Should Christians Celebrate Christmas? — History, Scripture, and Balance

Bible Believing Christian
Nov 4
5 min read

Should Christians Celebrate Christmas? — History, Scripture, and Balance

Every December, the question resurfaces: Should Christians celebrate Christmas? Some see it as a beautiful opportunity to honor Christ’s birth. Others insist it’s a pagan compromise — a holiday Jesus never commanded. Both sides have a point, but truth, as usual, requires balance.

In modern Christianity, this debate can get heated. Some believers condemn the holiday as worldly; others see it as one of the few times our culture still speaks the name of Christ. Understanding both Scripture and history helps us avoid extremes and keep our focus where it belongs.

Biblical Foundation

Here’s the plain fact: the Bible never commands believers to celebrate Christ’s birth. The early Church focused on His death and resurrection (1 Corinthians 11:26). Nowhere in Acts or the epistles do we find a “Christmas service.” Yet the Bible doesn’t forbid commemorating significant moments in salvation history either. What matters is the heart behind it.

Paul’s words in Romans 14:5–6 apply perfectly:

“One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord.”

Christmas isn’t a command — it’s a conviction.

It also helps to remember that early Jewish and Christian communities generally avoided celebrating birthdays. In Jewish thought, birth marked entry into a fallen world; covenant life and redemption were what mattered. This explains why early Christians emphasized the cross and resurrection rather than the manger.

Historical and Contextual Notes

While Scripture is silent on Christmas, history tells a detailed story. The celebration of Christ’s birth developed gradually — part devotion, part evangelistic strategy, and part adaptation to culture.

The Early Centuries — No Christmas YetThe earliest believers didn’t celebrate Christ’s birth at all. Church Father Origen (c. 185–254 AD) even rebuked the idea, calling birthday celebrations pagan vanity. Clement of Alexandria (c. 200 AD) mentioned some trying to calculate Jesus’ birthdate, suggesting May 20 or November 18, but no festival existed. The Church’s calendar focused on Passover (Christ’s death) and Pentecost (the giving of the Spirit).

The 4th-Century Shift — December 25Everything began to change in the early 300s. After Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity with the Edict of Milan (313 AD), the Church gained the freedom to shape its own calendar of worship.

In Rome, December 25 already hosted Dies Natalis Solis Invicti — the “Birthday of the Unconquered Sun,” celebrating the sun god near the winter solstice. Rather than participate in pagan revelry, Christians reframed the date: Christ, not the sun, is the true Light of the world (John 8:12).

By 336 AD, the Chronograph of 354 — an early Roman calendar — lists December 25 as the Feast of the Nativity. Tradition credits Pope Julius I (337–352 AD) with formalizing this observance in Rome. It wasn’t an act of compromise but of conquest: the Church redeeming a pagan date for godly use.

East vs. WestEastern Christians originally celebrated Christ’s birth and baptism together on January 6, a feast called Epiphany or Theophany. Over time, the Western Church kept December 25 for the Nativity while the Eastern Church retained January 6 for the Epiphany. To this day, Orthodox Christians following the Julian calendar observe Christmas on what is January 7 in the modern calendar.

Medieval ExpansionBy the 6th century, Christmas was celebrated across Christendom. Emperor Justinian declared it a public holiday in 529 AD. Over the centuries, Christian art, liturgy, and music grew around the theme of the Incarnation. St. Francis of Assisi popularized the Nativity scene in 1223 to refocus attention on Christ amid growing materialism. Traditions like gift-giving (inspired by the Magi) and midnight Mass developed during this era.

Reformation and Puritan ReactionIn the 16th and 17th centuries, some Reformers rejected Christmas as an unbiblical addition. The Puritans in England outlawed it in 1647, calling it a “papist” or “pagan” invention, and similar bans appeared in colonial America. Yet many Protestant reformers, like Martin Luther, retained Christmas, emphasizing the Incarnation’s theological significance rather than superstition.

Modern Revival and CommercializationChristmas as we know it — with decorated trees, gift exchanges, and family traditions — emerged in the 19th century. Writers like Charles Dickens (A Christmas Carol, 1843) and poets such as Clement Clarke Moore (“A Visit from St. Nicholas”) reshaped it into a moral, family-centered celebration. Sadly, commercialism followed close behind, often drowning out the gospel message.

So yes — the date has pagan roots, but the meaning was transformed by Christians; the form changed with culture, but the core truth remains: Christ has come.

Misconceptions and Clarifications

“Christmas is pagan!”

The date intersects with pagan festivals, but the Church deliberately redefined it. Paganism celebrates darkness; Christianity proclaims the Light. “To the pure, all things are pure” (Titus 1:15).

“Jesus wasn’t born on December 25.”

True, most scholars agree. Shepherds in the fields suggest a warmer season (Luke 2:8). But the Bible’s silence on the date is the point — the focus isn’t the day, it’s the event.

“Christmas trees are idols!”

Jeremiah 10:3–4 condemns carved idols plated with silver and gold, not evergreen trees. Unless you’re bowing to it, it’s not idolatry — it’s symbolic celebration, often used to represent eternal life.

Theological Reflection

At its best, Christmas proclaims the most staggering truth in history: God entered His own creation to redeem it. The season can center hearts on worship, generosity, and hope. At its worst, it becomes consumerism wrapped in lights — more shopping list than Savior.

Believers aren’t bound to the holiday, but neither should they despise it. If you celebrate, do it with conviction and gratitude. If you abstain, do it with humility and grace. Paul’s words still apply:

“Let no one act as your judge in regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day.” (Colossians 2:16)

Connection to Christ

The incarnation — not the date — is what matters. Whether you gather with family under a tree or spend the day in quiet prayer, the focus should remain the same:

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government will rest on His shoulders.” (Isaiah 9:6)

Christ-Centered Conclusion

Should Christians celebrate Christmas? Scripture leaves the choice to conscience. Celebrate it if you can keep Christ at the center; abstain if it violates your conviction. What neither side should do is turn a remembrance of the Savior’s birth into a battlefield.

The issue isn’t the calendar — it’s the heart.

If Christ is Lord over your December, you’re doing it right.