Are we allowed to partake in Christmas?

Runestar · Dec 7, 2016

It says in the bible that God judges the heart not the works, I think Jesus said it. So as long as you make it all about Jesus and don't get lost in the pagan stuff.

kangaroodort · Dec 7, 2016

I think celebrating Christmas is just fine. I don't think that much of what is considered pagan is necessarily pagan, and even if it is, we don't need to look at it that way. I will include some links that address some of these supposed "pagan" connections below. But regardless, lets consider some of these traditions. When I look at a tree with lights I am reminded that Jesus is the light of the world and came into this world as a light to lead us all out of darkness. When I look at a tree, I am reminded of creation, and that the Creator Himself entered into our brokenness to redeem this world along with the hope of a new creation. When we exchange gifts I think of the gifts that were given to honor Christ by the Magi and the fact that Jesus is the God's greatest gift to us. One can even remember Saint Nick when they think of Santa Claus and remember his acts of love that also may have contributed to why we exchange gifts at Christmas. As for the rest (elves, reindeer, etc.), I don't really focus on that and I don't see the fact that the world does should mean that they should be able to effectively steal Christmas away from Christians.

When I first got saved, Christmas took on new and powerful meaning to me, and it was a very moving experience to celebrate the birth of my Savior and the incredible reality of the incarnation. Don't let the world destroy such a powerful opportunity for spiritual reflection.

Not sure how many links I am allowed to post in one post, so I will make a few posts to get them in (and I have not personally read all of these, so I can't say for sure how good they are),

No, Christmas Is Not Based on a Pagan Holiday | Come Reason's Apologetics Notes

kangaroodort · Dec 7, 2016

Some more links: https://www.equip.org/article/the-two-babylons/

King of Grace Lutheran Church - Christmas Is Not Pagan

kangaroodort · Dec 7, 2016

More links: Christmas Was Never a Pagan Holiday by Marian T. Horvat

On Christmas Trees: http://www.equip.org/perspectives/are-christmas-trees-idolatrous/

kangaroodort · Dec 7, 2016

More on Christmas Trees: Christmas Trees Are Not Pagan!

Jeremiah 10 and Christmas Trees | Grace Communion International

kangaroodort · Dec 7, 2016

Ok, a few more: Sola Sisters: Myths From Hislop: A Call To Examine Facts

Touchstone Archives: Calculating Christmas

Well, those should be enough to help you see that much of this is hype and in my opinion should in no way dissuade you or any other Christian from celebrating Christmas.

LoveofTruth · Dec 7, 2016

Some battles we should fight more than others. Paul said in Romans 14 that some have one day above another and he said not to judge over this ( I know he may have not had the so called "Christmas" day in mind there but the principle it might be similar). Some may think of jesus coming into the world on that day (even though the exact day he was born is not known and the Pagans celebrated their days on that time).

I see many days people have in society as simply customs and traditions that in themselves are not wrong. I agree that the catholics made the day "Christ Mass" and that I do not agree with. I don't even like to say the word "Christmas". But in some way the whole world still thinks of Jesus (yes I know the story of Jesus is pushed aside more recently and the Santa character dominates often). But as Paul said nevertheless Christ is preached. The name of Jesus is lifted up all over and while I do not think any believer should "celebrate" such a day in a formal sense. I do not have problems with people in tradition coming together singing songs about Jesus giving each other gifts (although that materialism has gone crazy at this time) and seeing family. To me giving gifts is a joy all year round, so this is not a hard thing to do. But still we must guard against loving the world and the things in it and the covetousness of some and materialism. But what if some gave a study bible or video series of the bible etc. ?

There are many traditions our society has that we would not make such a battle over, like birthdays, or Honeymoons, or anniversaries, and I would add the day called "christmas". I would take a stand on days like "halloween" or children dressing up and being devils and witches etc. That whole day should be avoided. Some people have so called "christmas" parties at their work and they all go out and celebrate and give gifts and while i agree some parties can be drunken riots. Some may not be. Each believer must discern what they want to be part of and no forced participation should be given. But if a office has a party where they meet in a restaurant and have a time off from work to be together is this tradition a bad thing assuming there is no drunken situations? I know believers are to have nothing to do with the world and we are separate and to p be pure in all things. But in all areas wisdom is needed. Doors of opportunity can open in many places and to be all things to all men is to win some.

