The debate about whether or not
Christians should celebrate Christmas has been raging for centuries. There are
equally sincere and committed Christians on both sides of the issue, each with
multiple reasons why or why not Christmas should be celebrated in Christian
homes. But what does the Bible say? Does the Bible give clear direction as to
whether Christmas is a holiday to be celebrated by Christians?
First, let’s look at the reasons
why some Christians do not celebrate Christmas. One argument against Christmas
is that the traditions surrounding the holiday have origins in paganism.
Searching for reliable information on this topic is difficult because the
origins of many of our traditions are so obscure that sources often contradict
one another. Bells, candles, holly, and yuletide/yule decorations are mentioned
in the history of pagan worship, but the use of such in one’s home certainly
does not indicate a return to paganism. While there are definitely pagan roots
to some traditions, there are many more traditions associated with the true
meaning of Christmas—the birth of the Savior of the world in Bethlehem. Bells
are played to ring out the joyous news, candles are lit to remind us that
Christ is the Light of the world (John 1:4-9), a star is placed on the top of a
Christmas tree to remember the Star of Bethlehem, and gifts are exchanged to
remind us of the gifts of the Magi to Jesus, the greatest gift of God to
mankind.
Another argument against
Christmas, especially having a Christmas tree, is that the Bible forbids
bringing trees into our homes and decorating them. The passage often cited is
Jeremiah 10:1-16, but this passage refers to cutting down trees, chiseling the
wood to make an idol, and then decorating the idol with silver and gold for the
purpose of bowing down before it to worship it (see also Isaiah 44:9-18). The
passage in Jeremiah cannot be taken out of its context and used to make a
legitimate argument against Christmas trees.
Christians who choose to ignore
Christmas point to the fact that the Bible doesn’t give us the date of Christ’s
birth, which is certainly true. December 25 may not be even close to the time
Jesus was born, and arguments on both sides are legion, some relating to
climate in Israel, the practices of shepherds in winter, and the dates of Roman
census-taking. None of these points are without a certain amount of conjecture,
which brings us back to the fact that the Bible doesn’t tell us when Jesus was
born. Some see this as proof positive that God didn’t want us to celebrate the
birth, while others see the Bible’s silence on the issue as tacit approval.
Some Christians say that since
the world celebrates Christmas—although it is becoming more and more
politically correct to refer to it as “the holidays”—Christians should avoid
it. But that is the same argument made by false religions that deny Christ
altogether, as well as cults such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses who deny His
deity. Those Christians who do celebrate Christmas often see the occasion as an
opportunity to proclaim Christ as “the reason for the season” among the nations
and to those trapped in false religions.
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