Is Christmas a Pagan Holiday?

THAT’S IN THE BIBLE

Is Christmas a Pagan Holiday? 

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: It’s that time of the year again. Christmas is a much anticipated holiday that so many celebrate. While there are those who want nothing more than to exchange gifts and be jolly, and spend quality time with their family, there are others who put more meaning into this holiday—for them, December 25th is the birthday of the Lord Jesus Christ, and Christmas is their way of honoring Him. But, is that what we’re taught in the Bible?

[SHOW OPEN]

The Bible: The basis of our faith in the Church Of Christ, which answers questions about proper worship, the right relationship with God, and most importantly, salvation. That’s in the Bible. 

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: I’m Bob Pellien and welcome to the program, That’s in the Bible. Dear friends, there are many who are confident that Christmas is a Christian holiday. Others believe that Christmas is at least a way to honor Christ on His birthday. Therefore some wonder why we inside the Church Of Christ don’t celebrate it.

We received these 3 questions about NOT celebrating Christmas, Trisha asked: 

Why do some religions not celebrate Christmas?

• Trisha

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: And Carlos asked: 

Why do all the different Jesus-branded religions celebrate Christmas when it’s pretty much a proven fact that Christmas was actually a festival during Roman times, and it was used as a symbol for Jesus when in actuality that was not Jesus’ birthday?

• Carol 

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: And Lee asked: 

If national holidays like Christmas are against the Bible, then why are they celebrated?

• Lenn Cunningham

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: So, dear friends, to tackle this discussion, let’s further break it down and answer: 

Is Christmas in the Bible? 

Was Jesus born on December 25th? 

Why is that date significant? 

What about the fun traditions?

How should we properly remember the Lord Jesus Christ?

Let’s do a bit of research together, dear friends. First, is Christmas in the Bible? Is there any indication in the Holy Bible regarding the yearly celebration of the birthday of our Lord Jesus Christ? NO! And since it is not recorded in the Holy Bible we must determine where it comes from. If we want to call ourselves Christians, the teachings we base our life and salvation on must come from Christ and God, the Father. And when they don’t, we must ask ourselves what’s going on, and study the belief further. For that we first turn to a book entitled “Religion: Doctrine and Practice for Use in Catholic Schools” here on page 409:

the word Christmas is composed of “Christ” and “Mass,” and the feast is so-called because on that day the Mass commemorating Christ’s Nativity is celebrated. The celebration is held on December 25.

Religion: Doctrine and Practice for Use in Catholic Schools, by Francis B. Cassilly, Chicago: Loyola University Press, © 1934, pg. 409

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: According to the Catholic book that we’ve just quoted here dear friends, the word “Christmas” comes from the words “Christ” and “Mass” because the Mass commemorating Christ’s nativity or his birthday is celebrated on that day. So starting with the word itself “Christmas”, it is not in the Bible. Rather, it is a term that was created by the Roman Catholic Church. They teach that December 25th is the birth date of our Lord Jesus Christ. There are no mandates or guidelines in any Bible verse which instructs us to celebrate Christ’s birthday year after year on the 25th of December–so where did that date come from then? 

Was Jesus even born on December 25th? The Bible is silent regarding the date of Christ’s birth. The history of the Catholic Church however, actually reveals that there was a diverse opinion among themselves regarding when exactly the Lord Jesus Christ was born since the date is not found in the Holy Bible. Let’s quote from this book entitled “The Externals of the Catholic Church: A Handbook of Catholic Usage”, wherein it says on page 204 I quote: 

“There was a great diversity of opinion among ancient authorities as to the birthday of our Blessed Saviour. Many writers, especially of the Eastern Church, assigned an entirely different season of the year from that observed at present. St. Clement of Alexandria quotes some who placed it on the twentieth of April or the twentieth of May, and a very common belief in the Orient was that our Lord was born on the sixth of January.”

The Externals of the Catholic Church. A handbook of Catholic Usage, by Rt. Rev. Msgr. John F. Sullivan, D.D., New York: JP. Kenedy & Sons. 1951 p. 204:b

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: Some placed it on the 20th of April, others estimated it was on the 20th of May, while others insisted it might have been the 6th of January. So where then did the December 25th tradition come from if it’s not in the Bible? Why are there millions if not billions who have been misled into thinking that on December 25th they have to celebrate Christmas? In a book entitled “True Christianity” here’s an excerpt providing this historical context, I quote: 

337-352 (Pont.): The thirty-fifth, pope, Julius I, founded the archives of the Holy See and decreed that Christmas should be celebrated on December 25.

