If You Don't Celebrate Christmas, Why Not?

[havevisions]

I love to celebrate Christmas every Sunday. (even if I have to miss church that day, I watch a service on TV. There are many available) During the week I think of things I can do to still be involved (I use the church bulletin, which lists the events during the week.) That's the only way for me. (not trying to be smug or over zealous, just giving my thoughts)

 

[Kane Ali]

Good morning. This subject is very simple, yet I truly don't understand why it's the center of so much debate. At the end of the day, it's not about what we want. It's about what God wants. He clearly gave instructions about pagan worship and idolatry. He clearly stated he is the same from then until now. Therefore if he detested it then, what makes man think he's "Cool" with it now? Boggles my mind how many excuses we make to do something God CLEARLY detests. Giving gifts and being with family is always good, yet to tie it to a pagan ritual and insult God by associating it with His only begotten Son and King of His Kingdom whom sacrificed himself for sinful humans. And we celebrate him with pagan ties? SMH. Come on people, this one is not hard. Christmas is celebrated because people are afraid of displeasing their hearts, relatives, friends, etc. Yet Jesus stood up for what God loved and the masses hated him for it. Why are we not doing the same? Give gifts and visit family at anytime. Many comments confirmed already that people not only know Jesus birthday was not in December, they know the Bible gives NO instruction to celebrate his nor anyone's birthday, so much so that his birthday is not even known. If it was important, don;t you think we would know it? And lastly, I urge all of you to Re-read Matthew Chapter 2 and understand who really sent the star that led the astrologers to Jesus and the result of Herod trying to kill him. Would God send a star to guide a madman to kill His Son and our Savior? Probably not. Especially since God clearly told the Israelites looking to the stars (astrology) was detestable Deut. 4:19; 17:3-5.
My friends, this is simple. Not complicated. These are the elementary things of the Bible. Don't let it stumble you because your heart's desire is reasoning in a way contrary from God.

 

[Archivist]

I can't imagine not celebrating Christmas. Worship services. Time with friends and family. A chance to give to the needy, be it the local food bank or mission or Toys for Tots. The wonderful spirit of the season. I recall being at the mall one time when the song Joy to the World came on the sound system. I started singing along, then a woman who was nearby started as well. Pretty soon there were 10 or so of us singing this beautiful carol. When it was over we all wished each other a merry Christmas and went our ways. That doesn't happen at other times of the year.

BTW, the Bard of Avon rarely mentioned Christmas in his plays. One of the few occasions that he did was in Hamlet, Act I, Scene 1, where the wrote the following:

Some say that ever ‘gainst that season comes
Wherein our Saviour’s birth is celebrated,
This bird of dawning singeth all night long;
And then, they say, no spirit dare stir abroad,
The nights are wholesome, then no planets strike,
No fairy takes, nor witch hath power to charm,
So hallow’d and so gracious is the time.

 

[DoubtfulSalvation]

I say, listen to God every day of the year.. listen for His still voice and praise His holy name. Know Jesus is the son of God. He came to set you and me free.. Every day. not just to remember on Christmas time... When you are all stuffing your faces on Christmas... think of the homeless people down the road from you... and think.. what would Christ do?

Christ took time to stuff face as well. Otherwise, what are you doing posting this right now? Aren't there homeless people who could use your services? See how things can be taken to severely?

 

[MostRadicalManEver]

I know this is an odd question to ask on a Christian forum, but I want to know if I'm the only one who does not observe Christmas in any manner.

My wife and children are Jewish and non-believers. Thirty-three years ago when we got married, I knew she was Jewish but neither of us were religious, so as two secular people, we figured there wouldn't be issues.

Well, long story short, we both found faith but in different directions.

Frankly, I'm fine with not celebrating Christmas. We stopped many years ago when our children were young (they're all adults now). In all likelihood, Jesus wasn't born anywhere near December 25th and he left no directive to celebrate the day of his birth in any event. I'm not afraid of any "pagan origins" to Christmas and Easter, but since I didn't come to faith until I was about 40 years old, I never developed an emotional or theological attachment to either of those celebrations.

