The Truth About Christmas – Its Pagan Roots and Why Christians Should Not Celebrate It
Many assume that Christmas is a Christian holiday, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. But a deeper look into history and Scripture reveals a disturbing truth—Christmas is rooted in pagan idolatry, Babylonian sun worship, and unbiblical traditions that have been falsely attached to Christ.
“Learn not the way of the heathen.” – Jeremiah 10:2
The Pagan Origins of Christmas
Christmas, as celebrated today, has no biblical foundation and is rooted in ancient pagan festivals that long predate the birth of Christ. When Rome merged Christianity with its empire, pagan customs were deliberately incorporated into Christian practices to make conversion more appealing. However, God warns against mixing pagan traditions with true worship (Deuteronomy 12:30-32).
🔹 The Influence of Babylon – The Mother of Pagan Holidays
✔ Babylon is the source of many false religious practices that spread worldwide.
✔ Sun worship and fertility rites became key elements of religious festivals.
✔ December 25th was linked to the birth of false gods long before Christ.
📖 Jeremiah 51:7 – “Babylon hath been a golden cup in the Lord’s hand, that made all the earth drunken.”
🔎 Babylon’s traditions infiltrated the nations—including modern religious practices.
🔹 Saturnalia – The Roman Festival of Lawlessness
✔ Held from December 17-25, Saturnalia was a Roman festival honoring Saturn, the god of time.
✔ It involved feasting, drunkenness, role reversals, and moral debauchery.
✔ Gifts were exchanged, temples were adorned with greenery, and candles were lit to “conquer the darkness.”
📖 Isaiah 5:20 – “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil.”
🔎 Rome’s adoption of pagan festivals corrupted true worship, yet Christmas continues these customs today.
🔹 The Worship of Mithras – The Unconquered Sun
✔ December 25th was the birthday of Mithras, the Persian sun god, worshiped by Roman soldiers.
✔ Mithraism was a mystery religion that focused on a savior figure and ritualistic feasts.
✔ Rome strategically chose this date to align Jesus with sun worship.
📖 Ezekiel 8:16 – “And they worshiped the sun toward the east.”
🔎 Sun worship is condemned in Scripture, yet December 25th remains a day of honoring a sun deity.
🔹 Yule and Norse Paganism – Winter Solstice Worship
✔ The Norse celebrated Yule, a festival revolving around the rebirth of the sun.
✔ Yule logs were burned to summon the return of light, a tradition still practiced today.
✔ Mistletoe and holly were sacred fertility symbols to the Druids.
📖 Deuteronomy 18:10-12 – “There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire… or an observer of times.”
🔎 God forbids adopting pagan superstitions and practices.
🔹 The Catholic Church’s Assimilation of Paganism
✔ To “Christianize” the Roman Empire, the Catholic Church absorbed pagan customs.
✔ Pagan idols were renamed after saints, and festivals were rebranded.
✔ December 25th was declared Christ’s birthday in the 4th century, despite no biblical evidence.
📖 Matthew 15:9 – “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”
🔎 Worship rooted in human tradition, rather than God’s command, is worthless.
The False Birthdate of Christ – December 25th and Sun Worship
One of the greatest deceptions regarding Christmas is the claim that December 25th is the birthdate of Jesus Christ. Nowhere in the Bible is this date given, nor did the early church celebrate Christ’s birth on this day. Instead, December 25th is tied to ancient pagan sun worship, which was later adopted by the Roman Church to appease converts from paganism.
🔹 No Biblical Evidence for December 25th
✔ The Bible does not record the exact birthdate of Christ.
✔ Early Christians did not celebrate His birth—the focus was always on His death and resurrection.
✔ The shepherds were in the fields, which suggests a warmer season, not mid-winter.
📖 Luke 2:8 – “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.”
🔎 Shepherds in Israel do not keep flocks in open fields during the cold winter months—this points to a likely autumn birth.
📖 Matthew 2:11 – The wise men came to see a young child in a house, not a newborn in a manger.
🔎 This suggests Jesus’ birth was not in late December but occurred months earlier.
🔹 December 25th – The Birthday of Pagan Gods
✔ December 25th was celebrated long before Christ as the birthday of false gods.
✔ Sun worshipers viewed this date as the rebirth of the sun after the winter solstice.
✔ The Roman Church later merged this festival with Christ’s birth to convert pagans.
📖 Ezekiel 8:16 – “And they worshiped the sun toward the east.”
