Christmas is a Christian festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, celebrated on 25^th December.  There are, however, so many things about the celebration of Christmas which have nothing to do with the birth of Christ.  Does God really want us to worship Him by celebrating Christmas?  Let’s investigate.

How to Worship God

When ancient Israel was about to enter the Promised Land, God gave them some instructions on how they were to worship Him.

Deu 12:29  “When the LORD your God cuts off before you the nations whom you go in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land,
Deu 12:30  take care that you be not ensnared to follow them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods?—that I also may do the same.’
Deu 12:31  You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the LORD hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods.
Deu 12:32  “Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.

God told them to worship Him in the way He commanded, and not by copying the traditions or customs of other nations.  Let’s keep this in mind as we delve into Christmas.

The Christmas Tree

Part of celebrating Christmas is to put up a Christmas tree, decorate it with shiny orbs and pretty lights, and sing carols around it.  This is worshiping an idol.  For those who protest, saying that that they are worshiping God, is anything like this found in the Bible about how to worship God?  No.  In fact, God specifically calls out this sort of behaviour as futile idol worship.

Jer 10:1  Hear the word which the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel.
Jer 10:2  Thus says the LORD: “Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, For the Gentiles are dismayed at them.
Jer 10:3  For the customs of the peoples are futile; For one cuts a tree from the forest, The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.
Jer 10:4  They decorate it with silver and gold; They fasten it with nails and hammers So that it will not topple.
Jer 10:5  They are upright, like a palm tree, And they cannot speak; They must be carried, Because they cannot go by themselves. Do not be afraid of them, For they cannot do evil, Nor can they do any good.”
Jer 10:6  Inasmuch as there is none like You, O LORD (You are great, and Your name is great in might),
Jer 10:7  Who would not fear You, O King of the nations? For this is Your rightful due. For among all the wise men of the nations, And in all their kingdoms, There is none like You.
Jer 10:8  But they are altogether dull-hearted and foolish; A wooden idol is a worthless doctrine.

Father Christmas (Santa Claus)

Part of celebrating Christmas for children is to tell them about how Father Christmas will visit them when they are asleep on the night of Christmas Eve and leave them presents stuffed in a stocking.  What does this have to do with the birth of Jesus Christ?  Nothing.  Of course, as the children get older, they come to realise that Father Christmas is fictional.  So what have parents done?  They have lied to their children as part of their worship of God.  But God commands us not to lie, in fact He hates lies.

Exo 20:16  “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Pro 6:16  These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
Pro 6:17  A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood,

Pro 12:22  Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, But those who deal truthfully are His delight.

Giving Presents

Another part of celebrating Christmas is giving presents to each other, but not to Jesus Christ.  This is like celebrating someone’s birthday by giving gifts to each other but not to the person having the birthday.  Clearly giving presents has nothing to do with worshipping God.   Some may argue that this tradition comes from the wise men giving gifts to Jesus Christ.  But did the wise men give gifts to Jesus as a birthday gift or to honour Him as a king?

Mat 2:1  Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem,
Mat 2:2  saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

Mat 2:11  And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

The wise men gave gifts to Jesus Christ to worship him as King—not to celebrate His birthday.  The gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh symbolise Christ’s kingly status, priestly role, and sacrificial death.  For more information, see “What is the significance of gold, frankincense, and myrrh?”.

25^th December

The day on which Christmas is celebrated, 25^th December, is nowhere close to when Jesus was actually born (which was in Autumn).  See “When was Jesus born?” for more information.

Christmas Decorations

Another part of celebrating Christmas are the putting up decorations, holly, mistletoe, tinsel, etc.  Clearly this has nothing to do with the birth of Jesus.

What Encyclopedias Say

The customary ways of celebrating Christmas, as discussed above, do not have any Biblical foundation.  Where do such customs come from?

According to dictionaries, the word “Christmas” comes from Old English Cristes mæsse which literally means “Christ’s mass”.  (A Mass is a Roman Catholic church service during which bread and wine are consumed as memorials of Christ’s death.)  So the tradition of celebrating Christmas comes from the Roman Catholic Church, which in turn came from paganism.

The Catholic Encyclopedia regarding Christmas states:

Christmas was not among the earliest festivals on the Church.

The first evidence of the feast is from Egypt.  

Pagan customs centring around the January calends gravitated to Christmas.

The Encyclopedia Britannica states:

In polytheistic Rome, December 25 was a celebration of the Unconquered Sun, marking the return of longer days. It followed Saturnalia, a festival where people feasted and exchanged gifts. The church in Rome began celebrating Christmas on December 25 during the reign of Constantine, the first Christian emperor, possibly to weaken pagan traditions.

The practice of exchanging gifts began by the 15th century. Traditions featuring the Yule log, cakes, and fir trees derive from German and Celtic customs.

Does Celebrating Christmas honour Jesus Christ?

Many people believe they honour Jesus Christ by celebrating His birthday.  However, nowhere in the Bible does God command us to worship Him by celebrating Jesus’s birthday.  In fact, God has hidden Jesus’s exact date of birth, so no one knows it.  If God wanted us to celebrate Jesus’s birthday, He would have told to do so and given us the date to do it, just like He does with His festivals, Leviticus 23. 

We read earlier in Deuteronomy 12:29-32, that God says He doesn’t want us to worship Him in the way that pagans worship their gods.  So if we think we are honouring God by celebrating Christmas with all its pagan originated customs, we are deceiving ourselves.

Jesus said:

Mar 7:7  AND IN VAIN THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE COMMANDMENTS OF MEN.’

Mar 7:9  He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.

Christmas observance is a tradition of men.  In keeping it, people reject the commandment of God and do not honour Jesus Christ.

Conclusion

Should you celebrate Christmas?  No, because celebrating Christmas does not honour Jesus Christ.