No, Christmas was not celebrated in the Bible; the Bible doesn't mention Christmas, the date of Jesus' birth, or command its celebration, with early Christians avoiding birth celebrations as pagan customs, and the December 25 date adopted centuries later to align with winter solstice festivals, not biblical instruction. The New Testament focuses on Jesus' birth's significance rather than its date, and traditions like Christmas trees and Santa Claus have pagan or later historical origins, separate from biblical accounts.
Since the Scriptures do not command Christians to celebrate Christmas along with the birth of Jesus, does that mean Christians ought not to celebrate the holiday? Some argue that since God did not command us to celebrate Jesus' birth, we cannot do that.
Christmas as a holiday did not exist until centuries after Jesus was born. Moreover, people did not celebrate birthdays in the first century, so Jesus certainly did not celebrate Christmas. The New Testament, however, does describe Him participating in one winter holiday.
Yes, if you mean the day on which Christians have celebrated the Lord's birth almost universally from the earliest times. However, the Church has never definitively taught that Jesus was born on December 25; there is no conclusive documentary evidence and Sacred Scripture mentions no date whatsoever.
The first recorded Christmas that celebrated the birth of Jesus is often cited as A.D. 336, however some historical evidence suggests the observance dates back as far as the second century.
We celebrate Jesus' birthday on December 25th due to a combination of early Christian calculations linking it to his conception on March 25th and the Church's strategic choice to co-opt popular Roman winter solstice pagan festivals, like the birthday of the sun god Sol Invictus, to help spread Christianity by aligning the new faith with existing traditions. The Bible doesn't specify Jesus' birth date, so the Church assigned it to align with these symbolic dates and traditions.
Most people, including Christians, believe the origin of Christmas is the pagan feasts to worship the solar god Sol Invictus, Saturn's god Saturnalia, or the Persian solar god adopted by the Romans, Mithras. Academically, this view is also known as historical religions theory.
In Jeremiah 10:1-4 the verses basically say not to cut down trees and decorate them as the heathens did to sum it up. So why is this such a common practice among Christians, when they shouldn't even be celebrating Christmas in the first place?
There's no exact date for Jesus' birth in the Bible, but most scholars estimate it was between 6 BC and 4 BC, linked to King Herod the Great's reign, with some theories pointing to late September/early October (around the Jewish feast of Sukkot) or even earlier in 7 BC, while December 25th became the established Christian celebration much later.
There are two schools of thought on why Christians should not celebrate Christmas. The first says celebrating Christmas is wrong because it's a man-made holiday not found in the Bible. The second objection is that Christmas is a pagan holiday, or at least has pagan roots.
For years, people would simply read Xmas as “Christmas.” “There's a long and sacred history of the use of X to symbolize the name of Christ,” wrote theologian R.C. Sproul, “and from its origin, it has meant no disrespect.”
Why do we celebrate Christmas? Celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ is more than a Christian holiday or Christian festival. It is more than an occasion to decorate our houses. It is an opportunity to pause and give thanks for the love, hope and joy found in Jesus – our Saviour and friend.
Santa Claus is based on the historical Christian figure, Saint Nicholas, a bishop known for secret gift-giving and generosity, embodying Christian virtues of charity, which connects him to Jesus as a model of selfless giving, with modern Santa traditions evolving from St. Nick's stories and blending with other folklore to become a festive symbol of giving that Christians often see as pointing to the greater gift of Jesus Christ at Christmas.
Although Jesus' birth is celebrated every year on December 25, Luke and the other gospel writers offer no hint about the specific time of year he was born. Photo: Scala/Art Resource, NY.
Pastor William Kumuyi explains why Deeper Life Bib... Christmas may come from idolatry but the birth of Christ is not . Therefore , we choose to celebrate the birth of Christ by sharing love , joy and happiness with humanity . Aduralere Itadare Jesus was not giving birth to in December.
Ruth and I treasured these moments spent with family and friends each year as we gathered to celebrate the Christmas message: a message of hope and joy and love. But Christmas means something far deeper than human good will. It is the loving remembrance of the birth of the Savior.
We celebrate Jesus' birthday on December 25th due to a combination of early Christian calculations linking it to his conception on March 25th and the Church's strategic choice to co-opt popular Roman winter solstice pagan festivals, like the birthday of the sun god Sol Invictus, to help spread Christianity by aligning the new faith with existing traditions. The Bible doesn't specify Jesus' birth date, so the Church assigned it to align with these symbolic dates and traditions.
Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate holidays that they believe do not fit true Christianity. These include Christmas, Easter, and even birthdays. The Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Christ did not command his birth - or any birth - to be celebrated; he just wanted his death to be remembered.
The Jubilee of 2033
The year 2033 will be of exceptional significance for the Christian community and the entire world. This extraordinary year will mark the 2000th anniversary of the Redemption, an event that highlights the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the foundation of Christian faith.
Long before Christmas existed, ancient pagans, Norse folk, Druids, and witches used evergreens as powerful symbols of protection and life during the darkest days of winter. They believed evergreens held magick that never died, even when the world looked dead around them.
Decorating our homes is also a way in which we can speak our faith silently. Matthew 5:16 says that Christians should let their light shine so others will glorify God through our actions. When you practice hospitality, your home is seen by others, even if Christ does not directly come into the conversation.
Jeremiah 33:3 is a powerful promise from God, often quoted as: "Call to me, and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known" (ESV), or "Call to me and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know" (NIV/NASB). The verse encourages prayer, promising that when people call out to God, He will respond not just with answers, but with profound revelations and understanding beyond human comprehension, especially during difficult times.
TLDR: The modern celebration of Christmas has dark, non-Christian origins rooted in ancient midwinter pagan traditions: Yule (Scandinavia): A celebration of the Winter Solstice (Dec 21-Jan) to mark the end of the worst cold, involving large feasting and log burning.
Almost certainly from existing pagan celebrations. The winter solstice (shortest day) had always been celebrated by primitive peoples as the beginning of hope for the arrival of spring. This continued into classical times. The Romans celebrated the festival of Saturnalia between 17th and 25th December.
Adam Zeidan is an Assistant Managing Editor, having joined Encyclopædia Britannica in 2018. He covers a range of topics related primarily to the Middle East and North Africa. Christmas is traditionally a Christian festival, with markedly Christian teachings, and so Muslims do not typically celebrate the holiday.