Why Christmas is Not a Biblical Holiday

"Christmas is a Biblical holiday because it's in the Bible!"

While many people intend to celebrate the Biblical events of the Messiah's birth when they celebrate Christmas, that does not make this cultural holiday Biblical.

Why isn't Christmas considered a Biblical holiday?

Biblical holidays are defined as holidays the Bible directs believers to keep or observe. These are the set apart times of Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Shavuot, Trumpets, Yom Kippur, and the Feast of Tabernacles. The Living God himself directed believers to celebrate these and gave us information on when they happen and any special instructions for the festivities.

These are the only Biblical holidays, because they are the only holidays that the Creator tells us to celebrate. Learn more about them here.

"But Christmas is in the Bible!"

Many people celebrate the events of Luke 2 and the story of the Messiah's birth on Christmas. I understand the intentions of this are good. But coming up with our own holiday to commemorate Biblical events is not something Scripture ever tells us to do, and neither is celebrating birthdays. We never see the Disciples celebrating the Messiah's birthday, and nothing in Scripture suggests we should do this. There are no instructions for Christmas, and no commands from the Messiah or any writers of the Old or New Testaments about this holiday. In truth, Christmas has no more Biblical legitimacy than Dress-Like-Your-Favorite-Bible-Character Day during Vacation Bible School. A manmade celebration of a Biblical event simply should never be as highly esteemed as the holidays created by the Living God that Scripture tells us to celebrate.

It's important to know too that the word 'Christmas' is never used in Scripture, and that many of its traditions not only have nothing to do with the Messiah or things from the Bible, but they are things Scripture tells us not to do! I'm talking about things like the traditional Christmas ham, lying to children (Santa, Elf on the shelf), bringing a tree in to decorate, and so on. Way too many people claim that Christmas celebrations are about honoring the Messiah, but then ignore much of his word for their festivities.

Again, I know that most people who celebrate Christmas sincerely want to honor the Messiah. I know that's how I felt when I celebrated it. But good intentions don't mean that this is something the Creator tells us to do. Christmas is not considered a Biblical holiday, because the Bible does not direct us to celebrate the events or to partake in the cultural festivities of this time. It's your choice to take part in this or not, but please be aware that Christmas is not one of the seven holidays the Creator instructs us to keep.

Related posts:
Five Things Every Believer Should Know About Christmas
Are Christmas Trees in the Bible?
Why I Stopped Celebrating Christmas

Are Christmas Trees in the Bible?

Are Christmas trees in the Bible? Even though most people believe Christmas is "in the Bible," most of its traditions and customs do not come from Scripture. You probably don't need me to tell you that stockings full of gifts, Santa Claus, candlelit services, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, hanging mistletoe, and eggnog are not found anywhere in Scripture. But one popular Christmas tradition is found in the Bible.

Do you know what it is? The Christmas tree.

Now, it's not explicitly called that. The word 'Christmas' is never used in any book of the Bible - Old or New Testament. Many believers will be surprised to learn that Scripture never tells us to celebrate Christmas or even the birth of Jesus. But Jeremiah 10 does describe something familiar to all Christmas celebrations. The description sounds a lot like the brightly decorated evergreen trees that many Christians place in their homes in December.

Where are Christmas trees in the Bible?

We can find reference to this in the writings of Jeremiah:

Thus said YHWH, "Do not learn the way of the nations, and do not be awed by the signs of the heavens, for the nations are awed by them. For the laws of these peoples are worthless, for one cuts a tree from the forest, work for the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool. They beautify it with silver and gold, they strengthen it with nails and hammers so it doesn't topple." -Jeremiah 10:2-4

They cut a tree...they decorate it...and they secure it so it doesn't fall over. Doesn't that sound very much like a traditional Christmas tree to you?

We should note that Jeremiah is quoting the Living God himself here. These are YHWH's words, and they start with, "Do not."

Why does the Bible say not to cut trees down and bring them into our homes? Are Christmas trees bad?

In Scripture trees are often connected to worship of other gods. Deuteronomy 16:21 says that no kind of tree is to be planted beside the altar of YHWH. Jeremiah 3:9 says that the house of Israel committed adultery "with stones and trees." Several passages of Scripture warn of idols made of trees. And a common phrase connected with idolatry throughout the Bible is that it occurred under "every green tree." And then of course the original sin of Adam and Eve in the garden had to do with them refusing to honor instructions related to a tree.

