Christmas Traditions

Christmas Traditions
A Biblical Perspective on the Celebration of the Birth of Christ

Each year many Christians are faced with the decision of what to do about the holidays. Should they celebrate with everyone else or refrain from celebrating because of the pagan origins of some of the practices associated with this time of year? For many, this is no minor dilemma. What follows is offered in the hope we may find that place of balance so essential to a healthy Christian life.

Believers began celebrating Jesus' birth in the Fourth Century. There was uncertainty over the correct date so they picked December 25th, a day which was already being used to celebrate a pagan religious holiday. As converts from paganism, they desired to distance themselves from their past. What better way to do that than to turn their love and devotion to the Savior while their neighbors were caught up in the errors of their pagan faiths?

In the early centuries, Christmas commemorated more than just Jesus' first coming as a babe to Bethlehem. It anticipated His Second Coming as King of creation. Believers looked backward with thanksgiving and forward in preparation. This forward-looking aspect of Christmas is seen in the observance of Advent, a four-week period preceding Christmas in which people pause to remember the meaning of the coming of the Savior.[1]

 What poses a difficulty for many Christians today is the realization many of the rituals of Christmas are a carry -over, not from the Christian traditions of Christmas, but pagan religious holidays. The Christmas tree, exchanging gifts, the Yule log, and a host of other practices come from a pagan source. The question immediately arises, "If these things are pagan in origin, should we engage in them?"

 Some sincere believers are convinced they should not. And if one's conscience is violated, then certainly, they should not observe these things. But let me suggest another way to look at Christmas and the rituals associated with it.

 The observance and celebration of holidays is something God ordained and commanded in the Old Testament. He instructed Israel to set aside special days as a time of remembrance of the great acts of redemption He worked in their history. Each year they were to cease from all other activity and remember His great salvation. Passover, Tabernacles, Pentecost, the Day of Atonement; all these point to what God had done, and what He promised yet to do. Celebration on special days commemorating God's promises was to be a regular and annual part of the life of faith.

 One of the commands God gave about these holy-days, was that when the children asked their parents what the day meant, the parents were to tell the children about God's mighty grace and how He works in the lives of those who call on Him. At the Passover table, filled as it was with so many strange dishes, it was only natural for children to ask why they ate those particular foods. At the celebration of Tabernacles, the entire nation was to move outdoors into lean-to shacks made of palm branches. In this way, they commemorated the wilderness wanderings and their living in tents. While fun for the kids, it would certainly raise their curiosity.

 So holidays had a two-fold purpose: 1) to regularly remind adults that God works in the affairs of his people, and 2) to train up the children in the knowledge and heritage of faith in God.
 The Early Church was mainly comprised of converted Jews. As we read the book of Acts, we see that they continued celebrating the holidays of Israel. But now, these special days were infused with new meaning and relevance. Those first Christians could see these special days as not merely a looking back to what God had done but to what God did in giving His only begotten Son, and in what He had promised He would do in the future.

 While the Jews have several major feast days, Christians concentrate their attention on two great times of rejoicing; Christmas and Resurrection or Easter Sunday. These two holidays are memorials of God's faithfulness and love. It is only right that we follow on in the tradition of faith by setting aside special days to remember and reflect on the greatness of God.
 The problem is that we find no specific instructions in the Bible on how to celebrate Christmas. Where such instruction is lacking, we may use sanctified-common-sense. This means we must avoid sin and walk wisely. We must also consider the dictates of our conscience. But let us each ensure our conscience is informed by truth.

 While it is true that most of the rituals of Christmas observed today have their origin in pagan practices, they do not have those associations today. People do not worship their Christmas tree. (Although, they may worship what's under it!) The dilemma we must address is this: Just what DO the rituals of this season mean? Why do we put a tree in our living rooms? Why do we decorate it? Why do we give presents and what is the meaning of the stocking? Who is Santa and how can he come down that chimney if he has cookies and milk at every house?

 While these things don't have pagan meanings for us, there is still a problem. The problem is that they have NO meaning. They are empty and void of content. Consequently, they are pointless, vain practices for most. Empty rituals make for a lifeless faith. Jesus was quite hard on the religious leaders of his day precisely on this point. They were going through the motions of religion, without any real meaning in their rituals. He didn't call them to stop their practices but rather to do them with hearts in tune with what they meant.[2]

 Rather than cast off the traditions of Christmas, why not re-infuse them with meaning so they become living object lessons of what this season is all about.

 This is the way we went abou tit in our home when our children were young. On Christmas Eve, we gathered round the tree and told them the Christmas story. The lights on the tree are a reminder of the stars that lit the field where the shepherds watched their flocks. Then suddenly, angels appeared to declare the birth of Christ. The star on the top of the tree reminds us of the star that guided the Magi. We told our children truly wise people still seek Christ. The round ornaments remind us that Jesus came because God loves the whole world. The colors of the ornaments; gold, silver, red and such speak of richness of God's gift and who Jesus came to shed His blood for our sins. The tree itself is a reminder that Jesus came, not to rule, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many on the cross of Calvary. (But when He comes again, He comes as King.) The evergreen reminds us that the love and promises of God are everlasting.

 We give gifts to one another as a reminder of the greatest of all gifts—Jesus. The stocking which was empty the night before Christmas is filled on Christmas morn, reminding us that when we were empty, Christ filled us with good things. We set out an extra stocking each year. This is Jesus' stocking. On Christmas morning, before we do any gift opening, we each put a hand into the stocking and pray, offering ourselves to God.

 Some people are leery of the whole idea of Santa Claus and as he is presented today, there is need for concern. But history tells us of a Nicholas who was so infused with the love and grace of God that he gave hand-made toys to underprivileged children in the Name of Jesus. This hero of the faith is worthy of recognition and emulation as we seek to spread the grace of God to those less privileged than ourselves. We can use the symbol of Santa, not as a icon of greed and getting, but as a godly example of grace and giving.

 This is some of the ways we infuse the real meaning of Christmas into the traditions of the holiday. If you like or are inspired by them, you are welcome to use them as you wish. Come up with your own and share them with your friends so that their experience of Christmas can be enriched.

 When it comes to the celebration of Christmas, let these words of the Apostle Paul guide our steps; "One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind."[3]
 
   [1] Dowley, Tim, A Lion Handbook of the History of Christianity Lion:Oxford pg 31
   [2] Matthew 23:23
   [3] Romans 14:5