“And so the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.’” Luke 2:10-11.
The decision to celebrate Christmas is a personal issue. It is determined by individual beliefs, traditions, and interpretations of various Biblical teachings. There are several perspectives within the Christian community regarding the celebration of Christmas. Some embrace the holiday as a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus, viewing it as an opportunity for reflection, family gatherings, and acts of kindness. They emphasize the significance of Christmas by traditions, such as nativity scenes which helps us remember and honor the birth of Jesus.
Conversely, some choose not to celebrate Christmas due to concerns regarding it’s pagan origins and the commercialization of the holiday. They argue many Christmas traditions, such as the date of December 25, along with various customs, have roots in ancient pagan festivals. This date was likely chosen to coincide with existing winter solstice celebrations, which were prevalent in Roman culture.
Most Christians today cannot imagine Christmas on any other day than December 25, but it wasn’t always that way. The fact is, for the first three centuries of Christianity’s existence the birth of Jesus was not celebrated at all. Back then, Christianity’s most significant holidays were
- The Epiphany on January 6, which commemorated the arrival of the Magi after Jesus’ birth.
- Easter, which celebrated Jesus’ resurrection.
The fact is the first official mention of December 25 as a holiday honoring Jesus’ birth appeared in an early Roman calendar from AD 336.
But this brings the question, was Jesus really born on December 25? I would have to say no. The Bible does not state the exact date of His birth. Also the Nativity story contains conflicting clues. For instance, the presence of shepherds and their sheep suggests a possible spring birth.
So, when the Church settled on December 25 at the end of the third century A.D., they probably wanted the date to be the same as existing pagan festivals honoring Saturn, the Roman god of agriculture, along with Mithra, the Persian god of light. This would make it much easier to reach out and convince Rome’s pagan community to accept Christianity as the empire’s official religion.
Now, moving to today, Christians who argue the meaning of Christmas, that being the celebration of the birth of Jesus, aligns with biblical teachings. They believe the holiday can be a true expression of faith, regardless of its historical origins. In the Book of Romans we see the importance of personal conviction in observing special days, suggesting that each individual should be fully convinced regarding these days.
“One person values one day over another, another values every day the same. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and the one who eats, does so with regard to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and the one who does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat, and he gives thanks to God.” Romans 14:5-6.
As we can see, the debate over whether Christians should celebrate Christmas has been ongoing for centuries. And there are equally sincere and committed Christians on both sides of the issue, with multiple reasons why or why not Christmas should be celebrated in Christian homes. But what does the Bible say?
Does it give clear direction as to whether Christmas is a holiday to be celebrated by Christians? Some refuse to celebrate Christmas because they see a similarity between the traditions surrounding the holiday and similar practices in ancient pagan rituals. Others, even as they acknowledge some Christmas traditions may borrow from pagan rituals, deny that celebrating Christmas indicates a return to paganism. They focus on modern tradition’s association with the true meaning of Christmas: the birth of the Savior of the world. Bells are played to ring out the joyous news; candles are lit to remind us that Christ is the Light of the world.
“In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind. And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it. A man came, one sent from God, and his name was John. He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light. This was the true Light that, coming into the world, enlightens every person.” John 1:4-9.
And regarding the tree, a star is placed on the top of many Christmas trees to remember the Star of Bethlehem. And gifts are exchanged to remind us of the gifts of the magi to Jesus, who was the greatest gift of God to mankind.
In the end there is no biblical mandate to celebrate or not celebrate Christmas, or how to celebrate it. Christians can and do observe and celebrate the birth of our Savior in many ways. Whether traditional or not, it is a personal decision. As Paul wrote in the Book of Romans and I will repeat,
“One person values one day over another, another values every day the same. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. ” Romans 14:5.
Whatever Christians decide to do regarding Christmas, their views should not be used as a club with which to beat down or denigrate those with opposing views. Neither should one’s view be used as a badge of honor inducing pride over celebrating or not celebrating.
As in all things, we should seek wisdom from Him who gives it liberally to all who ask.
“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5.
And we should accept one another in Christian love and grace, regardless of our views on Christmas celebrations.
So, as the Church settled on December 25, we see they used the same date as the festivals honoring Roman gods. And this made it easier for them to reach out to convince Rome’s pagan community to accept Christianity as truth and the means of salvation through Christ our savior. Why should we not do the same, using Christmas as a means to spread the gospel to all the world. This is what we are called to do.
“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20.
And we, being our calling from God, should do what we do as well. And what better time to reach out than during the celebration of Christmas. I pray everyone reading this will have a wonderful and blessed Christmas Day.
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