Should Christians be Celebrating Christmas?

Almost all of the elements that make up Christmas have pagan origins. I am going to be analyzing just a few of them: the birth date of Jesus, the Christmas tree, and Santa Claus. All of the information I will be presenting is true, factual and documented. I will include links to my sources at the end of this hub.

It has been claimed that Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. The fact of the matter is that Jesus was not born on December 25. We know this because, in the story of the birth of Jesus in the Bible, it mentions shepherds grazing their sheep at night. The only problem with that is, shepherds didn't take their sheep out to graze at night during that time of the year in Israel because it was just too cold. Sometimes, it even snowed. Instead, the shepherds took their sheep out to graze during the day and keep them in at night.

It is actually estimated by conservative Bible scholars that Jesus' birth took place sometime near the end of September. So where did the date of December 25 come from? It came from Paganism. To be more specific: Mithraism. Mithra was a Roman sun god; and December 25 was Mithra's birthday.

How did Mithra's birthday get pinned to Jesus? At around the 4th Century AD, the Catholic Church adopted Mithra's birthday into the church and called it the birthday of Jesus in order to attract Pagans to the church.

The Christmas tree dates back bo pre-christian, Pagan cultures; including the Egyptians, Romans and Druids. They worshipped and treasured evergreens for their ability to stay green all throughout the year. Including the cold Winter months.

The Bible even mentions Pagan tree worship in Jeremiah 10:2-5 (NKJV):

Thus says the Lord: “Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; ... 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. They decorate it with silver and gold; They fasten it with nails and hammers so that it will not topple. 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.

Supposedly, Martin Luther, the Protestant Reformer, was responsible for incorporating this Pagan tree into the Christian celebration of Christmas, in the 16th century. However, this did not happen without opposition. The Puritan Christians of New England, in the 19th century, fought hard against Christmas, banning it; but to no avail.

The use of the Christmas tree in America is surmised to have come from Hessian troops during the American Revolution or German immigrants to Pennsylvania and Ohio.

I don't see any place for Santa Claus in a Christian holiday. As a matter of fact, convincing children in the existence of Santa Claus is antichristian, because it is a lie. Moreover, Santa Claus can be seen as a type of antichrist.

Hear me out. The word antichrist means against christ or in place of christ; and Santa Claus fits these description.

Santa Claus is against Christ in the sense that His existence is a lie; and lying is against the teachings of Jesus and the Bible. He also takes the place of Christ by being similar to Jesus in many ways. For example:

• Santa Claus's coming is a mystery.
• Jesus' second coming is a mystery.
• Santa is all-knowing (knowing who's been good or bad).
• Jesus is all-knowing.
• Santa is everywhere, because he sees you when you're awake or asleep.
• Jesus is everywhere.
• Santa is ageless & eternal.
• Jesus is eternal.
• Kris Kringle, a name for Santa, means Christ Child.

If that didn't raise an eyebrow, consider these similarities between Santa and Satan:

• Both of their names have the same letters, only arranged in a slightly different order. Just bring the "n" in Santa to the end of his name and you get Satan.
• Santa wears red.
• Satan is symbolized by the great red dragon in Rev. 12:3.
• The name, "Old Nick", from Joly Old Saint Nick", means the Devil; Satan. Google it.

All things considered, the Bible does not say that it is wrong to celebrate the birth of Jesus; even if it coincides with the Birthday of Mirthra. However, If you choose to do so, be careful. Remember, Paganism and Christianity don't mix. The combining of the two throughout history have always led to tragic results. That is why you won't see me buying a tree at the Christmas tree lot this year; and I won't be telling any kids to be on the look out for Satan, I mean Santa, either.

For me, Christmas is about church sermons about Jesus' birth, life, and sacrifice for the salvation of the world. It is also about getting together with family and spending time with them. I like to keep it focused on Christ and family. The rest of the non-christian aspects distract me from that, so I just dispense with them. Plain and simple.

Minasian, David. "The Real Christmas Story - Historians Reveals the Pagan Origins of Christmas." YouTube. TheSunsLight, 25 Dec. 2011. Web. 07 Dec. 2012.

Robson, David. "The Christmas Tree Farm Network." Christmas Traditions, Christmas Tree History. The Christmas Tree Farm Network, n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2012.