🔎 Sun worship has always been condemned in Scripture, yet December 25th is based on this practice.
📖 Jeremiah 10:2 – “Learn not the way of the heathen.”
🔎 God commands His people not to adopt pagan customs in worship.
✔ Saturnalia (Roman Festival – Dec 17-25) – A week-long festival honoring Saturn, filled with feasting, gift-giving, and revelry.
✔ Mithras (Persian Sun-God) – December 25th was the birthday of Mithras, a false savior worshiped as the “unconquered sun.”
✔ Sol Invictus (The Invincible Sun) – The Roman Emperor Aurelian declared December 25th the birthday of the sun god in AD 274.
📖 Deuteronomy 4:19 – “And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them.”
🔎 Christmas on December 25th is a continuation of sun worship disguised as Christianity.
🔹 The Roman Church’s Compromise – Merging Paganism with Christianity
✔ By the 4th century, Rome “Christianized” pagan festivals to make conversion easier.
✔ December 25th was adopted to unify pagan sun worshipers and Christians.
✔ The Catholic Church established this date, despite no biblical authority.
📖 Matthew 15:9 – “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”
🔎 Christ Himself warned against worship based on human tradition rather than God’s commands.
📖 2 Corinthians 6:14-15 – “What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?”
🔎 Mixing truth with falsehood leads only to deception.
✔ The early church did not celebrate Christ’s birth—this was introduced by the apostate church of Rome.
✔ God’s appointed holy days (Leviticus 23) were replaced by man-made traditions.
✔ Even today, December 25th is observed by those who practice New Age and occultism.
📖 Revelation 18:4 – “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins.”
🔎 God calls His people to separate from Babylonian customs—including Christmas.
Key Takeaways – December 25th is a Pagan Deception
✔ The Bible gives no evidence of Christ’s birth being on December 25th.
✔ This date was celebrated as the birth of pagan gods centuries before Christ.
✔ The Roman Church merged sun worship with Christianity, corrupting true worship.
✔ God commands His people to reject pagan customs and follow His Word alone.
📖 John 4:24 – “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
🔎 True worship is based on God’s truth, not traditions rooted in idolatry.
🚀 Will you continue following a man-made tradition, or will you seek to worship God in spirit and truth? The choice is yours.
Christmas Traditions and Their Pagan Roots
Many of the most beloved Christmas customs—decorated trees, gift-giving, Santa Claus, and festive feasts—do not originate in the Bible but are instead pagan practices that have been absorbed into Christian culture. These traditions are not harmless holiday fun but remnants of ancient idol worship, which God repeatedly warns His people to avoid.
🔹 The Christmas Tree – A Symbol of Pagan Tree Worship
✔ The practice of bringing evergreen trees indoors and decorating them dates back to ancient Babylon, Rome, and Norse paganism.
✔ Evergreens were revered as symbols of fertility, eternal life, and sun worship during winter solstice celebrations.
✔ Pagans believed spirits dwelled in the trees, and offerings were made to them.
📖 Jeremiah 10:2-4 – “Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen… for one cutteth a tree out of the forest… They deck it with silver and with gold.”
🔎 This passage perfectly describes the modern Christmas tree—adopted from pagan rituals.
✔ Druids and Romans hung decorations on trees to honor their gods.
✔ Martin Luther introduced the Christmas tree into Christian tradition in the 16th century, blending pagan customs with faith.
📖 Deuteronomy 12:30-31 – “Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them… for every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods.”
🔎 God warns His people not to adopt the worship practices of the heathen.
🔹 Gift-Giving – A Remnant of Saturnalia and Babylonian Offerings
✔ The Romans exchanged gifts during Saturnalia, a festival honoring the god Saturn from Dec 17-25.
✔ Babylonians made offerings to their gods during religious feasts.
✔ Modern gift-giving has little to do with honoring Christ and everything to do with materialism.
📖 Matthew 6:19-21 – “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt.”
🔎 Modern Christmas commercialism is fueled by greed, not godliness.
✔ The Magi (wise men) did bring gifts to Jesus, but these were acts of worship—not exchanges between each other.
✔ Nowhere in Scripture are believers instructed to exchange gifts on Christ’s supposed birthday.
📖 Amos 5:21-23 – “I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.”
🔎 God rejects celebrations when they are rooted in false worship.
🔹 Santa Claus – A Blasphemous Counterfeit of God
✔ Santa Claus (Saint Nicholas) was merged with Norse and Germanic legends of Odin, who flew through the skies delivering gifts.