But if some believers come to me and say they must jeep such a day in a religious sense and say Christ was born then. I would point them to the pagan custom that it came from and how the Christian religion was merged with the pagan custom to try and appease the culture and create a day.

But families getting together and sharing gifts to each other and singing carols about jJesus saving us from Satans power I find no harm in.

Even the tree that I understand Luther may have had part in to represent eternal life ( using an evergreen tree) i do not see that as the pagan tree they cut down and carved and made into an idol and puts things on it. But as many things can be I suppose a tree could be an idol to some even a evergreen tree.

What I don't like about the day Called Christmas, is the word Christ mass, from its origin and the Santa character , the mass materialism, and the misrepresentation of the pagan winter solstice merging with the Christian belief system and acting as if December 25th is actually the day Jesus was born. Scripture implies that it was on another day.

But anyway, hope that helps.

SteveCaruso · Dec 7, 2016

So Christmas – or more properly the Feast of the Nativity – is a Christian celebration and shouldn't be confused with the secular celebration.

Case and point, the Christian celebration of Christmas starts with Advent: The first season of the Christian year. 1st Advent is the "Christian New Year" – but unlike the big New Year celebrations in other cultures, Advent is all about waiting and anticipating. It's four solemn weeks. Many people mark this time with an Advent Wreath, made up of 4 candles and each week another candle is lit. There are distinct Advent carols and hymns that are saved for this time of year.

On December 6th is the Feast Day of St. Nicholas of Myra, a Bishop whose works of Christian charity include money anonymously as well as paying the dowries of young women so they could marry. The original Christmas Trees (especially golden ball ornaments – you can read more about why this is significant online), stockings, and leaving out shoes were about keeping up his work, as they were about almsgiving. Keep him in mind.

4th Advent is the Sunday before December 25th (which was calculated not by the Winter Solstice, but by where Easter fell, and as a result, Christmas was also celebrated on January 6th) and Christmas Day marks out the Season of Christmas or Christmastide. It's a 12 day long feast. There are a whole other distinct set of Christmas carols and hymns for this season.

After Christmastide is done, then we move into Epiphany, which marks the visit of the Magi to Jesus, and as a result celebrates the revelation of Jesus to the Gentiles and his divine nature (the Magi arriving were a testament to that). It lasts 40 days, and there is yet another set of distinct Epiphany carols and hymns for this season.

And that's usually where anything we think of relate to Christmas ends in the Christian year. A period of over 80 days. And there are variations in all of these celebrations, liturgies, and observances from culture to culture, church to church. However, they're all Christian innovations.

The secular celebration of Christmas – however – begins the day after Thanksgiving when Christmas music starts pumping over the radio or (especially) in malls trying to entice you to buy stuff – a weird cognate to Advent. The music also doesn't discriminate, it's a mix of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany music, as well as plenty of secular songs as well.

We see the figure of Santa Claus, who is a caricature of St. Nicholas of Myra (and whose final "look" today can be blamed on advertising campaigns) and different traditions about elves and reindeer pulled out of context from Germanic Christian cultures – and some of these traditions, like the names of the reindeer and Rudolph with his red nose, are innovations that are only 100 years old. And then, after Christmas Day everything vanishes, leaving the rest of the 11 days of Christmas forgotten, and Epiphany too.

It's commercial. It's consumerist. But it's a solid part of many secular cultures and a time when family gets together.

In either case, Christmas is not compulsory. It's not an ordained feast of God, nor is it claimed to be (but then again, neither was Chanukah, but Christ celebrated it just fine). It's an expression of Christian hope in the world for salvation, which began bodily with Christ's birth.

JimR-OCDS · Dec 7, 2016

Argh, In my 65 years, I've been hearing atheists and others attacking the celebration of Christ birth, year after year. The only difference lately, is that they try to incoporate other celebrations to devalue the religious aspect of the celebration of Christmas. There is a group in my small town which now celebrates the Winter Solstice, but would protest against the celebration of Christ birth.

