Hello! This is quite a thought provoking post, and I wanted to correct some things mentioned in it. As a Christian apologetics scholar, I felt it would be appropriate for me to chime in, to prevent any misunderstandings on Christmas. My comment isn’t necessarily directed at the original poster, so when they inevitably reply, I’ll likely ignore their comment. My comment is instead for those that may be persuaded by the incorrect information provided by the post.
While I am sure they have good intentions, the information is simply wrong, in the same way two plus two is not five.
One of the common misconceptions is that Christmas is adopted celebrations from Sol Invictus, also known as the “Festival of the Unconquered Sun”. It is claimed that Sol Invictus was celebrated on December 25th and Christians sought to replace it. However, this is incorrect. If we look at the origins of the Festival of the Unconquered Sun, we see that the historian Augusta speaks about the emperor Marcus Aurealius Antonius (218-222) viewing himself as the manifestation of the Assyrian sun god, and he commanded all people to worship him. Ironically, pagans assassinated him because of this.
Additionally, Aurealian (270-275) made a decree in 274 to reinstate Sol Invictus, but there is no historical record of it being held on December 25th. In fact, the original feast days of Sol recorded in the Imperial Fasti were August 8, 9, 28, and December 11. Furthermore, a set of declared games to Sol would be every four years, and they were probably held between October 19 to 22 but no definitive proof exists. Of course, Christians would refuse to participate in Roman games as they were vehemently against mixing their practices with pagan practices, and there’s no evidence of them ever mixing practices, only heresay.
But even if Sol Invictus was celebrated on December 25th, Christians were celebrating Christ’s birth before this date. Simply put, there is no evidence that Christians were trying to replace Sol Invictus. If anything, Sol Invictus was created to try and replace celebrating the birth of Christ as the Way began to really pick up steam around this time. Instead, Christians came up with December 25th by using math, through adding nine months to a proposed date for Jesus’ death, based on a Jewish tradition that a prophet would be conceived and die on the same day, not based on the Winter Solstice like many pagan holidays during the Winter time are.
There are arguments of using Gregorian and Julian calendars, but even still, the Winter Solstice never fell on December 25th during Jesus’ time on earth or up until 354 A.D.
Another claim is that Christmas is a replacement for, or rooted in, Saturnalia. The Roman Festival of Saturnalia was held on December 17th, not December 25th. The Festival did go on for several days to wrap up on either December 19th or December 23rd, which is still not December 25th. During the Romans Festival of Saturnalia, adherents would give gifts of candles or clay figures. It is claimed that because Christians give gifts on Christmas, they refactored the Festival of Saturnalia. Actually, this does not mean Christians took the Roman Festival because giving gifts is not inherently pagan. The actual gift giving in Christmas is linked to the 16th century and came from Germany. (In fact, a lot of influences of American traditions for Christmas came from Germans.) Gift giving is linked to the Feast of Holy Innocence, and because Magi—there were not only three Magi, but perhaps dozens—gave gifts to Jesus, and God gave humanity the gift of Christ to save us.
On the flip side, in the Roman Festival of Saturnalia, adherents would go door to door, singing naked, and obviously singing is not pagan, otherwise we should never sing to God at risk of being labeled pagan; it is nonsense. In fact, early Christians refused to play instruments because it was too pagan, and if playing instruments was too pagan, how much more so is going door to door singing naked?
There are claims that the Christmas tree, Yule log, and ivy are linked to Saturnalia, but there is no evidence to support these claims, only heresay. Yule logs could be linked to Norse holidays but not Saturnalia. Besides, burning logs during winter is extremely common because it’s typically colder in the winter, in the northern hemisphere.
A third claim is that Christianity, and Christmas, are copies of other religions, specifically that Christians copied religious beliefs of gods with birthdays on December 25th. For example, Mithra, an ancient Roman cult. It is claimed that Mithra was born of a virgin, but was actually born of a rock; that Mithra was born on December 25th, but there’s actually no date on record for him; that Mithra had 12 disciples, when in reality he had one or two followers/disciples; that Mithra performed a bunch of miracles, when the only notable thing he did was kill a bull; and that Mithra died for three days and then resurrected, but there is no record of Mithra dying and no record of a resurrection.
