Some Facts About Christmas

Tom Moody

The word “Christmas” is formed by the combining of the words “Christ” and “mass,” thus, “the Mass of Christ.” The holiday as we know it originated with Roman Catholic ritual, although the ultimate origin of many of the customs of the season is not Catholicism, but paganism.

No one knows the birth date of Jesus. We do not know it because God did not choose to reveal it. Early writers not only acknowledged ignorance of the date of Christ’s birth but also repudiated the idea of a special observance of his birth. “As late as 245 A.D. Origen … repudiated the idea of keeping the birthday of Christ … Clement of Alexandria (ca.200 A.D.) mentions several speculations on the date of Christ’s birth and condemns them as superstitious. Some chronologists, he says, alleged the birth to have occurred in the 28th year of Augustus, on 25 Pachon (an Egyptian month); i.e., May 20. Others assign it to 24 or 25 Pharrnuth (April 19 or 20).” (Encyclopedia Britannica).

A consideration of the facts brings us to these important conclusions concerning the religious observance of Christmas or any special ceremonies or observances surrounding the birthday of Christ:

  1. We do not know the date of Christ’s birth. God did not choose to reveal it.
  2. The celebration of Jesus’ birth did not begin until several hundred years after the beginning of the church.
  3. The special religious observance of Christ’s birth is the combination of Roman Catholic and pagan traditions and rituals.
  4. The Bible says nothing about such an observance, and it is therefore unscriptural.

All that we do, in word or deed, is to be done “in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ” (CoI.3:17). “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Rom.14:23). “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. l0:17). Regardless of piety or sincerity involved, activities such as religious observance of Christmas or Easter are not authorized by God’s word, and therefore are not pleasing to the Lord.