Thank You kangaroodort, for the link, it was well written.

First off, we're not celebrating the birthday of Jesus, as we celebrate our own birthday's.

Rather, we're celebrating the coming of Christ, who brought salvation to mankind.

December 25th, the date the Church chose has a complex history, and not all parts of the Church celebrated at that time, or at all. When you have insomnia some night, read the history here, and you'll be cured.

In short, Pope Julius I is asked to assign December 25th, after Roman Census papers are brought to Rome.

Later, St John Chrysitom, claims that the Roman Census with the Holy Family's names are in Rome. Although the documents have not been found in modern times.

At any rate, observing Christmas is no more pagan than playing guitars at church services, as the guitar also came from paganism.

We observe the birth of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Those who believe require no proof of Jesus Christ. Those who do not believe, no proof is possible.

Cebtered In Jesus Christ
Jim

Jan001 · Dec 7, 2016

So, according to your understanding, we Christians are not allowed to celebrate the birthday anniversary of our Savior Jesus Christ because some pagans celebrated the supposed birthday(s) of their god(s) on this same day of the year, in this case, December 25th?

Do you celebrate your birthday anniversary or the birthday anniversaries of any of your family members? If so, what if their birth dates were on the same dates as some ancient pagan deities' birth dates or feast days? Are you thereby guilty of celebrating the fake gods' birthday anniversaries or feast days because you are celebrating on these days? I don't think so! There are only 365/366 days in every year and all events in every year have to happen on one of these days.

Every day is created and owned by God. What a person does on each of God's days is what is important. To worship the True God on each and every day is very good. To worship a fake god on even one day is evil.

Romans 14:5-6
One man esteems one day as better than another, while another man esteems all days alike. Let every one be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. He also who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; while he who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. rsv

I will celebrate the feast days of Christmas and Resurrection Sunday each year until I die. This will be pleasing to God because I am honoring His Son in special ways on these days.

Sukkot: Much of the imagery and ritual of the holiday revolves around rejoicing and thanking God for the completed harvest.

The OT Sukkot is merely the shadow of a better thing to come. We Christians will not be celebrating the Jewish Sukkot in the kingdom of God. The "harvest festival" that all Christians will participate in after the return of Jesus is called the "Marriage Feast/Supper of the Lamb." This is the feast that all believers will participate in for eternity.

Matthew 22:2
“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a marriage feast for his son, rsv

Revelation 19:7
Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride (Church) has made herself ready; rsv

Revelation 19:9
And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are true words of God.” rsv

dqhall · Dec 7, 2016

Marriage is a union between a man and a woman, often before the procreation and birth of their children. I do not find Jesus preached he was engaged to a church full of men, women and children, nor about a wedding feast or honeymoon with its members.

Matthew 22:30 "For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like God's angels in heaven."

As for the topic of Christmas suspected of being a pagan holiday, no, Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.

Fuchsia' · Dec 7, 2016

Keep your heart on the Lord and He will know. It's all about the reason behind why you celebrate, not the act of celebration itself. Don't let greed corrupt a beautiful season.

LoricaLady · Dec 7, 2016

For those who want to look more deeply into Christmas (also Easter) this is a great vid with many Bible verses and historical references. Sometimes it manages to be both glitzy and entertaining yet scholarly at the same time.
I didn't see all of the posts above so maybe someone mentioned it, but in case not, the reason the Almighty says He does not like His followers copying pagan things is because they remind him of horrors pagans have done. But that is in the vid, too. The whole "Well, I mean well in my heart" argument is addressed. Really folks, it's not about what's in our hearts but about what the heart of the Father wants. sunburned 119 ministries - YouTube

Goodbook · Dec 7, 2016

The christmas tree was orginally part of a miracle play and meant to represent the forbidden tree that adam and eve ate from thats why its fake and dressed up, if you want to put one up its up to you.

Just like you dont have to celebrate halloween or easter and buy lots of things. Many things people do just for the sake of it cos everyone else does it, but we have freedom in Christ.

Enjoy the day off anyway!

