"Does Christmas really celebrate the birthday of Jesus? Was He born on December 25th? What has a Christmas tree got to do with Christ? Well, the intention is good, but... We can't associate God, or for this matter, the birth of Jesus Christ with paganism.
Pagans are worshippers of false gods, such as statues, the sun, the planets, etc. But what has paganism got to do with Christmas?
Stop and think! Let's reason! Most people don't know WHY we do the things we do, or WHERE our customs came from! We were born into a world filled with customs. We grew up practicing them, taking them for granted, but NEVER QUESTIONING WHY!
We have supposed CHRISTMAS to be the chief of the Christian holidays. Without asking questions, we have blindly assumed its observance must be one of the principle teachings and commands of the New Testament. We have supposed Jesus was born December 25th, and that the New Testament set this day aside as the chief Christian festival. We have supposed we exchange gifts because the wise men presented gifts to the Christ-child.
Well!! Don't suppose any more! Let's look into History and the Bible for the facts!
Jesus was not born in December. That's winter season! When the Christ-child was born "there were in same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night" (Luke 2:8). This never could have occurred in Palestine in the month of December. The shepherds always brought their flock from the mountain sides and fields and corralled (sheltered in caves or stables) them not later than October 15, to protect them from the cold rainy season that followed that date. Notice that the Bible itself proves in Song of Solomon 2:11, and Ezra 10:9, and 13, that winter was a rainy season not permitting shepherds to abide in open fields at night.
The word "Christmas" means "Mass of Christ" or, as it later became shortened:"Christ-Mass." It came to us as a Roman Catholic mass. And where did they get it? From the Pagan celebration of December 25th, as the birthday of Sol the SUN-GOD! It is, actually, an ancient rite of BAALISM, which the Bible condemns as the most abominable of all idolatrous worship!
Early Europeans believed in evil spirits, witches, ghosts and trolls. As the Winter Solstice approached, with its long cold nights and short days, many people feared the sun would not return. Special rituals and celebrations were held to welcome back the sun.
In Scandinavia during the winter months the sun would disappear for many days. After thirty-five days scouts would be sent to the mountain tops to look for the return of the sun. When the first light was seen the scouts would return with the good news. A great festival would be held, called the Yuletide, and a special feast would be served around a fire burning with the Yule log. Great bonfires would also be lit to celebrate the return of the sun. In some areas people would tie apples to branches of trees to remind themselves that spring and summer would return.
The Roman's celebrated their god Saturn. Their festival was called "Saturnalia"(Dec. 17-24) followed by their pagan "Brumalia" (Dec. 25). With cries of "Jo Saturnalia!" the celebration would include masquerades in the streets, big festive meals, visiting friends, and the exchange of good-luck gifts called Strenae (lucky fruits). The Romans decked their halls with garlands of laurel and green trees lit with candles. Again the masters and slaves would exchange places. "Jo Saturnalia!" was a fun and festive time for the Romans, but the early Christians thought it was an abomination to honor the pagan god.
Remember, the Roman world had been PAGAN. Prior to the fourth century, Christians were few in number, though increasing, and were persecuted by the government and by pagans. But, with the advent of Constantine as emperor, who made his profession of Christianity, in the fourth century, placing Christianity on an equal footing with paganism, people of the Roman world began to accept this now popular Christianity by the hundreds of thousands.
But as Christianity spread they were alarmed by the continuing celebration of pagan customs and Saturnalia among their converts. At first the Church forbid this kind of celebration. But it was to no avail.
Eventually it was decided that the celebration would be tamed and made into a celebration fit for the Christian Son of God.
The Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia explains it clearly, in its article on "CHRISTMAS":
The name "Santa Claus" is a corruption of the name "St. Nicholas," a Roman Catholic bishop who lived in the 5th century. Look in the Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol 19, pages 648-9, 11th edition, where you’ll read: "St. Nicholas, bishop of Myra,...a saint honored by the Greeks and Latins on the sixth of December ... A legend of his surreptitious bestowal of dowries on the three daughters of an impoverished citizen ... is said to have originated the old custom of giving presents in secret on the eve of St. Nicholas [Dec. 6] SUBSEQUENTLY TRANSFERRED TO CHRISTMAS DAY. Hence the association for Christmas with Santa Claus..."
Through the year, parents punish their children for telling falsehoods. Then, at Christmas time, they themselves tell their little children about "Santa Claus"! Is it any wonder that many of them, when they grow up and learn the truth, begin to believe God is a myth, too?
The Christmas tree originated from Egypt first decorating of an evergreen tree was done by pagans in honor of their god Adonis, who after being slain was brought to life by the serpent Aesculapius. The representation of this slain god was a dead stump of a tree. Around this stump coiled the snake Aesculapius symbol of life restoring. And lo - from the roots of the dead tree comes forth another and different tree - and evergreen tree symbolic to pagans of a god who cannot die! In Egypt this god was worshiped in a palm tree as Baal Tamar. The fir tree was worshiped in Rome as the same new born god as Baal Berith, who was restored to life by the same serpent, and a feast was held in honor of him on December 25th called the "Birthday of the unconquered Sun."
