I have been having a discussion with some friends who think that Christmas day was Christ birthday. They want more evidence that it is not. They believe that the bible is the word of God, but are still following worldly belief that Christ was born on Dec. 25th. I have told them that his birth was a glorious day for the world to know him, but that if a christian is going to follow the bible than our memorial or day in which we are to reconize would be the one that salvation is bought by which would be the day of his death,burial, and resurrcertion(which is the most glorious birth; into the spiritual realm) Can there be any reason for a Christian to celebrate the birth of Christ’s fleshly birth? If so than don’t we become hypocrites if we teach that we don’t know when Christ was born, but we pick a day that the world said He was(which is close to pagan worship day;(solcese)? Please help!!

Thank you for emailing me. Your question is a good one, and one that often comes up this time of year. The religious world has decided that Christmas day is the birth of Christ, and there is very little that can be said to dissuade them. One of the biggest problems that we see is people ask the question backwards. They ask you to prove that it is not, yet the fact of the matter is that there is no proof that it is, Biblically speaking. The burden of proof is on them to prove that it is Christ’s birthday first, and then for us to examine that evidence. It is very hard to prove the negative.

There are a couple of factors that seem to discourage the idea, although again there is no incontrovertible proof. The first is that we see the shepherds in Luke 2:8 outside watching over their sheep. This means that it is more likely that they would have been inside if Jesus was actually born at this time of year. Instead it more likely points to a summer birth. While not air tight by any means, it does lend a little to the theory. Also, as the article that will shortly be mentioned point out, it seems unlikely that a census would have been done at the end of the year.

The other evidence that we have that says it is doubtful Christ was born on this day is found in extra-biblical sources. Look at this article on Christmas by the Catholic Encyclopedia. I used them as a source because the Catholic church is where this tradition started. What is interesting to note is that the traditions of Christ birth are far ranging. There is no universal census. The Bible does not tell us when Christ’s birthday does. It comes from Catholic tradition. I would imagine that the people you are talking to would not accept Catholic tradition for other beliefs, so they probably should not here as well. The claim that Christ’s birthday is Dec. 25th has no biblical authority to it.

That being said, I do not have any problem with a person celebrating the birth of Christ. It is one of the most important events of mankind. This is the time when God became man and came to earth. I get goose bumps writing about it. The angels sing praises at the birth of Christ. It is amazing that God did this. It was not conceivable in anyone’s mind. Not only that, it is praiseworthy because without His birth, His death could have never happened. I think it is good then that we take time and think about the birth of Christ. It should not be limited to one day or even one month of the year. Instead we should be reminded of it often.

So do I have a problem then with someone celebrating December 25th as Christ’s birthday? Not necessarily. If I knew that there was someone who did, I would explain to them that there is no such evidence that December 25th is in fact Christ’s birthday. However, it is okay for people to take a day and celebrate God, to celebrate Jesus. Paul, in Romans 14:5 says

“One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day [alike]. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.”

In this passage he is telling the Jews and the Gentiles that their traditions are okay, as long as they do not become Laws. It is okay for a Jew to obey the Sabbath. We see in various occasions that Paul supported a Nazarite vow (Acts 21L21-26), which was a strictly Jewish tradition. The problem came whenever they were trying to force the Gentiles to do the same. The Gentiles did not have to celebrate Sabbath. There was no command to. But that did not restrict the Jews from doing so if they pleased

I think this principle applies to Christmas. If someone wants to celebrate the birth of Christ on that day, they are entitled to. There is nothing wrong with worshipping God. They probably should be honest about how sure they can be that it is Christ’s birthday, but even there I would not press the issue to stridently. However, there is no reason that we have to celebrate Christ’s birthday on that day either. It is simply put a custom of the day, and Christians are free to practice it or not.

As for the connection with the pagan holiday, all traces of that today have vanished. There is no pagan worship involved in our holiday today. The symbols signify something else completely today. We are not worshipping idols nor participating in pagan activity by celebrating Christmas (at least in my home and the homes that I have known and been familiar with). Therefore I do not think a connection that is probably over 1000 years old is not applicable today. Again, I have no problem with those who decide not to celebrate Christmas. I just do not see the grounds on which we can condemn those who do.