Yes, trees were made by the Creator and have many positive references in the Bible. And no, I certainly don't think that all trees are bad somehow. But the connection between trees and sin and idolatry gives me pause, especially when there is the verse in Jeremiah that strongly correlates to the Christmas trees we see in so many churches and households.

Now many people will tell you that the tree in Jeremiah 10 is not a Christmas tree. They believe it's fine to cut a tree down and decorate it since they aren't worshiping that. But this passage of Scripture says not to learn this way because it is "worthless." What does it mean if we are taking Luke 2 (the story of the Messiah's birth) and mixing it with something the Living God calls worthless? Is that watering down the message of the Gospel? Is that confusing people who read the Bible and see how it contradicts with popular Christian theology and lifestyles? 

Scripture tells us in the golden calf story that the people involved meant that as a way to worship YHWH (Exodus 32:5), but YHWH himself still called the calf an idol in Exodus 32:8. Even if he hadn't done so, I think most of us would still refrain putting any sort of golden calf or cow statues in our home - even if we didn't intend to worship it. In the same way, it makes sense for believers to honor this Biblical admonish "not to learn" the way of those who cut a tree down and take it inside and decorate it.

Related posts:
Five Things Every Believer Should Know About Christmas
The Christmas Question Documentary Interview with Kayte Abaffy
Why I Stopped Celebrating Christmas

Sharing Your Faith When Someone Wishes You Merry Christmas

When you don't celebrate Christmas it can be more than a little awkward to get "Merry Christmas" wishes multiple times a day. How can we best handle these sentiments? What are ways we can speak truth in a brief exchange at the checkout counter? How can we share our faith with coworkers and neighbors without jumping on the soapbox and having their defenses go up?

Many of you asked how I respond when someone says this to me. This is certainly not an exhaustive list of ideas, just a few things I find myself repeating at this time of year. Remind yourself that if someone wishes you a merry Christmas, or asks about your plans for the holiday, they probably sincerely mean well. You can respond with kindness without reverting to their words or even a "you too!" as you slip out the door. 

Simple phrases to respond with:

"Have a good day/weekend/vacation!" 

"Thank you for your kind wishes."

"I hope you have a nice time with your family."

"That's so kind of you to say! I actually don't celebrate Christmas but I appreciate the thought."

"I haven't celebrated Christmas for a few years now, so I don't really have any plans for the day. It's nice to not have the stress of shopping for gifts!"

"We decided to start celebrating the Biblical holidays in place of the cultural, so we haven't participated in Christmas activities for several years."

"I have felt God calling me to step back from the manmade holiday of Christmas. It's been an interesting journey and I'd love to tell you more about it sometime if you're interested."

"I don't celebrate Christmas anymore. I used to and totally get why you do. It's been quite a change but I feel like my faith has really grown because of it."

Of course, these are just ideas and phrases I use and you can customize them to fit your circumstances. It's not uncommon for me to use a couple at a time either. Usually I try to keep the tone of the conversation pretty upbeat. That's one reason I like to mention something that I enjoy about not celebrating Christmas - that my faith has grown or that I'm free from the stress of the holiday season. 

I'd also encourage you to be honest and real with whoever you're talking to. Admitting that stepping away from Christmas was difficult can go a long way with the people who put their tree up in October and don't take it down until February. Hearing that you had conviction - and acted on that past the point of convenience and comfort - definitely gives the people in your life something to think about. It's nice to have a little more time to talk when you delve into this perspective, but that said you can certainly quickly convey the idea of "It has been hard, but it's really been worth it!"

Sharing sentiments like these is an invitation for the hearer to evaluate their own actions, and the concept of Christmas in general. Many people truly do not realize that Christmas is not a Biblical holiday, and won't unless someone can give them a gentle nudge. Remember that it's not your job to explain all the details or to convince someone that Christmas isn't YHWH's best for them. It's our job to plant seeds, and sharing our faith like this is one way we can do that.

More on Christmas:
Five Things Every Believer Should Know About Christmas
Quitting Christmas
The Christmas Question
The Hebrew's Guide to Getting Through December

The Christmas Question - Interview with Kayte Abaffy

Let's talk Christmas! Kayte and Luke, the husband and wife duo behind The Way documentary have teamed up with 119 Ministries to create an eye-opening new documentary - The Christmas Question. 

