We have learned how God feels
about mixing pagan worship with the truth
As we examine the roots of christmas celebrations,
keep in mind that we must worship in the way God approves
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| Christmas
The Bible does not give the date of Jesus’ birth,
nor does it say that we should celebrate his birthday.
As McClintock and Strong’s Cyclopedia states:
“The observance of Christmas is not of divine appointment,
nor is it of NT [New Testament] origin.”
Instead, an examination of the history of Christmas exposes
its roots in pagan religious rites.
The Bible shows that we offend God if we try to worship him
in a way that he does not approve of.Exodus 32:5-7.
History of Christmas customs
1. Celebrating Jesus’ birthday: “The early Christians did not celebrate
[Jesus’] birth because they considered the celebration of anyone’s birth
to be a pagan custom.” The World Book Encyclopedia.
2. December 25: There is no proof that Jesus was born on that date.
Church leaders likely chose this date to coincide with pagan festivals
held on or around the winter solstice.
3. Gift-giving, feasting, partying: The Encyclopedia Americana
says: “Saturnalia, a Roman feast celebrated in mid-December,
provided the model for many of the merry-making customs of Christmas.
From this celebration, for example, were derived the elaborate feasting,
the giving of gifts, and the burning of candles.” The Encyclopædia Britannica
notes that “all work and business were suspended” during Saturnalia.
4. Christmas lights: According to The Encyclopedia of Religion,
Europeans decorated their homes “with lights and evergreens of all kinds”
to celebrate the winter solstice and to combat evil spirits.
5. Mistletoe, holly: “The Druids ascribed magical properties to the
mistletoe in particular. The evergreen holly was worshiped as a
promise of the sun’s return.”The Encyclopedia Americana.
6. Christmas tree: “Tree worship, common among the pagan Europeans,
survived after their conversion to Christianity.” One of the ways in
which tree worship survived is in the custom of “placing a Yule tree at an
entrance or inside the house in the midwinter holidays.”Encyclopædia Britannica.
When was Jesus born?
The Bible does not give a specific date for the birth of Jesus Christ, as these reference works show:
“The true birth date of Christ is unknown.” New Catholic Encyclopedia.
“The exact date of Christ’s birth is not known.”—Encyclopedia of Early Christianity.
While the Bible does not directly answer the question,
‘When was Jesus born?’ it does describe two events surrounding his birth
that lead many to conclude that he was not born on December 25. Not in winter
1. The registration. Shortly before Jesus was born, Caesar Augustus issued a decree ordering
“all the inhabited earth to be registered.” Everyone had to register in “his own city,”
which might have required a journey of a week or more. (Luke 2:1-3) That order, probably
made to support taxation and military conscription, would have been unpopular at any time of year,
but it is unlikely that Augustus would have provoked his subjects further by forcing many of them
to make long trips during the cold winter.
2. The sheep. Shepherds were “living out of doors and keeping watches in the night
over their flocks.” (Luke 2:8) The book Daily Life in the Time of Jesus notes that flocks
lived in the open air from “the week before the Passover (late March)” through mid-November.
It then adds: “They passed the winter under cover; and from this alone it may be seen
that the traditional date for Christmas, in the winter, is unlikely to be right,
since the Gospel says that the shepherds were in the fields.”
In early fall
We can estimate when Jesus was born by counting backward from his death on Passover,
Nisan 14 in the spring of the year 33 C.E. (John 19:14-16)
Jesus was about 30 years old when he began his three and a half year ministry,
so he was born in the early fall of 2 B.C.E. Luke 3:23.
Why is Christmas on December 25?
Since there is no evidence that the birth of Jesus Christ occurred on December 25,
why is Christmas celebrated on this date?
According to The Encyclopedia Americana,
many scholars believe that this was done
“in order to make Christianity more meaningful to pagan converts.”
The Encyclopædia Britannica says that church leaders probably chose it
“to coincide with the pagan Roman festival marking
the ‘birthday of the unconquered sun,’” at the time of the winter solstice.
The Truth is:
Christmas is rooted in pagan worship
December 25 was chosen to attract pagans (non Christians)
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