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<...Go back

How about Christmas?


Introduction. Many religious people have never stopped to think what the origin of Christmas is. The word Christmas, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, is from Christes Maesse, Christ Mass (Micropaedia, Vol. 2, pg. 903). This work tells us, "...during the 4th Century the celebration of Christ's birth on December 25 was gradually adopted by most Eastern churches. In Jerusalem, opposition to Christmas lasted longer, but it was subsequently accepted" (Ibid.)

We are told that Saturnalia was a well known festival in ancient Rome. This was a time (Dec. 17-24) of wild merrymaking. "December 25, the birthday of Mithra, the Iranian god of light ... and the day devoted to the invincible sun, as well as the day after Saturnalia, was adopted by the church as Christmas, the nativity of Christ, to counteract the effects of these festivals" (Vol. 7, pg. 202).

Missing from the scriptures. Have you ever read of Christmas in the scriptures? Or a command or example of Christians religiously celebrating Jesus' birth? Of course not. That is because, as we have seen, Christmas, as such, did not originate until the 4th Century after Christ. It was then begun by man in an effort to "counteract the effects of these (Saturnalia, dm) festivals." December 25th was the birthday of Mithra, the Iranian god of light. This date (December 25) which man assigned as Christmas, was originally the day set aside to worship the sun, according to the foregoing material.

Conclusion. How should the person who is sincerely trying to do "all things in the name of the Lord" view Christmas (Col. 3: 17)? Should such an individual feel duty bound to religiously observe Christmas? If so, what is the source of this sense of duty, and how does one know how to observe Christmas? How does one go about "proving all things and holding fast that which is good" in the matter of Christmas (1 Thes. 5:21)?
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