Christmas, the Pagan Festival

The Origin and History of Christmas

Britannica
Christmas, December 25, commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ…this was a date of a pagan festival in Rome…the birthday of the unconquered sun Which at the winter solstice begins again to show an increase of light

Each year, in December, a celebratory mood takes over the world as people mark Christmas. This holiday was adopted under the premise of commemorating the birth of Jesus and has grown into a global event, observed by people of all faiths and nations. Superficially, Christmas seems to signify the advent of Christ. However, we must investigate through the Bible whether December 25th is truly Jesus’ birth date. The unadulterated truth must be preserved and align perfectly with God’s word. Any slight deviation or contamination, no matter how small, means it ceases to be the truth.

When we examine the origin and historical roots of Christmas to understand how it became the day celebrated by countless churches and individuals globally as Christ’s birthday, we can see it was never the teaching from the Bible. The word “Christmas” is formed from the words “Christ” and “Mass.” “Mass” in Catholicism denotes the primary worship service. And “Christmas” initially signified the Roman Catholic Church’s religious observance. However, the word is now used universally, independent of specific religious adherence, which serves as evidence the church prioritizes human tradition over Biblical teachings. Following Jesus’ ascension and the death of the apostles, the church began a process of secularization, increasingly incorporating pagan practices and doctrines. One such adoption was Christmas, which became widely known as the anniversary of Jesus’ birth. Over time, Christmas achieved worldwide recognition as the designated day for Christ’s nativity.

Historically, the Romans observed three significant festivals toward the end of December. The first was Saturnalia, the ancient Roman Festival of Saturn, god of agriculture, people at this time indulged in pleasure. The second was Sigillaria during this festival, they gave their children dolls. The third was Brumalia, the festival held on December 25th—the winter solstice—which the Mithras religion celebrated as the birth of the sun god. The winter solstice marks the shortest day and the longest night. Because the hours of daylight increase after December 25th, the Romans regarded this date as the sun’s rebirth.

Although the early church initially rejected pagan holidays, they began to accept them as the years progressed. In AD 313 Christianity was legalized, when the Roman Emperor Constantine gave the Edict of Milan and gave out preferential treatment for Christian policies, so the church rapidly secularized. In AD 274 Christmas started to be celebrated made by Emperor Aurelian, who defeated an enemy in Emesa the hometown of the sun-god. Eventually in AD 354 it started to be celebrated in the Church.

[A Lion handbook] The history of Christianity, Tim Dowley, Lion publishing, 1994, p.140
Christianity and Pagan customs: the Christian Church took over many Pagan ideas and images. From sun worship, for example came the celebration of Christ’s birth on the 25th of December, the birthday of the sun. Saturnalia, The Roman winter festival of 17-21 of December, Provided the merriment, gift giving and candles typical of later Christmas holidays. Sun worship hung on in Roman Christianity…

The Scriptural Description of the Event of Jesus’s Birth

Luke 2:7-8 While they were in the area, the time for the baby’s birth arrived. Mary gave birth to her firstborn, a son, and she wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them to stay in. In the fields nearby, there were shepherds living out in the open, keeping watch over their flocks during the night.

The Scriptures indicate that at the time of Christ’s birth, shepherds were tending their flocks outdoors in the fields at night. Yet, keeping sheep in the open fields overnight during December is impossible because that month falls within Israel’s winter. Shepherds typically led their flocks to graze in the fields during the spring season, generally from March to April. Therefore, based on this practice, it is reasonable to estimate that Jesus was born around March or April.

Claiming Jesus was born in December is illogical, especially since the Bible does not specify the exact date of his birth. Non-religious Christians arbitrarily selected December 25th as the date for Jesus’s arrival, which happens to be the birth celebration of a pagan deity. In doing so, they began observing the holiday by treating a pagan god’s birthday as if it were the day Christ was born. Because this custom has been followed for more than 1,600 years, this corruption has become widely treated as truth.