A second example is Horace who is claimed to be born on December 25th, but the only documents that exist say Horace was born around August or July; that Horace was born of a virgin, but he was actually not born of a virgin but a really weird, elaborate birth; that there was a star in the east, indicating Horace’s birth, but there is no source for this; that Horace was adored by three kings, but there is no source, and the Bible never says Jesus was adored by specifically three kings, immediately showing the fallacy of these Horace myths; that Horace had 12 disciples, but there is no record of Horace having followers/disciples; that Horace was baptized at 30, when there is no record of him being immersed in water.
A third example is Dionysus who is claimed to be born of a virgin, when in reality anyone can do hard research to learn that he was the result of an affair that Zeus had with two different women; that Dionysus was born on December 25th, but there is no source; that Dionysus performed miracles, when in reality he only turned water into wine; that Dionysus claimed to be alpha and omega, but there is no source for this; that Dionysus was resurrected, when we can learn from ancient Roman mythology that he was Ripped apart by Titans, heart put into a different mother, and he had a second birth; that Dionysus was referred to as the “king of kings”, but this title was reserved for Zeus in Roman mythology.
The truth is that the movie Zeitgeist made up most of these myths and never provided evidence to support these at all, but somehow they persist.
When was Jesus born? Well before there is no mention of Jesus’ birth before 200 - 211 A.D. However, appropriate dating can likely put His birth sometime in April or September/October.
Where did December 25 originate then? Hippolytus of Rome’s Commentary of Daniel is the first reference to December 25th. His commentary says, “8 days before calends of January...” You see, the early church wanted to know when to celebrate Easter, and by the third century, two dates were the final contenders: March 25 and April 6. March 25th won out because Jewish tradition believed that a prophet was conceived and died on the same day, so 9 months from March 25 is December 25. (See Tertullian, Adversus Iudaeos 8.) There are other relevant texts for this element of argument, including Hippolytus and the (pseudo-Cyprianic) De pascha computus; see Talley, Origins, pp. 86, 90–91.
De solstitia et aequinoctia conceptionis et nativitatis domini nostri iesu christi et iohannis baptistae.
This translates to “On the summer solstice and equinoxes of the conception and birth of our Lord Jesus Christ and John the Baptist.”
The Apostolic Constitution of 375 - 380 A.D. states, "Brethren, observe the festival days; and first of all the birthday which you are to celebrate on the twenty-fifth of the ninth month; after which let the Epiphany be to you the most honoured, in which the Lord made to you a display of His own Godhead, and let it take place on the sixth of the tenth month; after which the fast of Lent is to be observed by you as containing a memorial of our Lord's mode of life and legislation. But let this solemnity be observed before the fast of the passover, beginning from the second day of the week, and ending at the day of the preparation. After which solemnities, breaking off your fast, begin the holy week of the passover, fasting in the same all of you with fear and trembling, praying in them for those that are about to perish.”
Christians had been celebrating holidays before 213 A.D.
“If the apostle has erased all devotion absolutely of ‘seasons, days, months and years’, why do we celebrate Easter by an annual rotation in the first month? Why in the fifty ensuing days do we spend our time in all exultation? Why do we ... [fast on] the Preparation Day [i.e. Good Friday]?” — Tertullian, 213 AD
What this tells us is that Christians during that time had not replaced a holiday but were celebrating their own holiday
“On the Feast of the Nativity of Christ in the year 302, when about 20,000 Christians had assembled at the cathedral in Nicomedia, the emperor sent a herald into the church. He told the Christians that soldiers were surrounding the building, and that anyone who wished to leave had to offer sacrifice to the pagan gods. Anyone who defied the emperor would perish when the soldiers set fire to the church. All those present refused to worship the idols.”
So what about not celebrating Christmas because of biblical commands? Let’s look at Scripture!
Colossians 2:16-17 ^16 Therefore, no one is to act as your judge in regard to food and drink, or in respect to a festival or a new moon, or a Sabbath day— ^17 things which are only a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.