In a nutshell, those are my reasons. What about yours?

We were convicted by the Spirit to stop.

 

[jamespyles]

Giving gifts is a good thing. Calling it loot attempts to turn a positive into a negative. If I buy a wedding ring for my wife, is it "loot"? If I buy a book for my brother, is it loot? What about clothes? Or fun toys like frisbees and basketballs for the kids? If we all go and watch the tennis together as a celebration of family, is it a "wasteful" thing? I understand the concern for unnecessary plastics and rubbish in general; but I find the argument similar to those who thought Mary should not have poured oil on Jesus' feet, there's a time for giving gifts. If one feels uncomfortable with the "loot", give other kinds of gifts e.g. write a letter, build something, charity options etc.

I was speaking of the worst possible interpretation of Christmas gifts, the idea that we get rather than we give. Especially for children, it can send the wrong message.

We do celebrate Chanukah in our home. No, it's not the "Jewish Christmas" and in fact, it's a very minor holiday on the Jewish calendar.

Although gift giving is part of the tradition, the gifts are small, and in our home, we don't exchange Chanukah gifts at all. My wife has been coaching our 7-year-old grandson in lighting the Chanukah menorah and reciting the blessings in Hebrew. We play dreidel, so he at least gets four letters in Hebrew, and it very much is eight nights of being together as a family.

Since sadly, my son is divorced and my grandchildren will be spending Christmas and the two weeks afterward with their Mother and her family, we've had to celebrate Chanukah a bit early (this year, Chanukah begins the night of December 24th). It's a pleasure to hear him tell us the story of Chanukah and the miracle of God.

I don't disdain those who celebrate Christmas, but being a Christian who is the head of a Jewish family, my life and praxis is somewhat unique.

 

[PeaceByJesus]

I know this is an odd question to ask on a Christian forum, but I want to know if I'm the only one who does not observe Christmas in any manner.

My wife and children are Jewish and non-believers. Thirty-three years ago when we got married, I knew she was Jewish but neither of us were religious, so as two secular people, we figured there wouldn't be issues.

Well, long story short, we both found faith but in different directions.

Frankly, I'm fine with not celebrating Christmas. We stopped many years ago when our children were young (they're all adults now). In all likelihood, Jesus wasn't born anywhere near December 25th and he left no directive to celebrate the day of his birth in any event. I'm not afraid of any "pagan origins" to Christmas and Easter, but since I didn't come to faith until I was about 40 years old, I never developed an emotional or theological attachment to either of those celebrations.

In a nutshell, those are my reasons. What about yours?

See thread and my responses beginning here, by the grace of God, if it has not been pulled like one was.

 

[truefiction1]

The One True Church has several major feasts which she has established in Her authority and enjoined upon us to commemorate certain important events in God's revelation and our salvation. The Incarnation of God's Eternal Word is one. God's becoming one of us, in order to be close to and share His glorious Life with us, is the greatest gift. We celebrate this gift with joy and thanksgiving, in right worship.

 

[jamespyles]

The example that we have in the Bible is not one where God said to repurpose pagan altars and assimilate pagan traditions, but rather God said to tear down pagan altars and to not worship Him in the same way that the pagans worshipped their gods (Deuteronomy 12:4, Deuteronomy 12:36). So it was not just the Israelites worshipping pagan gods that God found detestable, but also the way that pagans worshipped their gods. God gave specific instructions for how the temple to be built and I think that He would have been displeased if the builders had decided that they could build it in whatever way they wanted because all God really wanted was just a temple. Our goal is to demonstrate our love for God and our faith in Him about how we should live, so we should seek to worship God according to His instructions rather than having the attitude that we can worship God in whatever way we want and He should be happy with what He gets. This is not to say that man-made traditions for worshiping God are bad, but that we should be careful to not to set aside the commands of God in order to establish our own traditions. As such, it is far more important to keep the holy days that God commanded to be kept than to be concerned with whether or not we should observe a man-made tradition. So I don't see anything wrong with the man-made tradition of celebrating Messiah's birth, though I did it on Sukkot, but without Santa, Christmas trees, wreaths, and mistletoe, though I did sing Christmas carols about his birth.

