I don’t celebrate Christmas anymore.

“Aren’t you a Christian??”

Yes, you can read how I met my best friend here.

When I was little I grew up with a tree every year.  I grew up with my whole family getting together…sometimes twice.  I grew up with the joy of the season and Christmas carols and all of the Christmas Spirit.

A few years ago I learned the real origins of this holiday and can no longer in good conscience celebrate it for it has nothing to do with Jesus.

It’s a pagan holiday.

“THOU SHALT HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME.

THOU SHALT NOT MAKE UNTO THEE ANY GRAVEN IMAGE, OR ANY LIKENESS OF ANY THING THAT IS IN HEAVEN ABOVE, OR THAT IS IN THE EARTH BENEATH, OR THAT IS IN THE WATER UNDER THE EARTH.

THOU SHALT NOT BOW DOWN THYSELF TO THEM, NOR SERVE THEM: FOR I THE LORD THY GOD AM A JEALOUS GOD, VISITING THE INIQUITY OF THE FATHERS UPON THE CHILDREN UNTO THE THIRD AND FOURTH GENERATION OF THEM THAT HATE ME;” – EXODUS 20:3-5

So, why do we do these things?  What does Jesus, Himself, say about it?

Well, after speaking to a friend a few weeks ago we both established that Jesus doesn’t mention anything either way about celebrating or not celebrating His birth on a specific day, but rather we should every day.

That’s fine.

We are on different sides of the Christmas debate sharing back and forth our views on it.  Jesus never mentions putting up a tree in His honor and either fails or forgets to mention swapping presents.  (We know He is neither a liar nor a hypocrite, so I guess we will have to go by what He does say.)

Why, of all 365 days of the year do we pick a pagan Sun god’s birthday to celebrate the Messiah?

“Well, the day doesn’t really matter and we don’t really know when Christ was born.”

But, why that one?  If we don’t know which day He was actually born why do we share The Messiah’s day of birth on the EXACT DAY a sun god was born?  The day that Constantine, who was a sun god worshipper, merged Christianity and Paganism to appease both…?

Why do we have these traditions that nobody really wants to do, but they do them anyway?

If Jesus is the Prince of Peace and His burden is light why are people getting themselves in all kind of debt to buy presents and stress themselves out over something that Jesus never really said to do in the first place?

“The Spirit of Christmas”

What about the Holy Spirit?

Why would it be so important to test the spirits?

“BELOVED, BELIEVE NOT EVERY SPIRIT, BUT TRY THE SPIRITS WHETHER THEY ARE OF GOD: BECAUSE MANY FALSE PROPHETS ARE GONE OUT INTO THE WORLD.” – 1 JOHN 4:1

The Spirit of Christmas is a false spirit.  People wait ALL year for this one season, yet it is the most depressing time of year for a lot of people.  There is this pressure to be “happy”, yet life is the same.  Life is hard, but for some reason this time of year is built up to be better than the others.  Suicide rates go up at this time of year.  Why?

Some people can’t afford to give what they want to or think they are supposed to.  Some people don’t have families.  Some people lost loved ones.  Some people lost a lot of things, yet are supposed to put on a happy face.

Because it’s supposed to be about “family” and all of this hype that fades away.  When the holiday is over people get depressed because THE MOMENT THEY’VE BEEN WAITING FOR is over.

We can have Christ every day.  He is our rest.  He is our joy.  He is present EVERY DAY.

I know people say, “Let me have my fun one day of the year.” or they act like I’m missing out.  They look at me with pity like I’m lacking something in my life.

But, why not have fun the 364 other days??  That blows my mind.

You can literally have Jesus and His everlasting peace and joy every day and every minute of the day.  He does not fade away.

“It’s for the kids.”

The Christmas tradition, at least America’s version, is far different and watered down than the origin of the holiday.  And people say well I don’t see it that way….but, does that change the meaning of it?

I encourage you to read about the fertility goddess Ashtoreth or Ishtar and the Roman celebration, Saturnalia.

“HEAR YE THE WORD WHICH THE LORD SPEAKETH UNTO YOU, O HOUSE OF ISRAEL:

THUS SAITH THE LORD, LEARN NOT THE WAY OF THE HEATHEN, AND BE NOT DISMAYED AT THE SIGNS OF HEAVEN; FOR THE HEATHEN ARE DISMAYED AT THEM.  FOR THE CUSTOMS OF THE PEOPLE ARE VAIN: FOR ONE CUTTETH A TREE OUT OF THE FOREST, THE WORK OF THE HANDS OF THE WORKMAN, WITH THE AXE.  THEY DECK IT WITH SILVER AND WITH GOLD; THEY FASTEN IT WITH NAILS AND WITH HAMMERS, THAT IT MOVE NOT.  THEY ARE UPRIGHT AS THE PALM TREE, BUT SPEAK NOT: THEY MUST NEEDS BE BORNE, BECAUSE THEY CANNOT GO. BE NOT AFRAID OF THEM; FOR THEY CANNOT DO EVIL, NEITHER ALSO IS IT IN THEM TO DO GOOD.” – JEREMIAH 10:1-5

“Learn not the way of the heathen” is the opening of that passage.  God means what He says about following His statutes.  He wants us for Himself.  Don’t chase after other gods.  The Egyptians had many gods and God delivered His people out of their hand.  They led themselves into their captivity, but God delivered them.  This scripture in Jeremiah was before the New Testament meaning Christ had not even come to Earth yet and this tradition was around before Christ walked on Earth.  (As christians we know He was not a created being, but there in the beginning, just not man in the flesh yet…John 1:1).  What were they honoring?