True Christianity, John J. Pasquini. The Catholic Way. Universe Inc., © 2003

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: So dear friends, according to history, it was the 35th pope of the Catholic Church, Pope Julius I who decided that Christmas should be celebrated on December 25th. Christmas is nothing more than the order of the Catholic Pope. Christmas is a man made holiday. Pope Julius I reigned as pontiff from the year 337 to 352AD, which was the fourth century. So, it was only in the fourth century when the celebration of Christmas on December 25th was decreed by the Catholic Church.  And, they did not just pick the 25th of December out of the air, oh no. Why then did they pick that date, why is that date significant? What inspired the date of December 25th to be decided on in the first place? In another book, this one titles the “Handbook of Christians Feasts and Customs” here on page 61: 

…the choice of December 25 was influenced by the fact that the Romans, from the time of Emperor Aurelian (275), had celebrated the feast of the sun god (Sol Invictus: the Unconquered Sun) on that day. December 25 was called the “Birthday of the sun,” and great Pagan religious celebrations of the Mithras cult were held all through the empire. What was more natural then that the Christians celebrate the birth of Him Who was the “Light of the World” and the true “Sun of Justice” on this very day? …It has sometimes been said that the Nativity is only a “Christianized pagan festival.”

Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs, by Francis X. Weiser (New York: The Paulist Press, 1963) pg 61

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: So dear friends, the Catholic Church made the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ, into a Christianized pagan festival. Is Christmas a pagan holiday then? It’s a celebration of the pagan sun god Sol Invictus! We can not just go along with that. 

Are we opposed to the birth of Jesus Christ? Of course not. Do we believe or teach it is not important, or that we should ignore the birth of Christ? No! In fact, What is actually in the Bible about the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ? Here in Luke 2:7-14: 

She gave birth to her first son, wrapped him in cloths and laid him in a manger—there was no room for them to stay in the inn. There were some shepherds in that part of the country who were spending the night in the fields, taking care of their flocks. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone over them. They were terribly afraid, but the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid! I am here with good news for you, which will bring great joy to all the people. This very day in David’s town your Savior was born—Christ the Lord! And this is what will prove it to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great army of heaven’s angels appeared with the angel, singing praises to God: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom he is pleased!”

Luke 2:7-14 Good News Translation

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: So what happened when Jesus was born? A great army of heaven’s angels appeared, praising and glorifying God! Therefore, we also praise and glorify God the Father for the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. But we were asked why don’t some religions celebrate Christmas – that’s why! We are against what the Catholic Church did with this holy event. 

We do not join in the Catholic celebration of their Christmas on December 25th because well for starters we don’t take orders from the popes! In the same vein, we don’t take directions and inspiration from pagans, or people who worship idols and not the one true God, who is the Father in heaven. And thirdly, we follow what’s in the Bible. So, is there any instruction in the Bible against paganism? Let’s go to the Bible for the answer, Ephesians 4:17-18 we’ll also read 20-21, which say: 

In particular, I want to urge you in the name of the Lord, not to go on living the aimless kind of life that pagans live. Intellectually they are in the dark, and they are estranged from the life of God, without knowledge because they have shut their hearts to it. Now that is hardly the way you have learned from Christ, unless you failed to hear him properly when you were taught what the truth is in Jesus.

Ephesians 4:17-18, 20-21 Jerusalem Bible 

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: So we were instructed not to live the kind of life that pagans live. So how could a “Christianized” pagan festival bring honor to Christ? It can’t. But to be sure, maybe it was something that the early Christians themselves did. Again in this book “The Externals of the Catholic Church: A Handbook of Catholic Usage”, it says here on page 204 the following: 

Celebration in Ancient Times. How old is Christmas Day? … One would naturally think that the anniversary of so great an event as the birth of the Son of God would have been a day of religious joy from the earliest years of the Church; but it is clear that this was not the case. There is no mention of it in any of the oldest lists of Church festivals.    

The Externals of the Catholic Church: A Handbook of Catholic Usage, by Rt. Rev. Msgr. John F. Sullivan, D.D., New York: JP. Kenedy & Sons. 1951,  p. 204:a

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: This Catholic book reveals that there is no evidence of the early church holding any religious feast to honor the birth of Christ on December 25th. That book clearly states that “There is no mention of it in any of the oldest lists of Church festivals.”

