The Origin of Christmas

What is the meaning of Christmas?

ORIGIN

Most scholarly resources readily admit to its heathen origin, of how it absorbed the Roman holiday called Saturnalia, cosmetically converting its rituals into a "Christian holiday" under a new name: Christmas.

"December 25 was already a major festival in the pagan Roman world, the Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, or 'Birthday of the Unconquered Sun,' falling within the week-long celebration of the Saturnalia, a feast honouring the renewal of the sun at the winter solstice. Pagan celebrations on December 25 had included feasting, dancing, lighting bonfires, decorating homes with greens, and giving gifts. So when this became a Christian festival, the customs continued, but with a Christian meaning imparted to them."(e.g.Encyclopaedia International, Vol. 4, Grolier Incorporated, New York, 1972, item "Christmas," p. 414)

Although many proclaim Christmas to be a Christian victory over paganism, it can be demonstrated that the opposite is true: Christmas is in fact a heathen triumph over Christianity.

Consider this: It was never a Jewish custom to observe birthdays.

JEWISH CUSTOMS

"No observances or celebrations are traditionally connected in Jewish custom with the anniversary of a person's birth ...." ( e.g. Encyclopaedia of the Jewish Religion, edited by Dr. R. J. Zevi Werblowsky & Dr. Geoffry Wigoder, Hold, Rinehard & Winston, Inc., Chicago, IL, 1965, item "Birthday," p. 71)

Thus, Yahshua the Messiah never celebrated His own birthday.

Furthermore, there is no record IN THE NEW TESTAMENT of any early believers observing His birthday or any semblance of the holiday we know as "Christmas." In fact, it wasn't until the fourth century that a Catholic pope named Julius first declared December 25th as being the anniversary of the Messiah's birth.

THE CHURCH

"Until 350 A.D., when Pope Julius I proclaimed December 25 as the date of the Nativity, almost every month in the year had, at one time or another, been named by reputable scholars as the likely date of Christ's birth." (e.g. The Pageantry of Christmas, by the Editors of LIFE, TIME INCORPORATED, New York, 1963, p. 10) This same book later adds: "Christians began absorbing these old customs and infusing them with Christian meaning in order to help spread the faith. Many Church fathers considered the method dangerous."

THE PROTESTANTS

At first, many Protestants rejected the observance of Christmas.

In fact, in the United States Christmas observances were outlawed in Puritan New England for many years. The state of Massachusetts became the last state to finally repeal its law against Christmas observance in 1856, the same year that President Franklin Pierce became the first president to place a Christmas tree in the White House. Moreover, it wasn't until 1885 that the U.S. Congress passed a law giving federal employees the day off.

TODAY

While much of our society perceives the United States' gradual, but final, acceptance of Christmas as "progress," those of us who understand the true roots of its observance, combined with the Scriptural admonition to not mix our faith with the practices of heathens (According to Deuteronomy, chapter 12, we are not to mix heathen worship practices into our faith: "Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them [the heathen nations], after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou inquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? Even so will I do likewise."

Credible resource will admit that Christmas represents the adoption of a heathen observance, with all the customs retained, only given new meanings and a new name.

Those who recognize the timeless validity of Yahweh's law understand that the observance of Christmas is a violation of His Torah. THEREFORE the general slip out statement 'WE ARE UNDER GRACE NOT UNDER LAW' -is a false premise!

To recognize the observance of Christmas is a violation of Torah.

Add to this the fact that Christmas observance, along with other commonly accepted holidays, is treated as a replacement of the observance of our Creator's ordained set apart days, and we can understand that it is a partial fulfilment of the prophecy of Daniel 7:25.

In this chapter we read of a symbolic "little horn" that comes out of the fourth beast mentioned in the prophetic account.

Notice one of the characteristics of this "little horn":

He shall speak words against the Most High, shall wear out the holy ones (set apart ones) of the Most High, and shall attempt to change the sacred seasons and the law.

There is considerable debate over the precise identity of the "little horn," but whoever or whatever organization it represents, it has largely succeeded in its mission. It has persuaded most of the civilized world that our Creator's laws have been either "changed" or "done away," and the "sacred seasons" or holy feast days ordained by our Creator have been replaced with such counterparts as Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, all of which on the surface seem so innocent and pure, but under the close scrutiny of Scripture, are not pleasing to the Maker as they are idolatry.

Beloved family & friends , yes it is a very hard DECISION considering you have to come out of Babylon. Some will choose ignorance a bliss and -what would you choose?

Sent in love. Jay / Jayantha

arulampalam@bigpond.com