Even though its roots are linked to sun veneration and it is separate from God’s genuine truth, many followers of Christ today embrace the Christmas holiday without question. This tendency is not recent; even in Old Testament history, the Israelites engaged in sun worship, imitating the practices of surrounding non-believers. As a result, God repeatedly dispatched prophets to caution and admonish his people whenever they fell into this behavior.

Leviticus 26:30 I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars and pile your dead bodies on the lifeless forms of your idols, and I will abhor you.

There is evidence that people constructed altars to worship the sun god even during Moses’s era. In the book of Leviticus, God explicitly stated, “I will abhor you,” and declared his intention to destroy all idols dedicated to sun worship. Across history, God’s judgment has been directed against his people whenever they engaged in the adoration of the sun god. He forewarned of destruction for the communities where people erected Asherah poles and incense altars (Isaiah 17:7–12 and 27:7–9). Consistently throughout the entirety of the Bible, God expresses His displeasure with those who practice sun worship.

In AD 325 the Passover the truth of life was abolished at the Council of Nicaea, and Christmas took its place around AD 354. Those who wanted to follow the truth escaped to the mountains or the wilderness and lived an ascetic life. The world entered the dark ages. The rules of men were widely accepted by people as if they were truth. Christmas became one of the representative religious ceremonies for Christianity.

The Fate of Sun Worshipers

God previously prophesied that churches would eventually engage in the veneration of the sun god.

Ezekiel 8:15-18 He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? You will see things that are even more detestable than this.” He then brought me into the inner court of the house of the Lord, and there at the entrance to the temple, between the portico and the altar, were about twenty-five men. With their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east, they were bowing down to the sun in the east. He said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a trivial matter for the people of Judah to do the detestable things they are doing here? Must they also fill the land with violence and continually arouse my anger? Look at them putting the branch to their nose! Therefore I will deal with them in anger; I will not look on them with pity or spare them. Although they shout in my ears, I will not listen to them.”

In a dream shown to the prophet Ezekiel, he witnessed people inside God’s temple bowing to the sun in the east. Even though God is the one who should be worshiped in the church, these people are worshiping the sun god, only appearing to be worshiping God on the surface. Because of all these actions on earth, God will send down His punishment.

Ezekiel 9:3-6 Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the Lord called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side and said to him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.” As I listened, he said to the others, “Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. Slaughter the old men, the young men and women, the mothers and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary.” So, they began with the old men who were in front of the temple.

Ezekiel 11:8-12 You fear the sword, and the sword is what I will bring against you, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will drive you out of the city and deliver you into the hands of foreigners and inflict punishment on you. You will fall by the sword, and I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord. This city will not be a pot for you, nor will you be the meat in it; I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel. And you will know that I am the Lord, for you have not followed my decrees or kept my laws but have conformed to the standards of the nations around you.”

Whom Should We Follow?

Some might believe it is acceptable to celebrate December 25th, even if it is not Christ’s birthday, by treating it as a family holiday or a time to unite with relatives. However, because they attach a special meaning to December 25th, they are automatically celebrating or worshiping the sun god. This is why God’s people must not celebrate December 25th, which is the sun god’s birthday. By keeping this day, they are not celebrating Jesus’s birth – a celebration the Bible never commanded to begin with-but they are instead worshiping and celebrating the sun god’s birthday.

We should consider three primary questions before engaging in Christmas celebrations. Firstly, does the Bible specify the date of Christ’s birth? Secondly, if Christmas were truly a necessary or special event for celebration, why did Christ—who came to be an example for humanity—not establish the custom of celebrating His own birthday? Thirdly, why did the Apostles, who were personally instructed by Christ, not observe Christmas? It is clearly contradictory for someone to claim they follow Christ and believe in Him yet ignore His teachings, which did not include observance on December 25th.

Therefore, even when surrounded by popular traditions, God’s people can easily be led down the wrong path. Saints of God obey God’s commands until the end, which includes keeping the Passover of the New Covenant and following the Spirit and the Bride, a practice the early church and Jesus Christ taught us to follow. By doing this, we will worship God exactly as the Bible instructs. For this reason, one must reject Christmas, the sun god’s birthday, and only follow God’s laws as His true people.