Should Christians celebrate Christmas at all?
Question:
Hi,
Thanks for taking up the time to answer all our questions. Forgive me if my English doesn't seem correct since it isn't my first language, but should we Christians even celebrate Christmas at all?
Jeremiah 10:1-5 states:
"Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good."
And going outside biblical sources, history has shown us that Christmas was a winter solstice celebration, which honored the pagan god representing the sun who supposedly has risen back again from its lowest point of the year, going back all the way to the Babylonian cults originating from Nimrod when he rebelled against our Creator God. More often than not, this celebration also involved the ghastly human sacrifice of children when it was celebrated in its original and unadulterated form. God through Paul said that we should have nothing to do with evil, for what has light to do with evil and what has Christ have to do with Belial (Ephesians 5:11-12)? Given its dark origins, should we even celebrate this satanic holiday given its reputation?
Answer:
Christmas wasn't always called Christmas. There were Holy Days (holidays) celebrated by various religions. Sometime after the church was founded, some churches started to observe days that were to commemorate Jesus' birth and resurrection. Later the Roman Catholic Church wanted to encourage people to convert, so they mixed Jesus' birth with the pagan Holy Days and moved their celebrations to the pagan time frame, and thus it became Christmas. I agree with you that Christmas is not Christian in any sense. There is nowhere in the Bible where God gives approval for this holiday. For the origins of the first Christmas and how it developed see: Holiday Observances
The origins of many holidays throughout the world have originated from pagan backgrounds, but the question is: Can we celebrate a holiday where the beginnings were not from God? The answer is yes because Jesus celebrated Hanukkah (John 10:22). Hanukkah is also called the Feast of Dedication, or the Festival of Lights, celebrated the re-dedication of the temple after driving out the Syrian general, Anticohus, and cleansing it.
But is Christmas celebration today the same as it once was? People do not bow down and worship the sun god and Nimrod. People do not sacrifice babies. The events in the modern-day holiday are not the same as those when it was celebrated by pagans.
Is it wrong to decorate a tree? No. Is it wrong to give presents? No. Holidays not ordained by God are OK to celebrate, such as Thanksgiving. The best way to judge a holiday is to see if there are morally wrong practices that are being done. If sin is a part of that holiday, we should not participate in it. Regarding Christmas, what is it about? It's about a fat, jolly, red, rosy cheek guy who gives out presents with elves who lives at the north pole. Santa Claus is just like the Tooth Fairy, there is no longer a connection to its pagan origins.
Another example, to put it into perspective, is Valentine's Day. From the different theories of how this one started and the different cultures who celebrated it, its origins are not godly. Now we don't observe any of the original events connected to Valentine's Day anymore. Valentines Day is all about giving a card, candy, or a bear to someone you love. There is no pagan worship or belief that is practiced anymore that has anything to do with the spiritual side of life. It is just a fun day to show more love toward people than you usually do. Another example would be the days of the week that are named after planets and after false gods. Now, are we participating paganism in these days, being guilty by calling a day of the week by its name and giving homage to false gods by acknowledging it? Or has it lost all its significance and Saturday to us just means the seventh day of the week? Or consider the names of our months. January was named after the Roman god of beginnings and endings Janus (the month Januarius). We attend non-Christian's birthdays. Are we celebrating what their life represents? Is going to the party a celebration of a life of sin?
God gives us the freedom to choose between evil and good. We want to make sure we choose good. So let's go over the verses you cited to see what was actually said:
"Hear the word which the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel. Thus says the LORD: "Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the Gentiles are dismayed at them. For the customs of the peoples are futile; for one cuts a tree from the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the ax. They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with nails and hammers so that it will not topple. They are upright, like a palm tree, and they cannot speak; they must be carried, because they cannot go by themselves. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, nor can they do any good"" (Jeremiah 10:1-5).
God did not say cutting a tree down is bad; hence, cutting down a tree for firewood, or making a boat or a decoration is not evil. What was the purpose of putting silver and gold on the tree? The word was carved and covered with gold and silver to form an idol. Are those celebrating Christmas decorating trees to say they worship Nimrod? Clearly, the answer is no. Ask people and they will say the decorations are for the season. It is similar that in the fall you put up different colors of brown and red objects. Do people claim that the tree is an idol or that it might have a revelation from some god? I am confident people will say no.
The last verse in Jeremiah is the clue of why what Jeremiah was talking about was sinful: "Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good." The tree can neither do evil or good. The tree itself is not evil. It is the reason behind why the tree is being used that makes the actions of the people evil. It is not the object because trees are not sinful, but the person doing the action that makes him sin and do evil. Perhaps in your country Christmas is different and they still worship the sun god or Nimrod. If that is the case, then the situation is different. However, in most of the world, Christmas isn't about worshiping false gods. It is not the use of inanimate objects that makes an event wrong, but the purpose those objects are being put to use.
It is true that some try to make Christmas into a religious holiday, but those attempts by some are not why everyone celebrates this holiday. You don't find people bowing before their trees or offering sacrifices to them, or expecting answers to requests from the tree.
Consider why are you celebrating Christmas. What is your motive behind it? If your conscience can't be clear when you celebrate it, then don't. There is nothing wrong with not celebrating any holiday. But that is your choice, which shouldn't be forced on others.