Goodbook · Dec 7, 2016

Saint nicholas..or or nowadays santa...
Remember we are all saints if we belong to Him so we can all do saintly things. Nicholas orginally gave gifts to poor children whos parents cpuldnt afford to give them anything, to cheer them up. Keep that in mind during the season, he did it anonymously.

In time legends sprang up over him because nobody could explain where those gifts came from.

1John2:4 · Dec 7, 2016

I am sure that you have an amazing love for Christ and when you do Christmas you are sincere about honoring Him, however it is not how He asked for us to honor Him.

I am not worshiping God when I celebrate a birthday or anniversary for a family member. He specifically said not to worship Him in those ways because all abominations have been done in those ways including sacrificing children in the fire Deuteronomy 12:31. He says He hates it, why would you choose do something He hates? He is the one being worshiped, don't you think its a good idea if we worship Him how He wants to be worshiped instead of how WE want to worship Him?

Christians will not be keeping Sukkot? I would greatly encourage you to re-read Zachariah 14 "And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles" Zachariah 14:16

archer75 · Dec 7, 2016

In my opinion, as much as it's a secular holiday (a day off for many people, etc.), celebrate it as seems best to you. If you wish to celebrate the birth of Jesus on this day, then celebrate that as seems best to you.

Saverio · Dec 7, 2016

Christmas is simply a celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Since nobody (as far as I know) really knows the exact date, I suppose December 25 is as good a day as any to celebrate it.

Bible Highlighter · Dec 7, 2016

It is better to give than to receive. If we stick to our Christian values, I do not see a problem with celebrating Christmas. We just have to let folks know about the truth concerning Christmas. Also, the word "mass" (simply means: "ceremony); And the words "mas" are not an exact spelling of "mass" so as to associate it with the Catholic church. Even the names of the days of the week are pagan. So origin of the name "Christmas" is not an issue for me. Especially when we do not see any of the pagan Catholic practices as being a requirement for Christmas. For me, the issue of something being good or evil is in: --- How does something exist today in light of God's Word? I believe that Jesus was not born near or around Christmas. I also do not believe in decorating Christmas trees. For it is too closely related to the pagan practice in Old Testament Scripture (Jeremiah 10:1-5). But again, this is not an issue because Christmas's rules of celebration is dependant upon one's family's values. If one is an unbeliever, they celebrate Christmas around the fictional character of Santa, etc. If one is Christian, they celebrate because of the birth of Christ. How one celebrates is up to the family.

I think if a Christian decorates for Christmas, it should be purely in honor of the Lord. You can put up things like: "Jesus is the Reason for the Season" with lights or on a sign outside on your lawn. But we have to be careful to putting up idols such as pictures or statues of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. We do not know what they look like; And to put them up is to give them power so as to say that this is them (When that is not them). We have to guard ourselves against these things because it can easily be idolatry whereby you think they may have power (or whereby you can even confuse people into thinking your are Catholic --- When you are not).

I think having an empty manger with lights on it is a good substitution for a Christmas tree. This to me would be more appropriate to celebrating Christ's birth with the giving of gifts (like the wise men had done at Christ's birth). The size and detail of the manger (decorated with lights in one's home) would of course be dependant upon one's budget of course. Maybe you can even throw up that special star as a light on your ceiling or wall within view of the manger. This type of thing can be a lot of fun, and can be a great witness to unbelieving guests that may come over your home.

Anyways, the best part of Christmas is that the gospel is preached. It is a time of the year where a lot of people are more open to accepting Jesus; And that for me is a cause worthy to celebrate.

....

Soyeong · Dec 7, 2016

People are going to disagree about whether traditions such as having Christmas trees, wreaths, and mistletoe have pagan origins, but I think it is far more important to keep the holy days that God commanded than to worry about whether or not to observe a human tradition. They are rich with teachings of the Messiah that are important shadows or rehearsals of what we will be doing during his reign and part of the reason that I think Jesus was likely born on Sukkot. Jesus criticized the Pharisees for setting aside the commands of God to follow their own traditions (Matthew 7:6-8), so we should not make the same mistake.

Are we allowed to partake in Christmas?

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