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The History & Traditions Of Christmas

Traditionally most people have celebrated December 25th as the birth of Christ or "Christmas." People throughout the world deck their houses with all the garnishments that typify the "Christmas season." Many of us place wreaths on our doors, nativity scenes in the front yard, trees in our living rooms, mistletoe on the doorways and proclaim "Jesus is the reason for the season." However there are many sides to this celebration seldom discussed.

The traditional symbols that people use every year in their holiday decorations derive their origins and symbology from many ancient cultures and religions, long before the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Year after year we happily and unwittingly combine all the trappings of an occult holiday with what is supposedly a celebration of the birth of Jesus. Is Christmas a holiday or a holy day? No where in the Word of God do we find the early church celebrating the birthday of Jesus Christ, nor do we find any biblical command to do so. Since the word "Christmas" is not in the Bible we need to look to history for its origin.

December 25th BEFORE Christ Prior to the celebration of Christmas, December 25th (the winter solstice) was celebrated in Babylon as the birthday of Tammuz the sun god. In Egypt he was Horas and in Rome and Persia he was Mithra the "sun of righteousness." All of these cultures were regarding the so called immaculate conception of the "sun god." The basis of this celebration can be traced back to the kingdom of Nimrod.

After an incestuous relationship between Beltis, Nimrod's wife and one of her sons Tammuz was born. Tammuz was claimed to be the reincarnation of Nimrod "god incarnate." (Tammuz was said to be "the beginning and end, therefore immortal. Yet this so called pagan god of the sun was merely a mortal who was eventually killed by a wild boar.) This is the origin of the worship of the "Mother and Child." Because of this, Beltis the mother of Tammuz, became known as "the mother's husband -mother of god - queen of heaven." This fable has been the basis of pagan worship on this date throughout history. This information can be found in most any encyclopedia.

December 25th AFTER Christ Saturnalia "a roman holiday" from December 17th to the 24th was a week long festival with torch light processions, gift-giving and merry-making culminating in a winter solstice feast on December 25th, called Natilis Solis Invicti "the birth of the unconquerable sun," meaning that now the sun begins to increase it's strength after it had been at its lowest ebb. The approach of the feast was started with the Pontiff standing in front of Saturn's temple exclaiming "Ho Saturnalia! Ho Saturnalia! Ho Saturnalia!" (Sounds a little like our modern Ho Ho Ho doesn't it?) In 375 A.D. the Roman Catholic Church (which began the merging of paganism with Christianity) announced that the birth date of Christ would be celebrated on December 25th also. Thus many of the pagan traditions such as gift giving, feasting, merry making and (sun) rise services were incorporated into a new tradition called "Christmas."

1st century believers, taught personally by the Lord Jesus Christ, did not celebrate His birthday. 2nd century theologians condemned the thought. Only after severe persecution, destruction and inaccessibility of biblical scripture; and the abomination of blending pagan doctrine with the Christian worship of God (Yahweh) was the Mithraic celebration of December 25th proclaimed to be "Christian" in nature.

Early Protestant Views In England in 1644, parliament banned christmas calling it "The profane man's ranting day." The puritans disapproved of the catholic implications of "Christ's Mass" and worldliness associated with the holiday. Even in America, it was once against the law to celebrate christmas. In 1659, Massachusetts past a law fining anyone caught participating in the christmas holiday. Throughout New England christmas was suppressed by our protestant Forefathers. Public schools remained open in Boston on December 25th until 1870 because of the puritan objection to christmas as being pagan in origin. Today few Americans know that christmas was once outlawed in our country. We are not suggesting however, that laws be passed to ban christmas; we are only suggesting that sincere Christians consider the implications of participating in such an unscriptural pagan festivity. Now after having read the above information can we truly say that "Jesus is the reason for the season?"

"And what concord hath Christ with Be'li-al? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?" II Corinthians 6:15-16

"Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and the table of devils. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?" I Corinthians 10:21-22

The Christmas Tree So what part does the christmas tree, Santa Claus, wreaths and mistletoe play in all this? Every year just shortly after the Thanksgiving holiday, many of us set about acquiring an evergreen to deck with lights, tinsel of silver and gold and bulbs of every color and assortment. Seems harmless enough doesn't it? Just a beautiful tradition that we do year after year. According to Babylonian tradition, Nimrod was transformed into a fir tree at death as was his son, Tammuz. The term 'Yule' is Chaldee for child. In medieval Germany the people worshipped a variant on that name, Tiwaz. When their prayers for victory were answered they hung the heads and spoils of those they killed in battle on the trees in their sacred groves. This is the origin of hanging ornaments on Christmas trees. Though the christmas tree seems harmless enough to you and I, the important thing however, is how God sees it.

"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." (Jeremiah 10:2-4)

"But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works. and they served their idols; which were a snare unto them." Psalms 106:35-36)

"Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;" (Deut. 11:16)

"Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing" (Deut. 7:26)

The Santa (SATAN) Claus Lie Many Christian parents vehemently chastise their children for lying, yet annually lie to their children telling them that there is a Santa Claus. Although human reasoning may suggest that such a little lie could not be harmful, Revelations 21:8 mandates that

". . . all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."

This means those who tell big lies, little lies, black lies, white lies and yes even Santa Claus Lies! Legend portrays Santa as a jolly old elf (a mischievous, magical dwarfed subhuman creature often thought to be a spirit) claiming to have the attributes of God - omniscience, in other words, he is supposed to know when children have been good or bad. He also is claimed to reward the good and to punish the bad just like God! The Greeks called Nimrod, Nicholas. Saint Nicholas or Santa Claus. When Christians tell their children that " you had better be good because Santa (SATAN) is watching you or let's tell Santa (SATAN) what you want for Christmas and he'll give it to you, in essence parents are transferring the same things that they tell their children about God and giving the child's affections over to Santa (SATAN). Teaching their children to reverence Santa (SATAN) above God - what an abomination before the Lord! How dare we bring our children to this false god and encourage them to supplicate him for gifts and blessings? God will hold us accountable.

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:3)

"But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which beleive in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. (Matthew 18:6)

Making the Right Choice It is unrefutable that Christmas is rooted in Pagan origin. That being so, how can we professing to be Christians, participate in such an abomination before our Lord? The Word says

"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you." (II Corinthians 6:17)

As we discussed earlier in this page it was a man who called for the celebration of the birth of Jesus, to pollute His holy name with pagan customs and idolatry. What part hath light with dark And what concord hath Christ with Be'li-al? Is your faith founded in the Word of God and standing on the rock or is it simply rooted in the traditions of men and sinking sand?

THE CHOICE IS YOURS!

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