I also consider Christmas to be a Christian tradition and as such, I have no problem with it. Given my rather unique life situation, we also observe the holidays on the Jewish calendar. I even have a little sukkah kit that we bought from an Israeli company that I construct in the backyard every year.

I know it can be traditional among some Messianics to celebrate Jesus's birthday during Sukkot, and one theory is that he was born in a sukkah, but that hinges on how we understand when the Priestly division of Abijah served.

A couple of references, since I've done some research:

A Question of the Division of Abijah

Was He Born in a Sukkah?

 

[jamespyles]

its ok .. i have argued both sides .. and now as you can see i have begun to realize not all traditions are bad its what we attribute to them . hanukkah is after all just a man made tradition . but it does not offend God .. nor does many christmas traditions .. some do and i have no part with those ones .

True, since according to John 10:22-23, Jesus didn’t seem to have a problem with Chanukah, and likely observed it along with the other Jews in Israel.

 

[jamespyles]

I say, listen to God every day of the year.. listen for His still voice and praise His holy name. Know Jesus is the son of God. He came to set you and me free.. Every day. not just to remember on Christmas time... When you are all stuffing your faces on Christmas... think of the homeless people down the road from you... and think.. what would Christ do?

Every year, I hear stories of Christians volunteering to serve Christmas dinner at the homeless shelters or offering to pay to fill the gas tanks of customers at a filling station until the hundreds in cash they brought runs out. Not all Christians observe the holiday in this manner, but thankfully some do.

 

[jamespyles]

I was raised Christian but fell away for quite a few years. I always celebrated christmas until recently though when I learned what Christmas really was and where the customs and traditions came from. You may not be influenced about the pagan origins but in my honest opinion these 2 "Christian holidays" play a major part in turning people away from the true God and worshipping a false one. If it's not a big deal it would not only tell us in the Bible not to blend the worship of false gods into God's worship but these 2 "holidays" would not be mentioned in the old testament ( before the birth of Christ) as an abomination.

It will be interesting when Jesus returns to see what he has to say about modern Christian traditions as well as many Jewish traditions.

 

[jamespyles]

I guess my reason is different, but for me it's no longer surprizing to be looked at and separated out as being 'different'.

Three years ago my husband died, just two days before Thanksgiving.
He loved Christmas so much, and he loved it innocently and fervently, like a child does.
The lights, the music, the presents, but also and equally he loved the reason for Christmas itself. For him there was just nothing like Christmas.
He was sincerely devoted to Jesus, and he looked forward to Christmas and the birth of Jesus with as much joy as he also looked for His return.

But with my husband's death that joy went out of Christmas for me.
so now it's a painful time of the year; one not to be celebrated but to be struggled with and gotten through one day at a time.
so i have no tree, no lights.
I send and receive cards, greatfull to be remembered, and I have a turkey dinner by myself. I play a CD with Christmas selections mastered and recorded by my daughter,
but there's no joy, no anticipation, no celebration.

My condolences on your loss. Having never been widowed, I don't know what I would do in your circumstances regarding those holidays I do celebrate. I can only hope that Jesus will comfort you and give you a sense of joy in him.

 

[jamespyles]

See thread and my responses beginning here, by the grace of God, if it has not been pulled like one was.

It's still there. As I've said previously, I consider the modern Church celebration of Christmas as a tradition. There's nothing wrong with tradition as such, however there are many like you who don't observe Christmas as a religious holiday, and that's cool. However, there are others who see Christmas as an opportunity to honor Jesus and to good in his name.

