"All Christians celebrate Christmas!" my RE teacher exclaimed in an exasperated tone when I told her that my church didn't. She wasn't far wrong. Each year Christmas is celebrated by around 2 billion people worldwide and you will be hard pressed to find many Christians who don't join in.
So why do we celebrate it? Here are perhaps the common main reasons given:
(1) The Gospel of Luke describes the nativity scene and tells us to remember and celebrate Jesus' birth.
(3) It is a great opportunity to give gifts to others, and appreciate family and friends.
(4) Everyone celebrates Christmas in some sense; it can be a good evangelistic opportunity.
No doubt most of us would be able to think of these arguments straight off of the top of our heads. Now for the counter arguments, some of which you may not have considered:
(1) Though Christmas is considered to be a key aspect of Christianity, it is not found anywhere in Scripture.
(2) The Bible warns about additions to Scripture; see Galatians 1:8 and Revelation 22:18.
(3) Christmas was originally a pagan festival celebrated by sun and devil worshippers, adapted by Catholics in the 4th Century. "Learn not the way of the Heathen" Jeremiah 10:2.
(4) Scripture does not tell us to commemorate Jesus' birth; “Though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more” 2 Corinthians 5:16.
(5) “God forbid that I should glory in anything except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” Galatians 6:14.
(6) "So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality." Colossians 2:16-17.
(7) We are told in Scripture that the only thing that matters is Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. That we should keep only the Day of the Lord (not his birth) holy. That emphasis on days, months, years, and worldly feasts are not consistent with resurrection life. See Galatians 4:9-11, Amos 5:21.
(8) The only two birthday celebrations in the Bible were Pharaoh's - where the chief baker was hung - and Herod's, which ended in the beheading of John the Baptist. Clearly God does not care for birthdays.
(9) Jesus was most likely born sometime in September; sheep were unlikely to be without shelter, and censuses would certainly not have been taken in December as that is the rainy season in Judea.
(10) So much of the nativity story is just plain wrong; the Bible does not mention a donkey, an inn-keeper, a stable, angels singing or Kings, Jesus may not have been born the night Mary arrived in Bethlehem, and he almost certainly did cry!
(11) None of the traditions are Scriptural; Santa does not exist, gifts were given to Christ rather than to friends and family, Christmas trees are a pagan symbol for eternal life...
(12) Christmas sees the highest depression and suicide rates in the year, as the marginalised feel increasingly detached from society.
There is a very real danger that we just accept this festival and everything associated with it without thinking. This is dangerous because for many Christians it is absolutely central to the faith. From a social point of view Christmas is good, and it makes for great religious content. But Jesus was not remotely religious and so by definition neither should Christians be.
I am not denying that gift giving is a positive thing, but when it is a mere social obligation - and makes us feel good about ourselves - then we have to ask whether we are really giving as Jesus taught.
Many people attend Church at Christmas who don't on a regular basis. The argument is that this is surely better than nothing, and that they may potentially end up becoming regulars. Again, this is a good strategy if you take God out of the picture. But how many of those who attend just a few times a year will experience God in a life-changing way during - or indirectly because of - a Christmas service? If not then they may as well have stayed at home. Attending Church does not get us - or anyone else - to Heaven.
I would like to clarify that I don't hate Christmas. I do give and receive presents and usually set aside the day to be with family, go to Church and read the Bible. The title was just irresistibly catchy! To be honest I don't know where I stand on this issue. I just think that it is not debated nearly enough, and I am worried that the reason for this is because there is a lot of money and security in the tradition as it is. Most aspects of Christmas are in good spirit. But they are not holy or Scriptural in themselves. We should not pretend otherwise.
If we can make Christmas solely about Jesus, then perhaps we will be on safe ground. Or perhaps we can make it solely about giving to those who really need it? But we can't have it both ways. Jesus can not be an excuse for gluttony and selfishness. We celebrate his birthday by stuffing ourselves full of expensive food and alcohol, putting up fancy decorations everywhere, spending money on accessories to give to those who do not need the money (in the knowledge that we will also receive presents) while the cities homeless and sidelined look on - further separated from society than ever. I'm sure Christmas makes him smile.
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