Christmas
As Christians should we celebrate Christmas?
Whether Christians should celebrate Christmas or not has been
debated 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 us 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 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 does not 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.
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 does not tell us
when Jesus was born.
Some see this as proof positive that God did not 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.
As we have seen, there is no legitimate scriptural reason not
to celebrate Christmas.
At the same time, there is no biblical mandate to celebrate
it, either. In the end, of course, whether or not to celebrate Christmas is a
personal decision.
Whatever Christians decide to do regarding Christmas, their
views should not be used as a club with which to beat down or denigrate those
with opposing views.
Nor should either view be used as a badge of honor inducing
pride over celebrating or not celebrating.
As in all things, we seek wisdom from Him who gives it
liberally to all who ask (James
1:5).
We must accept one another in Christian love and grace,
regardless of our views on Christmas.
https://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-Christmas.html
https://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-Christmas.html
You might also like:
What Child Is This?
What Really Happened On December 25?
Christmas or Xmas? 
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