Does the Christmas holiday as we know it today have anything to do with original Christian religion?

Question

I heard that the date of December 25th doesn't actually correspond to Jesus. The dates of the year are different?

I also heard that it wasn't celebrated in terms of gift exchange until the development of capitalism and corporations? What was Christmas like during 1 A.D.?

Ok then what was it like during 325 AD?

Answer 1

There was no Christmas during 1 AD

Answer 2

Christmas was an invention of the catholic church. In 354, the bishop of Rome decreed that December 25th, a pagan feast day in honour of the god, Saturn, should be observed by Christians in honour of Christ’s birth. However, in the East, this date was not accepted; and for centuries, January 6th was celebrated as the birthday of Jesus, particularly in Egypt. Some branches of the Eastern Orthodox Church, even today, keep January 6th as Christmas day.

The Bible does not state when Jesus was born but based events surrounding his birth (the sheperds in the field), his birth was probably in the Spring.

No command is given for our Lord's birthday to be observed in any way. No example is found in the New Testament of any celebration of Christ's birth. Rather, the New Testament emphasis is on the death and resurrection of Christ. His death made possible the forgiveness of our sins. His resurrection makes possible our victory over death. The Lord's supper is to "show the Lord's death till he come"(I Corinthians 11:26). The only day in any way set aside for special religious observance in the New Testament is the Lord's day, Sunday, the first day of the week (Acts 20:7;1 Corinthians 16:2; Revelation 1:10).

Answer 3

Long before Christ was born on earth, pagans had celebrations on & around Dec 25th. As Christ had not yet been a man on earth, it was not yet called Christmas... (In fact Christians were not even called Christian -Acts 11:26d- until after Christ's death.)

Christmas' True History http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas#History

Jews & early Christians alike shunned such observations.
So... No. Original Christianity had nothing to do with what has been celebrated as Christmas through the centuries, just as genuine Christianity today does not.

Considering that shepherds were in the fields tending their flocks on the night of Jesus’ birth(Lu 2:8, 12), it becomes obvious that they weren't experiencing winter weather. Already by the autumn month of Bul (Oct-Nov) the rainy season had started (De 11:14). So, flocks were protected in shelters at night. The following month, Chislev (Nov-Dec), was cold & rainy (Jer 36:22; Ezr 10:9, 13), & Tebeth (Dec-Jan) had the lowest temperatures all year, including occasional snows in the highlands. That shepherds were in the fields at night when Jesus was born therefore harmonizes with other evidence pointing to the month of Ethanim (the early autumn) as the time it took place.*

Basically, names & occurancesw of people in the Bible have been pasted onto pagan beliefs & celebrations, & falsely passed off as Christian. Scripture even describes the veneration of the tree, & gives God's denunciation of it**:

"Look out: perhaps there may be someone who will carry you off as his prey through the philosophy and empty deception according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary things of the world and not according to Christ;" --Colossians 2:8

**"Hear the word that Jehovah has spoken... : 'Do not learn the way of the nations at all... For the customs of the peoples are just an exhalation, because it is a mere tree out of the forest that one has cut down, the work of the hands of the craftsman with the billhook. With silver and with gold one makes it pretty. With nails and with hammers they fasten them down, that none may reel. They are like a scarecrow of a cucumber field, and cannot speak. Without fail they are carried, for they cannot take any steps... The doing of any good is not with them.” --Jeremiah 10:1-5

Has Christmas Lost Christ?
http://watchtower.org/e/19981215/article_01.htm

Answer 4

You are correct, there is great evidence pointing to Rosh HaShanah (Feast of Trumpets) in 2 B.C. I have posted the details at this link...
http://schnebin.blogspot.com/2007/11/when-was-jesus-born.html

It makes more sense that Christ would be born during a feast than during a temple rededication memorial. The feasts are prophetic of Messiah's first and second coming.
http://www.schneblin.com/studies/pdfs/the_tabernacle_gods_calendar.pdf

As for gift giving, this was based on the original "Santa Claus" who was St. Nicholas, who was born in Patara, a village in what is now Turkey, in a wealthy Christian family, (He became the Bishop of Myra) who snuck in to the houses of the poor and left food and gifts in the stockings hung on the fireplaces to dry out from the winters snow.

Later, the Catholic church mixed tributes to Christmas with the pagan solstice rituals to try and win the heathen. This backfired and just perverted Christmas into a half-Christian, half pagan holiday. The rest is just a series of traditions and folk tales to amuse the children.

After WWII, the baby-boom sparked a boom in the economy and manufacturing. Toys were a big item, and those who returned from war sought to create memories of joy and family after seeing so much death and destruction. The economy rose sharply with production and spending. This rise continued right on to today where it is now big business and over-commercialized.

To get the real sense of where we are and where we should be, watch "A Charlie Brown Christmas".

Answer 5

According to scientist our canlendars are off about 6 years so truly jesus was born in 6 A.D and supposely he was born in April...since scientist can tract an event which wouldve lead the 3 wise men to follow a bright "star" this "star" was really jupiter shining in taurus (i believe) and thus it became really bright. So depending on ur beliefs u can either believe that Dec 25th was the real birth of jesus or you can believe that it wasnt.
Since there were no christians in 1 A.D i believe there was not christmas either.

Answer 6

I hate the spending and shopping, but I anticipate with delight the faces on Christmas morning. It's a fine line to walk.

Pope Julian I used the records (which were still available at the time) mentioned in the gospel to decide the birth date of Jesus, even though the Egyptians and the Hebrews noted Christ's birth in the Spring. (There was actually a lot of confusion surrounding the liturgical dates, mostly due to every nation having its own calendar)

Answer 7

There was no Christmas on 1 A.D. It came about generations later and was primarily a means for replacing the pagan celebration of the winter solstice with a Christian celebration of some sort (any sort).

I'm not trying to bag on Christmas, I love the Christmas season. My love for Christmas has nothing to do with religion, however, it has everything to do with family and having the opportunity to enjoy some quality time with mine.

Answer 8

It did not exist until about 325. Many people preferred celebrating Pagan Holidays until the seventh century when Christmas was finally accepted in most places.

Answer 9

Not really no, it's now a very secular Holiday, with Santa reindeer and presents under a tree it's almost non religious.
I don't have a problem with it I'm a christian I don't really mix the two, I just know that it is a designated marker of when we think Jesus was born, maby right maby not but it's a good shot.

Answer 10

There was no "Christmas" per se. The real "Birth of Christ" was more towards Summer/Autumn time.

During that period, in the Middle East, it's cold, and no commercial celebration was happening. Shepherds do not "abide in the field" during the cold periods of the year.

In fact, the birth of Christ, was by most standards, pretty quiet to most. Only a select handful of people were stirred about it. From Shepherds who's lives were changed by Angels, to those in charge of the manger, to the magi, who tracked Him down, to Herod, who sought to kill Him.