they were still in the Jerusalem area when He was nearly six weeks old. Yet the family fled to Egypt, spurred by a warning Joseph received in a dream, immediately after the Magi visited them (Matthew 2:13–14). Clearly, the Magi did not arrive until well after Christ’s birth.

The Christmas Tree:

Clearly, the bible does not agree with this practice and nor should any real Christian, unless you are as upright as a palm tree or a heathen who enjoys vain customs.

jeremiah 10: 1-5:

1.Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: 2. Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. 3. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. 4. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. 5. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.

In the ancient Egyptian tradition, many celebrations occurred around the time of the Winter Solstice, which is the shortest day and the longest night of the year. The Egyptians believed that this was when the sun god, Ra returned in strength. The solstice symbolized a time of renewal and hope. To celebrate, the people filled their homes with evergreen boughs. They chose the evergreen trees because they maintained their color throughout the harsh winter months. Other people groups, including Roman and Celtic cultures, hung evergreens during the Winter Solstice in celebration, and to keep away evil spirits and illness.

Until the mid-nineteenth century, the Christmas tree was seen as a pagan tradition in the United States. The early Puritan settlers did not accept the tradition because of its cultic roots. In 1659, a law was established in Massachusetts outlawing the celebration of Christmas in the new colonies, with the exception of church attendance. Hanging decorations of any kind was outlawed, especially Christmas trees. As America ventured further from our true Christian roots the tradition became more accepted.

In 1848, the London News published an image of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert with their family celebrating around their decorated tree. This photo and its reprints in America began the modern popularization of the Christmas tree, with its glistening lights, shiny bobbles, and awaiting presents.

The Pagan Origins Of Holly:

In Roman mythology, holly was the sacred plant of the god Saturn, and to honor him at the Saturnalia festival, the Romans gave each other gifts of holly wreaths.

When Christians began to celebrate the birth of Jesus, they risked being persecuted for their new religion, and to avoid detection, they would place holly wreaths in their houses. As far as passers-by were concerned they were celebrating Saturnalia, not Christmas.

The Druid Origins Of Mistletoe:

Mistletoe was revered as a sacred plant by the Celts, the Norse, and the North American Native Americans.

Druids believed that mistletoe could protect against thunder and lightning. Priests would use a golden sickle to cut a piece of mistletoe from an oak tree, catching the branches before they reached the ground. The mistletoe would then be cut into small pieces and distributed amongst the people.

Mistletoe was also recognized as a druidic symbol of joy and peace. If enemies met each other underneath the woodland mistletoe, they were obliged to put down their weapons and form a truce until the following day.

This is where the custom of hanging sprig ball of mistletoe from the ceiling and kissing under it originates from.

Romans Made Laurel Popular:

Laurel or bay leaves were popular with the pagan Romans because the leaves were sacred to Apollo, the sun god.

The ancient Romans used decorative wreaths, made from laurel wreaths as a sign of victory, and it is believed that this is where the seasonal hanging of wreaths on doors came from. They actually celebrated the Murder “Victory over” of Christ Seasonally with the display of wreaths.

In northern Europe, laurel leaves were not commonplace, and instead, evergreen branches were gathered and used to decorate houses at Christmas, either as swags or shaped into wreaths.

Because of the pagan connections surrounding ivy and laurel, early Christians did not use these to decorate the inside of their churches.

Odin The Pegan God:

Despite the fact that our modern-day image of Father Christmas has largely been shaped by a 1930s Coca-Cola advertising campaign, he most definitely has Pagan roots.

Children all over the world are told that Father Christmas developed from St. Nicholas, but those people that follow Paganism know there is more to the story than that. There was a Pagan god named Odin, often depicted as a chubby old man with a white beard who wore a long flowing cloak.

It is, therefore, a combination of these two characters, and a liberal sprinkling of Coca Cola advertising that has resulted in who we now call Father Christmas or Santa Claus.

Red And Green Christmas Colors:

The traditional Christmas colors of red and green are complementary colors that represent fertility for the pagan religion.

Pagan derived decorations that are still seen at Christmas time include the green leaves and red berries of holly, mistletoe, ivy and wreaths.

Red and green are the traditional colors for Christmas tree baubles, but in recent years many more colors have become available, often changing yearly with the latest fashions. In recent years turquoise, pink, purple, and orange have been seen on the best-dressed trees to represent the ever changing representation of Pegan fertility IE, sodalities and transgenders.

Celtic Yule Log Mythology:

The Yule log played a major role in the Yule festivities, with a piece of the previous year’s log being saved to start the fire the following year.