Have you ever wondered why the Messiah's birth gets celebrated on a date the Bible doesn't specify? Or wondered what evergreen trees have to do with his birth? Maybe your kids have asked why Santa comes down the chimney? Did you know that Christmas used to be illegal in the United States? Or maybe you've found yourself wondering if these traditions matter to the Living God? In The Christmas Question, Kayte and Luke travel around the world to talk to experts to find answers!

I enjoyed the documentary so much and I'm excited for you to see it too! During the holiday season I like to remind myself of why I no longer take part in the traditions I once loved, and The Christmas Question definitely brought fresh conviction! While hearing from the experts was educational (I especially enjoyed Dr. Philipp Nothaft), my favorite was hearing from believers, such as sisters Michelle Glasgow and Kay Smith, and Abraham and Jane Lockwood, about their own experiences with starting to question Christmas traditions. If you feel like you're alone in your convictions, hearing from them will be so refreshing!

Fellow Christmas-questioners, Abraham and Jane.

That said, this film is really made for believers who do celebrate Christmas. And it does an awesome job of asking thought-provoking questions, and then shedding the light of historical truth about where Christmas traditions - and even the idea of celebrating it - come from. I loved that they decided to stick to facts supported by history! There are a lot of pretty wild hypotheses out there about some Christmas traditions, and while those aren't necessarily wrong, it's easy for people to wholesale write-off any problems with Christmas when others say things that can't be proven. The format they chose is clear, and leaves less room for doubt or arguing. Yay for that!

I don't want to give too much away, but there are a couple of quotes I want you to hear from the movie:

"I find it amusing when people say, 'put Christ back in Christmas,' because if you are Christian and you really do want to follow the teachings of Jesus then, yeah, it probably doesn't make much sense to have all of these pagan things that represent fertility because that's not really about the birth of Jesus." -Scarlet Ravenswood, tarot reader and solitary witch

"On comparing the Christian calendar with the pagan one, it is impossible not to be struck by the great concordance between the two." -John Calvin, A Treatise on Relics

"For people that just want to say that it doesn't come from pagan origins, my opinion on that is you're just turning a blind eye to what history has told us. ....When we deny that these origins exist we actually do a disservice to Christian intellect." -Dr. Jonathan Smith, resident minister at Convocation of Anglicans in North America

"Where in Scripture do we find that the Father redeems anything from a pagan god's worship and redeemed it for himself? I don't see that anywhere in Scripture." -Michelle Glasgow

Are you eager to check it out? You don't have to wait because it's completely free to watch online! I'm totally pumped about that, because I know those who are curious are going to be way more likely to watch something without a cost. Who wants to pay $14.99 to find out their favorite holiday isn't the best? But if it's free your curiosity just might get the best of you. Thank you to those of you that supported the making of the film because many more people will be reached this way. You can watch The Christmas Question here.

Streaming not your thing? Would you like a hard-copy to share with a friend or add to your congregation's library? Want to support Kayte and Luke so they can keep making amazing documentaries? DVDs are available for purchase here.

Norse mythology and religious history expert, Maria Kvilhaug.

Kayte and I were able to connect, and she was kind enough to share with us some of their experiences with making the documentary, as well as their own experiences with how to handle the Christmas season now!

Land of Honey: What inspired you to make this documentary?

Kayte: 119 Ministries reached out to us about making this film. A few years back, we'd traveled to Costa Rica to interview Jon Sherman for The Way documentary and that's how we met. 119 Ministries had an incredibly impactful video called Sunburned that they wanted to redo in a new format. They wanted to make a documentary, to look at Christmas' history in the most journalistically sound way possible, and to forgo including any ideas that might be speculative in nature in the discussion.

So that's where we came in. We prayed about our involvement and thought about whether we felt we could add something helpful to the discussion on Christmas - and when we felt like we had the go-ahead, we dove in!

The aim of the film is to get to the bottom of why Christians celebrate Christ's birth in certain ways, and then to help the audience examine whether Christmas and its traditions pass the test of worshipping our Creator in both spirit and truth.

Can you tell us some the places you went while filming?

Fortunately, we were able to secure interviews with some of the world's preeminent scholars on all kinds of topics related to Christmas - and many of those people are in Europe. We ended up traveling to seven countries make the doc - England, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Canada, and all over the US. 

