Christmas is a globally recognized holiday, celebrated by billions around the world. While often associated with festive decorations, gift-giving, and family gatherings, the question of Why Is Christmas Celebrated delves into a rich tapestry of history, religious beliefs, and evolving traditions. Understanding the reasons behind Christmas requires exploring its origins, dispelling common misconceptions, and appreciating its significance for Christians and broader culture.
To truly grasp why Christmas is celebrated, it’s essential to address some frequently raised questions about its historical roots, particularly concerning pagan influences and biblical legitimacy.
Debunking Pagan Myths: Christmas and Saturnalia
One common misconception is that Christmas is simply a Christianized version of the ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia. Saturnalia was indeed a winter solstice festival in ancient Rome characterized by feasting and revelry. However, the claim that Christmas directly originated from Saturnalia and was merely a replacement is not entirely accurate.
Historical evidence suggests a different timeline. As highlighted by History Today, Saturnalia’s duration and timing shifted over time during the Roman period. Initially a two-day event starting on December 17th, it expanded to a seven-day festival. Interestingly, calendar adjustments in the Roman era moved Saturnalia to December 25th, coinciding with the approximate date of the winter solstice.
This timeline implies a potential influence of the emerging Christmas celebration on the timing of Saturnalia, rather than the other way around. Therefore, it’s inaccurate to definitively state that Christmas is merely a continuation of the pagan Saturnalia festival.
The Sun God and Constantine: Sol Invictus
Another point of confusion involves the association of Christmas with the Roman cult of Sol Invictus, the Unconquered Sun. It is true that Emperor Constantine, the first Roman emperor to embrace Christianity, was raised in the Sol Invictus cult. During his reign, the Roman Empire was transitioning towards monotheism.
Some argue that the date for Christmas was deliberately chosen to replace the festival of Sol Invictus, celebrated on December 25th. While this is a plausible theory, it’s crucial to understand the nuance. The intention behind celebrating Christmas, for those who observe it, holds greater significance than the potential historical influences on the chosen date. For Christians, Christmas is primarily about honoring the birth of Jesus Christ, regardless of any overlaps with pre-existing festivals.
Biblical and Liturgical Roots of December 25th
Interestingly, there are compelling arguments suggesting that the December 25th date for Christmas may stem from within Jewish and early Christian theological frameworks, rather than solely from pagan influences.
One theory connects the date to Jewish concepts linking a prophet’s death date to their conception or birth. Early Christian scholars, applying this concept to Jesus, extrapolated that if Jesus was believed to have died around Passover (in March), then his conception would have occurred around March 25th. Counting nine months from March 25th logically leads to a birth date of December 25th.
Further supporting this liturgical origin, historical records show that the earliest known reference to celebrating Christ’s birth on December 25th appears in the Roman Philocalian calendar of AD 354, which is after Constantine’s reign (AD 324-337). This timeline suggests that the dating of Christmas was more likely rooted in liturgical calculations within the early Church.
Christian historian William Federer, in an interview, further elaborated on this liturgical basis. He explained that early church fathers calculated December 25th based on the priestly service of Zechariah, John the Baptist’s father, as described in Luke 1. Zechariah served in the temple twice a year, during the third and eighth months of the Jewish calendar. The latter service period occurred in late September, which is why the Byzantine calendar celebrates John the Baptist’s conception on September 23rd.
Following this timeline, six months after John’s conception, March 25th was designated as the date of the Annunciation, marking the conception of Jesus. This is based on the biblical account of the angel Gabriel visiting Mary in the sixth month of Elizabeth’s (John’s mother) pregnancy. Counting nine months from March 25th again points to December 25th as the birth date of Jesus.
While December 25th cannot be definitively proven as the exact date of Jesus’s birth, these liturgical and historical arguments provide a strong Christian rationale for the chosen date, independent of pagan festivals.
Addressing Biblical Objections to Christmas
Despite these explanations, some objections to Christmas arise from specific interpretations of biblical passages. Common objections and their contextual understandings include:
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Objection: Christmas traditions are man-made and therefore “vain worship” (Matt 15:9).
- Context: Matthew 15:9 criticizes the Pharisees for prioritizing their traditions over God’s word and having hearts distant from God. Celebrating Christmas with a focus on Christ and without equating traditions to divine law is distinct from the Pharisees’ hypocrisy. The Bible neither explicitly commands nor forbids Christmas.
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Objection: Celebrating Christmas with awareness of pagan origins is associating with false gods (1 Cor 10:21).
- Context: 1 Corinthians 10:21 addresses Christians participating in pagan idol worship and feasts. Unless Christmas traditions are consciously intended to honor pagan deities, this verse is misapplied. Practices like decorating trees, while historically associated with pagan festivals, are now largely cultural customs, similar to many other cultural overlaps between Christians and non-Christians in areas like food and clothing.
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Objection: The Bible forbids observing special days (Gal 4:10).
- Context: Galatians 4:10 is part of Paul’s argument against legalism, where he criticizes the Galatians for reverting to dependence on religious works rather than Christ’s grace. Celebrating Christmas as a cultural and religious observance focused on Christ’s birth is different from adhering to religious laws for salvation, and thus is not the target of Paul’s concern.
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Objection: Observing special days indicates spiritual weakness (Rom 14:1-5).
- Context: Romans 14:1-5 encourages tolerance and acceptance among believers with differing views on certain practices, like dietary laws or observing specific days. The passage promotes mutual respect, not condemnation. Many Christians acknowledge that December 25th is not definitively Jesus’s birth date but still find value in collectively celebrating the event.
The Meaning and Purpose of Christmas Today
For many Christians, celebrating Christmas is primarily about honoring Jesus Christ and commemorating his birth. It provides an opportunity to reflect on the prophecies fulfilled by his coming, to engage in acts of service and generosity, to foster community and fellowship, and importantly, to share the Christian message with others.
Christmas, in this contemporary understanding, becomes a time for meaningful experiences: contemplating the significance of Christ’s incarnation, reaching out to those in need, building relationships, and sharing the core beliefs of Christianity. To forgo Christmas due to historical complexities or misapplied biblical interpretations could mean missing out on these valuable opportunities for faith expression and positive engagement with the world.
In conclusion, the question of why is Christmas celebrated has multifaceted answers rooted in history, theology, and cultural evolution. While acknowledging historical influences and addressing valid questions, it’s crucial to understand the primary intention and contemporary meaning of Christmas for those who celebrate it. Ultimately, for many, Christmas is a cherished occasion to honor Jesus Christ, express faith, and spread goodwill, remaining a matter of personal conviction and Christian liberty.