 

[Goodbook]

In my family on christmas day we all get together, dads side for lunch, mums side for dinner. When I was a child this was always so. We never went to church as none of my family is christian. As far as gift giving goes, as a child i was given gifts to open on the day. When you are a child you dont really have a choice or know what to believe cos people tell you different things. The gift giving often went crazy because yes, some people are greedy, we would put a tree up cos everyone else had one and my sister would egg us on to buy gifts.

After i became a christian I celebrate the day differently and go to church to worship. I give gifts to the poor (in secret) . I dont put up a tree and I have a no junk mail sign on my letterbox. I dont need to go to two family get togethers on the same day as I can see them anytime of the year and dont feel the need to gorge and stuff myself. And on boxing day and new year everything is on sale then so its wiser if you want to buy gifts..to shop after dec 25.


I like the carols, esp hymns celebrating the birth of Jesus, our Lord and saviour and King...so that is one thing I like the best. I will read the nativity story again.

 

[Goodbook]

The one thing i find silly is people give you chocolates and wrap them up in christmas wrapping. But you know its chocolates and its already in a box yet ppl wrap the box. Any other time of the year you can give chocolates and dont need to wrap them, but at christmas it seems you do, its like not a gift if you dont. Lol

 

[jamespyles]

After i became a christian I celebrate the day differently and go to church to worship. I give gifts to the poor (in secret) . I dont put up a tree and I have a no junk mail sign on my letterbox. I dont need to go to two family get togethers on the same day as I can see them anytime of the year and dont feel the need to gorge and stuff myself. And on boxing day and new year everything is on sale then so its wiser if you want to buy gifts..to shop after dec 25.

The interesting thing for me, having become a Christian after the age of 40, is that I didn't have an emotional tie to Christmas related to theology. I'd always celebrated it as a secular holiday, because my parents celebrated it. As such, when my wife and I decided to stop observing the holiday, it wasn't difficult, and in some ways, it was a relief (no rushing around shopping and such).

 

[Steven Wood]

It will be interesting when Jesus returns to see what he has to say about modern Christian traditions as well as many Jewish traditions.

Yes it will be. I think about that a lot actually then I remember when Jesus said something like people will come saying Lord , Lord I ate and drank with you, cast out demons and did wonders in your name and he will say, I never you be gone. I see technology now a days as inherently evil but its always said that God takes the bad and makes good out of it. With all information at our fingertips ignorance is not an excuse.

 

[Goodbook]

It may have something to do with Jesus being wrapped in swaddling clothes as a baby maybe for protection but a gift is a gift even if it isnt wrapped. Or maybe..since your alms are meant to be done in secret the wrapping is meant to make every gift anonymous. But seems silly cos many people will know its you who gave the gift. Which is why i suppose people say its from santa. Remeber santa actually means saint.

We can all do saintly things and i suppose christmas season is the time to be saints.

However i do think pagans will continue to celebrate christmas in their own way as they have always done. Because its becomes a mixture you kinda have to accept that people get a bit silly at this time.

 

[NeedyFollower]

See thread and my responses beginning here, by the grace of God, if it has not been pulled like one was.

Hi Brother James ..I have celebrated it in the past ( more so when I was ungodly ) but have recently begun rethinking my position or rather what is the mind of Christ on this since we are HIS body and I do not get a vote. Having come from advertising prior to being found by the Lamb, I know that black Friday is when retailers start operating in the black after operating in the red all year long. If I were to give my son to suffer and die and that reason became a cause of profitability for American retailers, I think maybe I would be angry. With that said, I am aware of brothers of a different sect of Christianity that do not celebrate Christmas but it has not wrought love in their heart . I am also aware of people like the Tenbooms in the Hiding Place who did celebrate Christmas and gave their lives for others ( Jewish ). One of the posters said that Christmas was a time for family, feast , games , etc. for them ...this is the same in my family but honestly, it is not about Christ and He is little mentioned. It is about food, family, presents , traditions , nostalgia . Personally I believe Halloween is a more honest celebration( though I do not observe that) in that it does not pretend to be about Christ. Rather than the pagan roots , I am equally concerned with our children being taught " What do you want for Christmas ? Too many poor and our children are already too wealthy.