Ok, but what about all the fun traditions? We were asked if Christmas is against the Bible, then why is it celebrated? Well because people cling to their tradition. Some may say though, “So what, if there’s no biblical or official mandate from the Bible to celebrate Christmas on Dec 25th. What matters, they would say, is we’re trying to celebrate and honor Jesus—what’s wrong about that? And what is wrong with the traditions we engage in at Christmas time? They are just fun activities! You know, family activities! Let’s take a closer look at some of those so-called fun traditions. For example in this book entitled “Two Babylons” it describes just a couple of them, let’s look at this example, page 97 : 

The candles, in some parts of England, lighted on Christmas-eve, and used so long as the festive season lasts, were equally lighted by the Pagans on the eve of the Festival of the Babylonian god, to do honour to him: for it was one of the distinguishing peculiarities of his worship to have lighted wax candles on his altars. The Christmas tree, now so common among us, was equally common in pagan Rome and pagan Egypt. 

Two Babylons by Alexander Hislop, pg 97

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: Some may say it is just fun to put up Christmas trees, have Christmas lights and many other traditions of the holiday season. It might not matter to them that its pagan celebrations. But is there any warning from the Apostles about such traditions? Absolutely. And here’s the warning, issued by Apostle Paul recorded in his letter, Colossians 2:8 I quote: 

Be careful not to let anyone rob you of this faith through a shallow and misleading philosophy. Such a person follows human traditions and the world’s way of doing things rather than following Christ.

Colossians 2:8   GOD’S WORD Translation

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: The Apostles warned of following human traditions rather than following Christ. So therefore, my dear friends, it’s not because we’re anti-Christian that we excuse ourselves from celebrating Christmas, but because the holiday itself is anti-Christian, in as much as its origin and practices are unbiblical—and find their roots in ancient pagan worship done to honor false gods of ancient cultures. To celebrate the birthday of a person by doing the things he detests is not the way to honor him.

How should we truly remember the Lord Jesus Christ? Dear friends, our Lord Jesus himself taught not that his birthday be commemorated but rather his death, the core of his salvation mission was to be remembered. How was this to be done? Is it to be done with Christmas trees, Christmas lights and candles and other traditions that have nothing to do with the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ? The response of Jesus himself recorded here in Luke 22:19: 

And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

Luke 22:19 New King James Version 

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: Dear friends, our Lord Jesus Christ said “do this” in remembrance of me. He did not say put up Christmas trees and Christmas tree lights and all of the tinsels of today’s Christmas celebration traditions, no. He established the Holy Supper. He said “do this.” And in 1 Corinthians 11:23-29 all the details were instructed to the true Church regarding how the Holy Supper is to be done to properly remember the Lord Jesus Christ and what he has done for our salvation. 

So dear friends, let’s review the questions we began with and let’s see together what the Bible has revealed to us. We asked:

Is Christmas in the Bible? 

NO! It is not recorded in the Bible anywhere! We did learn that it was an invention or creation of the Roman Catholic Church. 

Was Jesus born on December 25th? 

Also, no. Even the Catholic Church’s historical writings indicate they didn’t know for certain when Jesus’ birthday was. 

Why is that date significant? 

December 25th was chosen by the Pope of the Catholic Church and was chosen to coincide with the celebration of the Pagan sun god Sol Invictus which was celebrated already throughout the pagan Roman Empire. He did it to Christianize a pagan festival. 

What about all the fun traditions?

Although certain traditions may seem to be “fun” to some, if they are rooted in worship to false gods, we are guided by the Holy Bible not to engage in them. 

How should we remember the Lord Jesus Christ?

We are taught to remember the Lord Jesus Christ by remembering the salvation mission fulfilled when He sacrificed himself on the cross.  This is done in the Holy Supper. 

We’d like you to continue learning more details about this holiday and further the reasons why we don’t participate in all the Christmas traditions. We invite you to also learn more about all the teachings of the Bible taught inside the Iglesia Ni Cristo, Church Of Christ, and to do so, please visit us online and browse the different topics or set up an appointment to meet with a minister of the gospel. And if you have any questions about the Bible or salvation, please email them to us. I’m Bob Pellien. Thanks for watching. See you next time on That’s in the Bible!