Celebrations do not make us more righteous, or unrighteous, and vice versa is true. This obviously excludes sinning in a celebration, like getting drunk while celebrating
Romans 14:5-9 ^5 One person values one day over another, another values every day the same. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. ^6 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. ^7 For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; ^8 for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. ^9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
If your conscience says not to celebrate, it is a sin to then celebrate, and that is also OK. But do not force others to obey commands that the Bible never enforces simply because you do.
If we look at our Savior, Christ Jesus likely celebrated a holiday or feast that was not found in Scripture, that being the feast of Dedication/Hanukah (festival of lights), which originated in 165 B.C., but is never commanded in Scripture to observe.
John 10:22-23 ^22 At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem; ^23 it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple area, in the portico of Solomon.
There is no reason why Jesus wouldn't celebrate, so if we see Jesus observing extraneous biblical celebrations, then so can we! To say we cannot is to arrogantly put us as more righteous than Jesus Christ, which is a big no-no. In fact, to not celebrate Christmas on this logic means no celebrations outside what the Bible permits is also a sin. No birthdays, weddings, graduations, nation independence days, town holidays, etc.
Luke 2:8-14 ^8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock at night. ^9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood near them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. ^10 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; ^11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ^12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” ^13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army of angels praising God and saying, ^14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among people with whom He is pleased.”
There are several points to this passage. (A) Jesus was celebrated by shepherds, (B) elohim proclaimed this as good news and great joy, and (C) elohim are celebrating His birth, why can't people?
Moving on to traditions, many, if not most, traditions today are linked to the Reformation. I have already touched on gift giving likely being derived from the Feast of Holy Innocence (read above). In addition to that, let us look at Christmas trees.
There is no evidence that Christmas trees come from pagan religions.
Jeremiah 10:2-4 Learn not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the nations are dismayed at them, for the customs of the peoples are vanity. A tree from the forest is cut down and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman. They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move.
A popular verse used, this is not fashioning a tree, it is about fashioning an idol. Trees are fashioned into idols, not solely for decorating a tree; instead, an idol was also used to worship the god. If bringing a tree into your home and decorating it is pagan, then so is bringing in a potted plant.
Pagans used many things for fertility, like eggs, stones, volcanoes, and even toothbrushes. So if utilizing something is wrong because it was used by pagans, then we cannot draw pyramids in class because pyramids are pagan, brush our teeth, cook eggs, and a wide variety of other things.
In truth, Christmas trees most likely linked to 12th century, probably originating in Germany: Germans considered December 24th a feast day for Adam and Eve, and there were “paradise plays” where Germans would retell the story of the Fall. One of the props would be a “paradise tree”, an evergreen tree decorated with apples. Interestingly, there are references to Christmas trees as early as the 14th and 15th century, particularly an image of Nicholas in 1521 in front of a tree. In 1550, Christmas trees were integral to Christmas tradition: they would be decorated with wafers, apples, and other things, which a baby Jesus was usually placed at the top of the tree or a star. Eventually glass blowers would start blowing ornaments for trees.
Hope this helped balance out the incorrect rhetoric of the original post!
Hi! A worthwhile question to examine indeed.
That question can be answered with a few objective points, but a lot of it can also be answered by how Jesus has worked in peoples’ lives. For example, many have found freedom from bondage to terrible habitual sin like drugs, alcohol, pornography, and more because they have seen Jesus work in their lives. I am sure the same could be said for other religions, but the gospel stands in completely opposition to virtually every other religion where other religions state an adherent must do X, Y, and Z to reach the goal of the religion, but the gospel of Jesus Christ states Jesus has already done X, Y, and Z for you to reach the goal.
This moves us on to more objective points like many prophecies being fulfilled that Scripture has pointed out, like the prediction of King Cyrus of the Persians; and a detailed description of the complete destruction of Tyre, a city once thought impenetrable. Another point is Scripture’s incredibly accurate examination of the human condition and how Yahweh has provided a means for us to escape our own self-inflicted destruction. A final point, and most importantly, is the highlights of Jesus Christ, a figure that all credible secular and Christian scholars agree was a real person, and we have sources backing up what the Bible tells us about Him, like He performed miracles and was raised from the dead. And to that last note, no one has yet to find His body because He has risen as a testament to who He is: Yahweh, the king of the universe, in the physical manifestation of mankind.
Hope this helped!