Traditionally, it was considered unlucky to buy a log and instead it was harvested from the householder’s land or received as a gift.

Once brought into the house and placed ceremoniously in the fireplace it was decorated with greenery, smothered with alcohol, and dusted with flour before being set on fire. The log would then burn all night, before smoldering for twelve days.

Celtic mythology told the stories of the Oak King and Holly King, with the Oak representing the time from the Winter Solstice to Summer Solstice, and the Holly representing the time from the Summer Solstice to Winter Solstice.

Christmas Caroling:

But where does this tradition come from? You might be surprised to learn that it has its roots in an ancient pagan ritual called “wassailing”. 

There are two traditions of wassailing. The house-visiting wassail is where groups of people go from house to house, wishing their neighbors health and good fortune for the new year. The orchard-visiting wassail is a ritual for waking up the apple tree spirits for the coming spring and to ensure a good harvest in Autumn. 

In the house-visiting wassail, people would prepare some sort of beverage, like cider or “wassail”, a hot drink made of mulled ale, curdled cream, roasted apples, eggs, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and sugar. It sometimes had a frothy top that earned it the name “Lamb’s Wool”.

The wassail was carried in a large vessel, either shaped like a giant, stout goblet, or like a large bowl with handles on the sides.

Going from house to house, the group of people would sing songs in the hopes of receiving a little food or a few coins. Sometimes, they would challenge the homeowner to riddles or use a combination of wit and persuasion to try to gain entry to the house. If successful, the homeowner rewarded them with food or money.

In thanks for his kindness, the wassailers would offer the homeowner a drink from the bowl or they’d drink to the health of him and his family. Wealthy farmers or lords of manor were often targeted and if they refused to donate or were thought to be stingy, they risked getting their property vandalized

What Difference Does It Make?

Almost every year, newspapers and magazines will publish articles pointing out that Christmas customs originate not from the Bible, but from pagan antiquity. Most readers, when faced with these facts, simply say: “I don’t see what difference it makes,” and continue with their Christmas preparations. Millions of professing Christians insist that, regardless of what pagan practices might lie behind the origin of Christmas, they celebrate the holiday to honor Christ.

Does this make Christmas acceptable to God?

Several centuries ago, Scripture became widely available in English as Protestant believers threw off the shackles of the medieval Roman Catholic monopoly on the Bible. Eager Bible students found themselves wrestling with many issues as they looked into God’s word. One issue was the celebration of Christmas. What conclusion did they reach? According to the eleventh edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica: “In 1644 the English puritans forbade any merriment or religious services [on Christmas] by act of Parliament, on the ground that it was a heathen festival” (article: “Christmas”). When King Charles II restored the monarchy, this ban was lifted, but the ban remained in many of North America’s early colonial settlements. Not until the 1840s was Christmas accepted as an acceptable holiday in Massachusetts.

Ask yourself a simple question. Should those who claim to be Christian take the Bible seriously? In Jeremiah 10:2, God declared to His people through the pen of the prophet: “Do not learn the way of the Gentiles.” He went on to state that “the customs of the peoples are futile,” that is, they are utterly empty and useless. God wants His people to follow His instructions, not to look at pagan practices and seek to copy them. What kind of empty, pagan customs was Jeremiah talking about in Jeremiah 10? The specific example in that chapter involved going out into the woods, cutting a tree and bringing it home to set it upright and decorate it (vv. 3–4). Does this sound amazingly like putting up a Christmas tree? It should.

Jesus declared: “And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Mark 7:7). Those who wish to use Christmas to worship Christ are faced with a dilemma: do they follow the pattern of worship prescribed in Scripture, or do they cling to cherished customs, regardless of when and how those customs originated? Jesus censured many of the religious leaders of His day because they rejected the commandments of God in order to keep their own traditions (v. 9).

Would Jesus say those same words to you, based upon your actions and your choices?

When the ancient Israelites were ready to enter the Promised Land, they were warned against adopting religious customs from the surrounding nations (Deuteronomy 12:30–31). God told them instead to observe all the things that He instructed them, neither adding nor taking away from what He had taught (v. 32).

So, instead of seeking to put Christ back into Christmas, we must acknowledge that He was never there in the first place! Christmas never was Christian! True Christians will give it back to the pagans, to whom it has belonged all along! Instead of borrowing from the world around us, we ought to take our religious customs and practices directly from the Bible. Then we will be worshiping our Creator in spirit and truth, just as He teaches us to do (John 4:24).