You can learn more about everyone we interviewed here.

Did you learn anything about Christmas that surprised you in the process of making the film?

Oh man! There are a weird factoids about mistletoe and strange legends about St. Nick and why Santa comes down the chimney instead of through the front door! And there's a lot that I've learned about the date, December 25th and what was happening on that day, long before anyone ever celebrated Christmas.

Another truth that's been highlighted in this process is that the word Christmas means a lot of different things to different people. It's loaded, like the word "religion." When some people say Christmas, they're conjuring up images of time spent with family reading the nativity story in the Bible, sitting around the tree. Christmas for them is synonymous with the Christ's birth and family time. Other people picture hoards of insane shoppers trampling each other and all of the stress and commercialism of the season. Other people are thinking about how amazing it is that during this one season, strangers are all of a sudden so much more kind! Others think of pagan sun god worship! ...And some are just thinking about Home Alone.

Acknowledging where a person's coming from can make our conversations so much more fruitful.

One of my favorite parts was hearing from this panel of believers!

Has the journey of this film stretched or challenged your faith at all?

The biggest challenge is just remembering to stay prayerful through the process. Remembering to pray first when there's some inexplicable tech glitch and the audio file won't transfer to the sound engineer. Remembering (during the process) that God already sees what the project will be when it's completed and having faith that He'll help us get there... because it's tricky work at times with what feels like millions of decisions to make. 

The release of the film has been a little nuts with some strange hiccups! We were definitely tested this past Shabbat, when things were going wrong with the film's release and we were pushing up against Shabbat starting. When you've promised something and haven't quite delivered yet AND have to stop working because it's time to rest - that's a hard one. But we've learned and continued to learn that obedience to God first is always the right answer. We can't lean on our own understanding - we have to keep Him first. 

What has your personal experience been like walking away from Christmas? 

Christmas used to be my favorite! So having Christmas become just a normal day was faintly weird at first, haha. It's an interesting sensation, having what feels like the whole world celebrating Christmas, in every store you step into and on every street you walk down...and knowing you're not doing those things. And on the flipside, it's also been funny, celebrating, say Sukkot, and having the Amazon Prime delievery guy wonder why you're camping out and cooking breakfast over an open fire in your own yard. (I would have told him, but he left too quickly!) 

Sidenote: some "Christmas" carols are still wonderful songs to sing, I think. They have such beautiful messages about the Savior's birth! And if anything, that's something we can all celebrate. I tend to sing them during Sukkot instead...or just any time :) As a new mama, it's kind of exciting and also a big responsibility to create wonderful new family traditions around our new special days. That's part of why I love Land of Honey! You have so many fun ideas for building a festive atmosphere from scratch.

How have you been able to share the changes you've made with no longer celebrating Christmas with friends and family?

I think it's really helpful to focus on the positive when talking to friends and family about why you no longer celebrate Christmas. I've heard so many people say, "We don't celebrate Christmas!" Period. End of sentence. It's so abrupt! Haha And when we say that, the person we're speaking to might be hearing, "We don't care that God sent His Son to live among us and die for our sins." ...which of course is not what we want to convey!

It's so important for people to understand that it's not the facts of his birth that you're avoiding, it's the trappings that have snowballed around His birth. We've simply traded out Christmas for other (more Bible-based) ways of celebrating Him instead. 

Why not tell people that you've discovered the holidays God gives us in Leviticus 23 are chock full of beautiful symbols and traditions that all point to our Messiah and His life and ministry? Tell people how much of a blessing it's been to celebrate these special times. 

Do you have any tips for believers who are navigating away from celebrating Christmas? 

When it feels hard, go back to why you're doing what you're doing. Go back to what you know for sure. Remind yourself of the truths that you've seen that you know it's impossible to un-see now. I always find that reassuring.

Where can we go to check out the movie and stay in touch with you guys?

You can watch The Christmas Question, for free, forever here on 119 Ministry's YouTube channel.

You can also buy hard copies and digital downloads of the move if you'd like special features (and the ability to watch the movie without being online). Just head to our website. 

More posts on Christmas:
Five Things Every Believer Should Know about Christmas
What CS Lewis Was Wrong about in the Chronicles of Narnia
Why Some Christians No Longer Celebrate Christmas