WHY ARE CHRISTIANS celebrating christmas?

Question

Christmas is pagan and ARE CHRISTIANS AGAINST PAGANISM?! doesn't that make them hypocrites? For example: Christmas is most from Saturnalia.


Yule log -from ancient Norse traditions during Winter solstice

Dec 25 -Picked by Pope Julius 1 in 4th century coincides with Birthday of Roman God Mithra celebrated centuries before Christ was born.
Determining the exact day of Jesus' birth is even more problematic than the year. I say that the birth could not have happened in the deep winter, because the Bible says that shepherds spent the night outdoors with their flocks when Jesus was born (Luke 2:8).

Our only sources of information on Jesus' birth are the gospels of Matthew and Luke. Matthew describes a "Massacre of the Innocents" under Herod the Great, which Jesus's parents avoid through a Flight into Egypt.

Answer 1

Well, you're partly correct...but christmas isn't pagan. Saturnalia is pagan, and xians dont' celebrate saturnalia. Xians celebrate the birth of their mythological 'savior' on a date the church picked to help convert pagans to xianity.

Simply because 2 events occur on one day, doesn't mean some people cannot observe/celebrate one and some people the other one.

Yes, some xian holidays are on or near pagan holidays, but that doesn't mean those days are pagan...the holidays/celebrations are quite different.

Answer 2

Okay. The Church long long ago was trying to convert the pagan people around them. They (Christians) knew that the pagan's holidays were important to them, so the Christians made the newly converted Christians (ex-pagans) holiday, Saturnalia, into Christmas, a celebration of our Savior. That way, the pagans could enjoy their holidays in a new Christian way.

So to answer your question, No, we as Christians are NOT hypocritical, I don't understand why everyone says that, but anyways, we are not "against" paganism, we just don't follow it and we try to convert pagans to Christianity. Needless to say some Bible Thumpers are very hard core to the point of annoyance, but Christians in general are very accepting, but they wish to increase the number of saved people that will one day go to heaven.

Jesus Christ was born some year on some day. The early Christians just picked a date to represent that. I really doubt Jesus cares when we celebrate His Birthday.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Answer 3

The truth of the matter is that they don't have a clue. It is true the date was changed to compete with Romans's Saturnalia. But one of the really important fact to keep in mind is that the birth of a magical child who come to save the world dates back long before Jesus. In ancient Egypt where all this ideas come from, including the Old Testament with Moses been and Egyptian high priest, we find a similar idea in Horus birth from the virgin mother Isis. Another important fact is that it significance doesn't change whether it is a real birth or just a myth. What we're supposed to be celebrating is the eventual man's spiritual birth, that time when he becomes conscience of a bigger and brittler world beyond the miniature one of his little senses. This is the meaning of "The Resurrection". So, from this point of view we are spiritually dead and the little cave we live in, believing it is real or the reality, it is in reality the valley of the dead.

Answer 4

Excuse me, but Christmas is most certainly NOT pagan. The date for the celebration of Christmas was chosen by the Catholic church to coincide with a pagan holiday, but that doesn't make it one.
Many cultures over the centuries have adopted Christianity as a religion and have blended in many of their own national customs as part of their christmas celebrations, which would explain the Yule Log tradition.

Answer 5

Asking "Why are Christians celebrating Christmas" is akin to asking "Why are oranges orange?"

As for your comments on the exact date of Jesus' birth -- the exact date really doesn't matter. Some historians put Jesus' birth in July, around 4 B.C. The calendar changes and errors along the way might have thrown it off. But what does it matter, anyway? We are celebrating His life and His message.

And Christmas is definitely NOT pagan, and your accusation that Christians are "against" paganism and that we are somehow hypocrites makes absolutely no sense at all and is groundless.

Nice try at a flamebait question, but your history and your logic are both flawed.

Answer 6

I'm not on the mood to go into this in depth, but many would like to discredit Christmas with the arguments that you parrot--and which are mostly false. Christmas tree? A German custom that arose around Christmas, not a pagan custom carried over. Saturnalia? Coincidence--and a really sloppy one--at best. If you would pick your sources better you'd notice this. You might do better to concentrate on the personal problems that lead you to criticize others.

Answer 7

I think that Christmas has two histories. What it started out as and what it's morphed in to.

I think Christmas is what you make of it. I look at it as a time to reflect on the past year and to spend time with my family. The commercialism does spoil it at times, but my family has always treated it as a religious holiday.

I celebrate Halloween too. I'm not in favor of witchcraft, I just think it's fun to watch the kids dress up and hand out candy. The parties are great too.

Answer 8

Well, I think that is not totally correct.

I mean, sure the traditions do stem from Yule but Christians adopted these traditions and added there own.

I think everybody should feel free to celebrate it if they wish.

Answer 9

Christians chose to celebrate the birth of Christ, and not knowing the exact date, the church leaders chose a date that reflects the weather & sky conditions at his birth.

Answer 10

Yule is pagan. Christmas is Christian. Albeit, copied from the pagans, but still adapted for their own purpose.