Comptons Encyclopedia - Trees and decorations. - Ancient, pre-Christian winter festivals used greenery, lights, and fires to symbolize life and warmth in the midst of cold and darkness. These usages, like gift giving, have also persisted. The most splendid symbol of a modern Christmas is the brilliantly decorated evergreen tree with strings of multicolored lights.
No, this celebration is not Biblical and we are never called to celebrate His birth, but instead His death (Not Easter) which we rightly celebrate in the Lords Supper. So many of these public celebratory practices are of dubious origin, not from God's word, and we, like dumb sheep have followed along, and why? Because we have accepted the traditions of men.
(Colossians 2:8 NASB) See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.
Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. My friends, this is his best disguise ever. He has successfully blended together Christianity, Catholicism, Paganism, and the World! Are we ensnared in these celebrations, their worship and their un-Christlike practices?. The answer is not to "put Christ back into Christmas", but to take Christians out of idolatry.
Christmas and The Christian Calendar
There are, no doubt, many of us who struggle to reconcile outward conformance to a calendar of Christian events with the teachings of Scripture itself and in particular, the general thrust of The Apostle Paul's teachings.
It is clear that in the old Testament God instructed Moses and others to keep and celebrate some of the great historical events in his dealings with his chosen people and yet, despite the fact that the Apostle actually lived within that period during which the incoming, death, burial, resurrection, ascension of Jesus and the coming of the Spirit were still fresh in the minds of Christians....... and despite the fact that Paul, (as the great architect of Christianity) received his ministry directly from the Lord from heaven..........there is nothing in his writings which instructs or encourages us to do what we do annually with such religious fervour.
We are exhorted to remember the Lord Jesus in the Lord's Supper and Paul exhorts us to persevere in that as the focal point of our gatherings but that is quite a different thing
I believe that anyone studying the epistles must come to the conclusion that these great truths are not so much to be celebrated outwardly but formed inwardly DAILY, and the application and appropriation of them is to govern every aspect of Christian life.
Like so many others with doubts, I have participated in the Christmas 'thing' over many years, telling myself we were doing it for the children whilst becoming more and more uncomfortable with what has become a cocktail of truth, myth and lies with so much catering to the 'flesh' and much other nonsense besides, yet to which we seem quite happy to attach the name of Jesus.
In Church terms, I acknowledge that it brings us together in a special way, enables the gospel to be preached to many who would not otherwise enter a Church during the rest of the year and brings families together in a way that the pressures of life render difficult at any other time of the year
I also recognise, sadly, that is is now almost impossible for most Church leaders in any Christian community, whatever their reservations, to ignore these outward celebrations which now encompass not only Christmas, Easter, Lent etc but even Father and Mother's day. Imagine a Church Leader not doing so. He would arouse incredulity in his congregation, even his faith may be questioned but .......if only somebody had the guts....... No, alas, we are all trapped in this ecclesiastical cycle and Church leaders bear a heavy responsibility for perpetuating a mixture of truth, half truth and error.
I love the story of the incarnation and the many beautiful scriptures that shine truth and meaning upon this wonderful event. It is those truths that are sacred not the erroneously and misguided appointed days of celebration. That beautiful scripture in Philippians 2 v 5 - 11 is my favourite but the challenge is "Let this mind be in you". That can involve a lifetime of inward change with the help of the Holy Spirit. That is typical of the bearing of Pauls ministry in respect of all these great events
A very dear older Christian soul said in my hearing recently of another Christian that "They don't even keep Christmas now" as though by not doing so they were apostate or their Christian faith was in question. I was tempted to respond but I think the truth would have been just too devastating.
It is even conceivable that a situation may even arise in years to come when, as a result of the continuing dilution of faith and in the interests of political correctness, Christmas may be re-cast as (primarily) a holiday period with the religious connotations largely removed and then we will see Christians fighting to retain it in its present form, still unaware of its origins.
What a fog!! What a mess!! A mess we all seem to be unable or unwilling to extract ourselves from. What a very cunning adversary Christ's Church has.
So......How does a Christian, genuinely exercised, pick his or her way through this unscriptural, religious/traditional/Roman/pagan/commercial 'mix' which to me, is becoming increasingly uncomfortable to participate in each year?
The following are extracts from two of many articles in the public domain which the reader can browse and search for. They differ in tenor but the message is broadly the same. I have then suggested links to other sites that offer varying measured (I have avoided the more extreme) views on the subject which may help the reader to form their own judgement. It is interesting that even among those who generally have difficulty with Christmas, and hold very strong views, there can be found discrepancies and differing emphasis.
Other interesting links
Wikipedia on Christmas . (An historical account)
Wikipedia on Easter. (An historical account)
"......ye observe days and months and times and years. I am afraid for you, lest indeed I have laboured in vain for you" Galatians. 4 v 10 - 11
