Christmas is the largest holiday celebration in the world. Christianity traditionally tries to connect December 25 with the birth of Jesus Christ. Others in the world celebrate a large commercial holiday or worship the rebirth of the sun. The modern Christmas holiday and the traditions associated with it are a mixture of these unrelated activities.

Prophecy of Jesus Christ’s Birth
The Scriptures do not contain any command to celebrate the birth of Jesus. This is because the special times to celebrate, such as Passover and Pentecost, are a picture of what the Messiah does for a person’s salvation. Jesus Christ’s birth, in and of itself, does not add to His work for the salvation of mankind. Instead, the Gospel books of Scriptures give attention to His birth to show the many fulfillments of prophecy that demonstrate Jesus is the Messiah.

December 25 and the Winter Solstice
Contrary to popular tradition, the birth of Jesus Christ could not have been in the winter season as is evidenced by activities that would not be possible in the winter weather. Examples of this include large numbers of people moving around for a census and the shepherds still having their flocks out at night. Instead, the date of December 25 is shared by at least three ancient religions. These religions include the Yule celebration from the northern European countries, the worship of Mithras from the Persian Empire, and Saturnalia from the Roman Empire. They came together at this time because the winter solstice had just passed and the days started becoming longer again. This is generally called the rebirth of the sun or, more specifically in worship, as Sol Invictus, the Unconquered Sun. Over time, each of these celebrations blended together and each adopted the date of December 25 as the time of celebration.

Roman Catholic Christ’s Mass and Advent
The word Christmas was first used around 1038 AD and comes from the Middle English Christemasse and the Old English Cristes Maesse. In the early centuries AD, there is no mention of Christmas being celebrated. The Roman Catholic Church did not officially adopt Christmas as a feast until 350 AD. The inclusion of the Advent Fast and the Twelve Days from Christmas to Epiphany were later added in the 6th century AD.

Mixing of Religious Traditions
During the Middle ages, the traditions of Yule, Mithraism, and Saturnalia mixed with those of Catholicism. This is due, in part, to the Roman Catholic Church’s practice of accepting pagan forms of worship and giving them a new meaning for Christ. This is typically seen as a form of triumphalism where Christianity is more powerful. Such traditions include the hanging of the greens, mistletoe, the Yule log, giving gifts, the christmas tree, and singing carols. Unfortunately, the reality is that mixing good and evil makes Christianity weaker and impure.

Secular Christmas Traditions
By the 19th century, Christmas was dying as a celebration because it was known as a time of excessive celebration and hedonism. After some published writings by authors like Washington Irving and Charles Dickens, Christmas was revived as a more secular holiday stressing family and goodwill. Since that time, the Christmas holiday has gained many traditions and myths. These include Santa Clause, his flying reindeer, and a living snowman. Even Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer started out as an advertising campaign in the 1930′s. The entertainment and retail industries use this time of year to make significant sales and a large portion of their income for the year.

Jesus Christ is not in Christmas
The Christmas celebration does not exist in Scripture. The emphasis given with the Gospel books on the birth of Jesus is to show that He is the Messiah through the fulfillment of prophecy. Similarly, the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ is not found in the traditions of worship and celebration of Yule, Mithraism, and Saturnalia. Christ is not found in the secular and entertainment traditions either. Furthermore, the date of December 25 belongs to those who celebrate the rebirth of the sun and does not relate to the day or season of Christ’s birth. Quite simply, Jesus has never truly been the reason for the season.
For more information regarding Christmas or other Christian Traditions, please visit Exploring Salvation at www.exploringsalvation.info and look under the ‘Traditions’ section.

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