There’s a case for Christmas
CHRISTMAS is arguably the most popular and most widely celebrated festival in the 21st century. Though celebrated by a large segment of Christendom, it has been bastardised by a minority within the Christian fold and outside Christian circles.
Chief among the most vociferous critics of Christmas is the religious group called the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Their antagonistic views regarding the celebration of Christmas will be considered since, to a very large extent, their views represent that of many other critics.
I will attempt to present a concise, logical and coherent case for Christmas.
The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society makes these assertions concerning the celebration of Christmas: “Since the date of Christmas is of pagan origin, it should not seem strange that the customs of Christmas are also of pagan origin. There is no escaping it, Christmas is of pagan origin.
“How much more important it is for true Christians today to shun a celebration that was never authorised by God, that stems from pagan Babylon, and that falsely bears the name of Christ.” At face value, this argument sounds logical. No wonder it is paraded on the airwaves, via the print media and on street corners as the gospel truth.
The question I pose is: are these assertions by critics consistent with the facts of history and with sound logic?
“Christmas celebration was not authorised by Christ and thus must not be celebrated by Christians”, according to some critics. This assertion is weak in logic and a brief analysis will prove this.
Nowhere in Scripture does Christ instruct his followers to publish magazines, act plays, organise conventions, use hymn books, appoint regular pioneers, auxiliary pioneers and many other activities some critics such as Jehovah’s Witnesses are involved in. Yet they are done with gusto.
These activities are never considered to be wrong or of pagan origin even though Christ never expressly authorised their practice. My contention is that an act is not wrong merely because Christ never expressly authorised it.
It is wrong when it contradicts the clear instruction of Scripture and when it militates against the spiritual wellness of the practitioner. The many benefits of Christmas celebration cannot be quantified.
Many who have celebrated Christmas in the right way over the centuries have reaped benefits of significant proportions. No wonder many still celebrate Christmas.
“Christmas is of pagan origin. The date of Christmas is of pagan origin. It should therefore not seem strange that customs of Christmas are also of pagan origin,” critics have said.
Well, if the celebration of Christmas on December 25 annually implies its pagan origin, what will be said of the celebration of Christmas on January 6 annually by the Armenian Church? The wise apply their hearts to wisdom.
Consider this analogy: five years ago, while residing in a village whose inhabitants were largely traditionalists, a few Christian friends of mine and I were expected to join in the celebration of their annual festival in honour of their gods for rains and a good harvest season. My friends and I decided that rather than participate in a supposedly pagan festival, we would spend the day in honour of our God for his provisions.
We followed through with our decision and found it to be exceptionally rewarding. Interestingly, through our missionary efforts in the village, a significantly large segment of the inhabitants were converted to Christianity, including their chief and his elders.
Two years down the line a large segment of the community discarded the celebration of their annual pagan festival and adopted the practice my friends and I had commenced some years back. Does the fact that our festival dislodged the pagan festival of the community make our festival less Christian and of pagan origin?
Does this suggest that our festival falsely bears the name of God? Absolutely not!
In a similar vein, the fact that pagans of Rome already observed December 25 annually as the feast of Saturn celebrating the birth of the sun does not make Christmas pagan and of pagan origin. Also worth noting is that, contrary to the claims of critics, the fact that customs of pagan origin are prevalent in Christmas celebration does not necessarily mean Christmas is of pagan origin.
According to Encyclopaedia Americana, customs of all lands have been added through the centuries. Some were intended to make the celebration more acceptable and meaningful to people of divergent ethnic groups.
No wonder some scholars believe the birth of Christ as light of the world was made analogous to the rebirth of the sun to make Christianity more meaningful to pagan converts. The abuse of a thing does not make the thing wrong.
When the purpose of a thing is either unknown or neglected, abuse is inevitable.
“Christ was not born on December 25. Why celebrate his birth on that day every year?” Well, Christendom does not claim that Jesus Christ was born on December 25.
The church knows well that it is not probable and feasible that Christ was born on this date bearing in mind the weather patterns in Israel around this season. The church has no documentation of the exact date of Christ’s birth.
However, December 25 was merely set aside more than 1 500 years ago by some Christians to remember and honour the birth of Christ.
Jesus Christ is the reason for the season of Christmas, primarily because it is a celebration to remember and honour his legendary birth. Christ must remain central in our celebrations.
Interestingly, we are also the reason for the season. This is because Christ was born for our sake. We are the reason he came.
In the celebration of Christmas, amid the joy and happiness the Christian may also consider some beautiful Christian concepts that ought to shine through the celebrations, that emanate from the nativity story. These will prove to be a blessing indeed: expressing heartfelt gratitude to God through our singing and through our prayers, re-examination of our lives and rededication of our lives to God, seeking and promoting peace and reconciliation, sharing God’s word and our material possessions with others, taking time to reflect and meditate on God’s word among many other healthy practices.
It is my conviction that critics have the right to choose not to participate in the celebration of Christmas, but they err at the side of caution and sound argumentation when they shout their condemnation of the celebration of Christmas “from the roof tops”. The extraordinary birth of the saviour of the world (Jesus Christ) is worth celebrating. When celebrated appropriately, it brings untold blessings.