“HE ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO THEM, WELL HATH ESAIAS PROPHESIED OF YOU HYPOCRITES, AS IT IS WRITTEN, THIS PEOPLE HONOURETH ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR FROM ME.

HOWBEIT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING FOR DOCTRINES THE COMMANDMENTS OF MEN.

FOR LAYING ASIDE THE COMMANDMENT OF GOD, YE HOLD THE TRADITION OF MEN, AS THE WASHING OF POTS AND CUPS: AND MANY OTHER SUCH LIKE THINGS YE DO. AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, FULL WELL YE REJECT THE COMMANDMENT OF GOD, THAT YE MAY KEEP YOUR OWN TRADITION. FOR MOSES SAID, HONOUR THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER; AND, WHOSO CURSETH FATHER OR MOTHER, LET HIM DIE THE DEATH: BUT YE SAY, IF A MAN SHALL SAY TO HIS FATHER OR MOTHER, IT IS CORBAN, THAT IS TO SAY, A GIFT, BY WHATSOEVER THOU MIGHTEST BE PROFITED BY ME; HE SHALL BE FREE. AND YE SUFFER HIM NO MORE TO DO OUGHT FOR HIS FATHER OR HIS MOTHER; MAKING THE WORD OF GOD OF NONE EFFECT THROUGH YOUR TRADITION, WHICH YE HAVE DELIVERED: AND MANY SUCH LIKE THINGS DO YE.” – MARK 7:6-13

“THAT THEIR HEARTS MIGHT BE COMFORTED, BEING KNIT TOGETHER IN LOVE, AND UNTO ALL RICHES OF THE FULL ASSURANCE OF UNDERSTANDING, TO THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE MYSTERY OF GOD, AND OF THE FATHER, AND OF CHRIST; IN WHOM ARE HID ALL THE TREASURES OF WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE. AND THIS I SAY, LEST ANY MAN SHOULD BEGUILE YOU WITH ENTICING WORDS.

FOR THOUGH I BE ABSENT IN THE FLESH, YET AM I WITH YOU IN THE SPIRIT, JOYING AND BEHOLDING YOUR ORDER, AND THE STEDFASTNESS OF YOUR FAITH IN CHRIST.  AS YE HAVE THEREFORE RECEIVED CHRIST JESUS THE LORD, SO WALK YE IN HIM: ROOTED AND BUILT UP IN HIM, AND STABLISHED IN THE FAITH, AS YE HAVE BEEN TAUGHT, ABOUNDING THEREIN WITH THANKSGIVING. BEWARE LEST ANY MAN SPOIL YOU THROUGH PHILOSOPHY AND VAIN DECEIT, AFTER THE TRADITION OF MEN, AFTER THE RUDIMENTS OF THE WORLD, AND NOT AFTER CHRIST.

FOR IN HIM DWELLETH ALL THE FULNESS OF THE GODHEAD BODILY.  AND YE ARE COMPLETE IN HIM, WHICH IS THE HEAD OF ALL PRINCIPALITY AND POWER: IN WHOM ALSO YE ARE CIRCUMCISED WITH THE CIRCUMCISION MADE WITHOUT HANDS, IN PUTTING OFF THE BODY OF THE SINS OF THE FLESH BY THE CIRCUMCISION OF CHRIST: BURIED WITH HIM IN BAPTISM, WHEREIN ALSO YE ARE RISEN WITH HIM THROUGH THE FAITH OF THE OPERATION OF GOD, WHO HATH RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD. AND YOU, BEING DEAD IN YOUR SINS AND THE UNCIRCUMCISION OF YOUR FLESH, HATH HE QUICKENED TOGETHER WITH HIM, HAVING FORGIVEN YOU ALL TRESPASSES; BLOTTING OUT THE HANDWRITING OF ORDINANCES THAT WAS AGAINST US, WHICH WAS CONTRARY TO US, AND TOOK IT OUT OF THE WAY, NAILING IT TO HIS CROSS; AND HAVING SPOILED PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS, HE MADE A SHEW OF THEM OPENLY, TRIUMPHING OVER THEM IN IT.

LET NO MAN THEREFORE JUDGE YOU IN MEAT, OR IN DRINK, OR IN RESPECT OF AN HOLYDAY, OR OF THE NEW MOON, OR OF THE SABBATH DAYS; WHICH ARE A SHADOW OF THINGS TO COME; BUT THE BODY IS OF CHRIST. 

LET NO MAN BEGUILE YOU OF YOUR REWARD IN A VOLUNTARY HUMILITY AND WORSHIPPING OF ANGELS, INTRUDING INTO THOSE THINGS WHICH HE HATH NOT SEEN, VAINLY PUFFED UP BY HIS FLESHLY MIND, AND NOT HOLDING THE HEAD, FROM WHICH ALL THE BODY BY JOINTS AND BANDS HAVING NOURISHMENT MINISTERED, AND KNIT TOGETHER, INCREASETH WITH THE INCREASE OF GOD.  

WHEREFORE IF YE BE DEAD WITH CHRIST FROM THE RUDIMENTS OF THE WORLD, WHY, AS THOUGH LIVING IN THE WORLD, ARE YE SUBJECT TO ORDINANCES, (TOUCH NOT; TASTE NOT; HANDLE NOT; WHICH ALL ARE TO PERISH WITH THE USING;) AFTER THE COMMANDMENTS AND DOCTRINES OF MEN?  WHICH THINGS HAVE INDEED A SHEW OF WISDOM IN WILL WORSHIP, AND HUMILITY, AND NEGLECTING OF THE BODY: NOT IN ANY HONOUR TO THE SATISFYING OF THE FLESH.”  – COLOSSIANS 2:2-23

“Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.” – 1 John 5:21

Re-sharing a post I wrote a few years ago…