Christmas - Origin of Christmas Celebrated and Santa Claus. Should it be celebrated?

Question

It is understandable that people celebrate various holidays. However, there are certain holidays that people celebrate but do not know why they are celebrating it. Perhaps this is the case with you. Take Christmas for instance. If you knew the origin of Christmas, would you still celebrate it? These are the facts that people fail to know because the accurate questions are not asked. If you were to ask your family and friends why do they celebrate Christmas, what is their reaction? Are they too embarrassed to answer that question? Do they brush you off? Do they know? Do they care?

What are your thoughts regarding the origin of Christmas? Even if you knew the origin of this holiday, would you still celebrate it? Hit me up with some answers.

Thanks,

Answer 1

I just stopped celebrating this pass christmas once F found out the ACCURATE TRUTH about it...I think if people knew the accurate truth about few would stop but the majority will because its what they've been taught. people dont want to admit tha their parents was wrong or mislead because they are afraid of their reactions but the truth is the truth....you either believe it or believes the lies.

Answer 2

The winter solstice occurs around the 22 of December. In Rome it a traditional winter holiday and the
Germanic tribes celebrated th return of the sun. The first Christian authorities banned these pagan celebrations but the people kept on celebrating them, so the priest proclaimed the 25 of December Christ Mass to be celebrated as Christ's Birthday.
Christmas trees come from the pagan worship because the pines and cedars are the only trees that stayed in winter.

Answer 3

Christmas in the U.K overlaid a previous pagan winter celebration. At that time of year things were pretty bleak and it was an excuse for a feast and a knees up. It has evolved naturally as all things do. In Uzbekistan they celebrate Christmas on the 7th of january. In Holland they have Black Pete not Santa. Christmas trees came via Germany and Queen Victorias' German husband Prince Albert.
I personally try to avoid Christmas because I don't like being manipulated.

Answer 4

We celebrate Christmas because we choose to. My children know all about what Christmas means to us. We are a christian family. My children do not get overburdened with toys because that is not the true meaning. They also know that we (the parents) give them their presents. They know that Santa is not real.
Most of my family would say the same thing. There are others in the family who do not believe and that is their choice.

Answer 5

The reason i celebrate Christmas is because is is the "supposed" day Christ was born. Nobody really knows what day He was born but that is the day we celebrate it. Read Luke chapter 2. It talks all about the birth of our Lord.

Answer 6

I reqalize that 'Christmas' was actually started to coenside (? spelling) with the winter soltice, and not Christ birthday (altough December 25 is close). Does it stop me from observing December 25 as Christ birthday; at present (and the foreseen future)_ NO.

Answer 7

I don't think I have ever celebrated Christmas in July.

Answer 8

Christmas is Jesus' birthday. And we give gifts to each other because when Jesus was born all the poor people gave to Jesus, and that's what we are doing, in a way. Giving to him by giving to each other.

Answer 9

if people realized what people did on December 25 of the winter solstice they would be disgusted

or the Mirtha connection to the date as well

http://www.simpletoremember.com/vitals/Christmas_TheRealStory.htm

Answer 10

I am here to expound on your introduction here. First, let me say hi to you Drew before I start. I think you wanted to write more, but because you raised the question, you have to give others room to answer. I think that some do not care why they celebrate it. Perhaps tradition has something to do with it or something of that sort.

You and I have known each other for some time now and it amazes me and I am sure it amazes you how people come up with the notions that they do. There seems to be this notion that Christ was born on Christmas (December 25th). Who said that? Is that what the bible really teaches? No. In fact, there is no proof in the Bible. If so, I want YOU to specifically give me the scripture(s) that specifically says that Jesus was born on December 25th and that it should be celebrated. That sounds like a human creating his or her own philosophy or perhaps a religious leader ingraining that thought into their members. If you are bold enough, ask your religious leader when Jesus was born and why Christmas should or should not be celebrated. Will that answer be bible-based or based on worldly-thinking? How much does one know about the history of Christmas? Let me break this down because this is a deep topic.

Consider a few illustrations. A college professor once told me that your answers derive from the questions you ask. For those who take care of children or are around them, you know they can wear you out with questions. They do it because they are curious and they want to know. Some children ask questions just to see how you will react. If not satisfied, I will bet you a dollar to a donut that they will go to someone else who can answer their question. They want to know the what, when, where, why, who and how?

In society, there is a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. In other words, if you fail to ask questions, you will never know the “truth.” You are only fooling yourself when you think you know something when you really know nothing about the subject matter. Or you just go about doing whatever it is that you do because your family and friends do it, so it must be alright. Conformity can be a snare. If someone asked you to go with them to the Brooklyn Bridge, wouldn’t you ask the person why want to go there? If you are not given a clear answer, you can always back out. Hence, if you just went along and went with that person to the Brooklyn Bridge only to find out that they wanted you to watch them as they commit suicide by jumping into the East River. How embarrassing would that look for you for not asking that all important question. From that day forward, it would be nothing but visits to the psychologist daily to help your psychologically-damaged state.

Again, the answers come from the questions you ask. If an answer does not seem logical, go to another source and see if any of the answers you were given match with the previous ones you were given and make a sound judgment and analysis from there. Remember, humans often give their own philosophies, which can cause major problems. So, do your homework. The key is personal research until everything makes sense to YOU. What I am writing here makes total sense to me, because it is true. But what about you?

For the ladies, if I asked you why you liked Tom Cruise or Antonio Banderas, it would not take long as to why he is your favorite actor. For the men, if I asked you why Michael Jordan was better than Patrick Ewing in his career, you would give me a host of reasons how and why.