✔ Santa has been given god-like attributes: omnipresence (knows when you’re sleeping), judgment (knows if you’ve been good or bad), and power (rewarding people based on behavior).
✔ The modern Santa legend shifts the focus away from Christ and onto a false figure.
📖 Exodus 20:3 – “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”
🔎 Santa is given divine attributes and has become a false idol in many households.
✔ Children are taught to believe in Santa before they are taught to believe in Christ—this is deception.
✔ Satan (Santa rearranged) is a counterfeit designed to replace God’s authority with a man-made figure.
📖 2 Corinthians 11:14 – “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”
🔎 Satan always seeks to create counterfeits to lead people away from truth.
🔹 Mistletoe, Holly, and Yule Logs – Druidic and Norse Paganism
✔ Mistletoe was a sacred plant for Druids, used in fertility rites and spirit worship.
✔ Holly was believed to have magical properties to ward off evil spirits.
✔ Yule logs were burned in Norse tradition to honor the rebirth of the sun god.
📖 Ephesians 5:11 – “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.”
🔎 These decorations are directly tied to occult and pagan beliefs.
✔ These symbols have no connection to Christ, yet they are embraced in Christian homes.
✔ Many unknowingly invite spiritual darkness into their homes by partaking in these customs.
📖 1 Thessalonians 5:22 – “Abstain from all appearance of evil.”
🔎 Even if these traditions seem innocent, they have roots in idolatry.
Key Takeaways – Christmas Traditions are Not Innocent
✔ The Christmas tree is rooted in Babylonian and Roman tree worship.
✔ Gift-giving is linked to pagan religious offerings, not biblical worship.
✔ Santa Claus is a false figure that diverts attention from Christ.
✔ Mistletoe, holly, and Yule logs are remnants of occult pagan practices.
✔ Every Christmas custom stems from idolatrous origins, not biblical truth.
📖 Mark 7:7-8 – “Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men… ye hold the tradition of men.”
🔎 God does not accept worship tainted by man-made traditions.
🚀 Will you continue in traditions rooted in deception, or will you worship God in spirit and truth?
Why True Believers Must Reject Christmas
Many professing Christians continue to celebrate Christmas, believing it is an innocent way to honor Christ. However, God commands His people to be separate from the ways of the world, especially those rooted in paganism and false worship. No matter how much Christmas is Christianized, its origins remain unchanged. True believers must ask themselves: Does God accept worship based on deception?
🔹 God Commands Us to Separate from Pagan Practices
✔ God’s people are called to be holy and set apart.
✔ Mixing truth with error leads to corruption and deception.
✔ What was once idolatrous does not become holy simply by attaching Christ’s name to it.
📖 2 Corinthians 6:17 – “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.”
🔎 Separation from paganism is a condition of being received by God.
📖 Leviticus 20:23 – “And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.”
🔎 God does not tolerate compromise—He expects His people to reject the ways of the nations.
✔ Many believe “we celebrate it for Jesus,” but God does not accept worship based on falsehood.
✔ Throughout Scripture, God rejected worship that mixed pagan elements, even when done in His name.
📖 Deuteronomy 12:30-31 – “How did these nations serve their gods? Even so will I do likewise. Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God.”
🔎 God strictly forbids taking pagan customs and using them in His worship.
🔹 Mixing Paganism with Worship is Idolatry
✔ The Israelites often mixed pagan worship with the true worship of God, which led to their downfall.
✔ They still claimed to worship the Lord, but He rejected their worship because it was tainted.
✔ Today, Christmas follows the same pattern—attaching God’s name to a pagan holiday.
📖 Exodus 32:4-5 – “And they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt… And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the Lord.”
🔎 Aaron mixed the golden calf with worshiping God, but God still condemned it as idolatry.
📖 Ezekiel 20:39 – “Go ye, serve ye every one his idols… but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts and with your idols.”
🔎 God rejects worship that is polluted by idolatrous influences, even when done with good intentions.
✔ Christmas celebrations, despite claiming to honor Jesus, originate from idol worship.
✔ The decorations, traditions, and festivities are steeped in pagan symbolism.
✔ God is clear—He does not accept worship that has roots in idolatry.
📖 Mark 7:7-8 – “Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men… ye hold the tradition of men.”
🔎 Christmas is a man-made tradition that cannot be justified as biblical worship.
🔹 The Truth Matters in Worship
✔ God desires worship in spirit and truth—not in man-made traditions.
✔ Truth is not subjective—what is false remains false, even if it is given Christian meaning.
