Christmas

The exact date of Jesus’ birth is unknown, as the Bible does not give specifics as to the dates of either His birth or conception. But in the second century AD, a Roman Christian historian named Sextus Julius Africanus (160-240 AD) calculated Jesus’ birthdate to be December 25 (nine months after Jesus was conceived, according to Africanus). In spite of the assumptions made in Africanus’s line of thinking, the date of December 25 was widely accepted.

At the time of Christ, Roman culture already celebrated a holiday in December: Saturnalia honored the god Saturn and was celebrated from December 17 to about December 24. Later, the Romans began celebrating Sol Invictus or the “Unconquered Sun,” associated with the winter solstice and observed on December 25. When Rome eventually instituted Christianity as the state religion in the fourth century, the Roman church converted Saturnalia and Sol Invictus to a Christian holiday, the Feast of the Nativity, in order to commemorate Jesus’ birth, thus providing a spiritually positive alternative to a pagan celebration. Christians have “redeemed” December 25 and have celebrated it as the birth of Christ ever since the fourth century (300 AD).

Given the association Christmas had with the ancient pagan calendar, the question then becomes, “Since Christmas shares a date with a pagan holiday, is it acceptable for Christians to celebrate it?” It is important to note that Christmas, Saturnalia, and Sol Invictus were all distinct holidays; they were never identical to each other, and when Born Agains celebrate Christmas, they are in no way celebrating these pagan holidays. If the birthday of of the worst man in modern history, Adolf Hitler from Germany, happened to fall on the same day as your mother's, could people accuse you of celebrating Adolf Hitler? Of course not. Christians simply celebrate Christmas to remember the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The exact date might be unknown, but it is wrong to celebrate the birth of Christ, even if it's on the wrong day? Of course not! If believers choose to celebrate Christmas, let them do so. If believers choose NOT to celebrate, let them not do so, without judgement or persecution from fellow believers.

Colossians 2:16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.