Now, if I were to approach any of you on the street walking with your friends and/or your “significant other” and ask you, “why do you celebrate Christmas?” Would you be speechless? Too embarrassed to answer my question? If you could answer the Cruise-Benderas or Jordan-Ewing comparison question in a relatively quick fashion, what makes this question different? Both questions deal with doing some sort of research.

For those who care for children, rear them, work with them, or surrounded by them, they are very curious and have great awareness of what is taking place around them. The question can come at any time. Of course, you never want to leave the children hanging with inaccurate answers, because they will go ask someone else if they feel that you answer was not good enough. Now that I provided you with some illustrations, here is some personal research that I did with Christmas. There is a difference between the correct answer according to human philosophy and the correct answer based on the scriptures.

The term holidays means days usually marked by time off from secular work and school for commemoration of an event. Such days may also be occasions for family or community festivities. Participants may view them as being religious or as being largely social or secular affairs.

Is Christmas a celebration based on the Bible?

M’Clintock and Strong’s Cyclopædia says: “The observance of Christmas is not of divine appointment, nor is it of N[ew] T[estament] origin. The day of Christ’s birth cannot be ascertained from the N[ew] T[estament], or, indeed, from any other source.”— (New York, 1871), Vol. II, p. 276.

Luke 2:8-11 shows that shepherds were in the fields at night at the time of Jesus’ birth. The book Daily Life in the Time of Jesus states: “The flocks . . . passed the winter under cover; and from this alone it may be seen that the traditional date for Christmas, in the winter, is unlikely to be right, since the Gospel says that the shepherds were in the fields.”— (New York, 1962), Henri Daniel-Rops, p. 228.

The Encyclopedia Americana informs us: “The reason for establishing December 25 as Christmas is somewhat obscure, but it is usually held that the day was chosen to correspond to pagan festivals that took place around the time of the winter solstice, when the days begin to lengthen, to celebrate the ‘rebirth of the sun.’ . . . The Roman Saturnalia (a festival dedicated to Saturn, the god of agriculture, and to the renewed power of the sun), also took place at this time, and some Christmas customs are thought to be rooted in this ancient pagan celebration.”— (1977), Vol. 6, p. 666.

Therefore, that encyclopedia does not make reference to Jesus, but some pagan and false gods.

The New Catholic Encyclopedia acknowledges: “The date of Christ’s birth is not known. The Gospels indicate neither the day nor the month . . . According to the hypothesis suggested by H. Usener . . . and accepted by most scholars today, the birth of Christ was assigned the date of the winter solstice (December 25 in the Julian calendar, January 6 in the Egyptian), because on this day, as the sun began its return to northern skies, the pagan devotees of Mithra celebrated the dies natalis Solis Invicti (birthday of the invincible sun). On Dec. 25, 274, Aurelian had proclaimed the sun-god principal patron of the empire and dedicated a temple to him in the Campus Martius. Christmas originated at a time when the cult of the sun was particularly strong at Rome.”— (1967), Vol. III, p. 656.

Wise men, or Magi, led by a star

Those Magi were actually astrologers from the east. (Matt. 2:1, 2, NW; NE) Although astrology is popular among many people today, the practice is strongly disapproved in the Bible. Would God have led to the newborn Jesus persons whose practices He condemned?

Matthew 2:1-16 shows that the star led the astrologers first to King Herod and then to Jesus and that Herod then sought to have Jesus killed. No mention is made that anyone other than the astrologers saw the “star.” After they left, Jehovah’s angel warned Joseph to flee to Egypt to safeguard the child. Was that “star” a sign from God or was it from someone who was seeking to have God’s Son destroyed?

Note that the Bible account DOES NOT say that they found the babe Jesus in a manger, as customarily depicted in Christmas art. When the astrologers arrived, Jesus and his parents were living in a house. As to Jesus’ age at that time, remember that, based on what Herod had learned from the astrologers, he decreed that all the boys in the district of Bethlehem two years of age and under were to be destroyed.—Matt. 2:1, 11, 16.

Gift giving as part of the celebration; stories about Santa Claus, Father Christmas, etc.

The practice of Christmas gift giving is not based on what was done by the Magi. As shown above, they did not arrive at the time of Jesus’ birth. Furthermore, they gave gifts, not to one another, but to the child Jesus, in accord with what was then customary when visiting notable persons.

The Encyclopedia Americana states: “During the Saturnalia . . . feasting prevailed, and gifts were exchanged.” (1977, Vol. 24, p. 299) In many instances that represents the spirit of Christmas giving—an exchanging of gifts. The spirit reflected in such gift giving does not bring real happiness, because it violates Christian principles such as those found at Matthew 6:3, 4 and 2 Corinthians 9:7. Surely a Christian can give gifts to others as an expression of love at other times during the year, doing so as often as he wants to.

In other words, one does not have to wait until December 25th to get gifts. If a child had straight A’s in the 3rd marking period, (let’s say in March) and really worked hard in school, why does that child need to wait 9 months down the road to be rewarded for their good work. They can receive their reward right after that report card; maybe even surprise him or her with the gift.

Depending on where they live, children are told that gifts are brought by Santa Claus, St. Nicholas, Father Christmas, Père Noël, Knecht Ruprecht, the Magi, the elf Jultomten (or Julenissen), or a witch known as La Befana. (The World Book Encyclopedia, 1984, Vol. 3, p. 414) Of course, NONE of these stories are actually true. Does the telling of such stories build in children a respect for truth, and does such a practice honor Jesus Christ, who taught that God must be worshiped with truth?—John 4:23, 24.

This is deep stuff and required me to re-read this because of its profoundness. Nevertheless, hit me back with your thoughts.