✔ Jesus never commanded us to celebrate His birth, but He did command us to remember His death.
📖 John 4:24 – “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
🔎 True worship must be based on truth, not traditions inherited from paganism.
📖 Colossians 2:8 – “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men.”
🔎 God warns us against being deceived by traditions that take us away from biblical worship.
✔ Most Christians do not question why they celebrate Christmas—they simply follow tradition.
✔ But true believers must ask: Does this honor God, or does it mix truth with deception?
✔ If something is not rooted in truth, it cannot be part of genuine worship.
📖 Matthew 7:13-14 – “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat.”
🔎 Most of the world follows Christmas traditions, but the narrow path leads away from Babylon.
Key Takeaways – Why Believers Must Reject Christmas
✔ God calls His people to be separate from pagan customs.
✔ Mixing paganism with worship is idolatry, even if it is done in God’s name.
✔ The Bible commands us to worship in spirit and truth, not traditions of men.
✔ Jesus never instructed His followers to celebrate His birth, let alone on a pagan holiday.
✔ True believers must reject deception and follow God’s ways, not the ways of the world.
📖 Revelation 18:4 – “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins.”
🔎 God’s call is clear—separate from Babylon and its traditions.
🚀 Will you follow the narrow road of truth, or continue in the traditions of men?
Honoring God in Spirit and Truth
True worship is not about following human traditions or blending pagan customs with Christianity. God is clear—He desires worship that is pure, rooted in His Word, and free from the corruption of man-made traditions. If we are to be set apart as His people, we must learn to honor Him in spirit and truth, forsaking the ways of the world and Babylon.
🔹 Worship is About Truth, Not Tradition
✔ Many people follow traditions without questioning their origins.
✔ God commands us to seek His truth, not blindly follow human customs.
✔ If a practice is not rooted in Scripture, it has no place in true worship.
📖 John 4:24 – “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
🔎 True worship is not about emotions, rituals, or traditions—it is about aligning with God’s truth.
📖 Mark 7:7-8 – “Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men… ye hold the tradition of men.”
🔎 If our worship is based on human traditions instead of God’s commands, it is in vain.
✔ Many argue that “God knows my heart,” but Scripture warns that the heart can be deceived.
✔ God’s standard is not based on what feels right to us, but on His revealed truth.
📖 Proverbs 14:12 – “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
🔎 What feels right is not always what is right—God’s Word is the only standard.
🔹 What Does It Mean to Honor God in Truth?
✔ It means following what God has commanded, not what man has created.
✔ It means forsaking traditions that are rooted in idolatry, even if they are popular.
✔ It means seeking to please God, not conforming to the world.
📖 Colossians 2:8 – “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men.”
🔎 Christmas is a tradition of men, not a command from God.
✔ Nowhere in the Bible does Jesus command us to celebrate His birth.
✔ Instead, He commands us to remember His sacrifice through the Lord’s Supper.
📖 Luke 22:19 – “This do in remembrance of me.”
🔎 Jesus commanded us to remember His death, not His birth.
✔ If we truly love Christ, we will obey His commands rather than follow human customs.
📖 John 14:15 – “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
🔎 Love is shown through obedience, not by celebrating man-made traditions.
🔹 Practical Ways to Honor God Instead of Celebrating Christmas
✔ Study and Observe God’s True Holy Days – Leviticus 23 outlines the feasts of the Lord, which are prophetic and biblical.
✔ Make Every Day a Celebration of Christ – Our faith should not be focused on one holiday but lived daily.
✔ Teach the Next Generation the Truth – Pass down biblical truth rather than traditions of men.
✔ Give in Righteousness, Not for Show – Help those in need, not as part of a commercialized holiday but as a lifestyle of generosity.
📖 Romans 12:2 – “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
🔎 Believers must stand apart from the traditions of the world.
Key Takeaways – Honoring God in Spirit and Truth
✔ God desires pure worship, free from the corruption of human traditions.
✔ Christmas is not a biblical command but a man-made tradition rooted in idolatry.
✔ True worship is based on God’s Word, not what feels good or seems harmless.
✔ Christ commanded us to remember His death, not celebrate His birth with pagan customs.
✔ Believers must seek to honor God daily in obedience, not through compromised celebrations.
📖 Joshua 24:15 – “Choose you this day whom ye will serve… but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
🔎 Will you follow the truth of God, or continue in the traditions of men?
🚀 Now is the time to separate from Babylon and worship the Most High as He commands!