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For many people,
Christmas is a special time of year
—a time for family
and a time for celebration.
But even though many view Christmas
as a celebration
of the birth of Jesus Christ,
did you know that his early followers
didn’t celebrate his birthday?
And neither the word “Christmas”
nor even the notion
of celebrating Christ’s birthday
appears in the Bible.
So where did Christmas come from?
Consider the following facts.
The modern celebration,
which varies depending on the region,
is evidently a mix
of pagan customs and superstitions.
In Europe, ancient peoples,
such as the Celts,
believed that longer winter nights
meant that the sun had stopped moving.
So they lit logs
to persuade the sun to move again.
They also decorated
their homes with evergreens,
believing these
would protect their families from evil.
These pagan practices
began centuries before Christ
and have survived in the form
of the modern-day Christmas tree
and other decorations.
The Bible does not give a date
for Jesus’ birth.
It does mention that shepherds
were tending their flocks outdoors
on the night he was born
—something that they did not do
during the cold winter.
So why is Jesus’ birthday
celebrated in December?
The ancient Romans held a winter feast
in honor of their god of agriculture, Saturn.
After more than a week
of gift-giving and drunken feasts,
the celebration ended on December 25,
the birthday of the sun-god, Mithra.
Hundreds of years after Jesus’ death,
in the fourth century,
church leaders adopted
this ancient Roman festival
as the birth date of Jesus,
blending pagan worship with Christianity.
What about Santa Claus?
He represents a mix of fictional characters
who rode through the sky,
rewarding good children with gifts and sweets
and harshly punishing those who misbehaved.
In the early 1900’s,
advertisers began using Santa Claus
to promote holiday shopping.
Since then, Christmas has become
one of the most profitable times
of the year for business.
Of course,
many people celebrate Christmas
simply to enjoy time with loved ones,
enjoy good food, and exchange gifts.
This may all seem like harmless fun.
But as we have seen,
Christmas customs are rooted
in non-Christian worship.
Do those origins really matter?
How do God and Jesus feel?
Jesus himself said that God wants us
to “worship the Father with . . . truth.”
Consider: Could a holiday with customs
that originate in false worship
be compatible with true worship?
Millions who were led to believe
that Christmas is a harmless holiday
have learned the truth about it
and have decided
not to celebrate Christmas.
Throughout the year,
they still gather with their family,
enjoy good food, and give gifts
without any worry
that they are offending God.
To learn more about what the Bible
says on this and many other topics,
go to jw.org.

What Is the Origin of Christmas?