I am going through all my booklets I have on the topic
so you can read my resources. If you want to write
an article or book on the topic please feel free to use
as you like.
Rough Notes -PAPC
- we acknowledge the details of Yeshua's (Jesus')
birth Luke 2:10, 11
-strangely no one knows the exact date of Yeshua's
(Jesus') birth - was it December 25th?
- is this birth date, December 25th taught in Bible?
- Christmas is not taught in the Bible nor even
celebrated by the Apostles nor the first century
Congregation
- What is the origin of Christmas and the December
25th date?
- What is the origin of the Christmas Tree, lights
decorations, and Santa Claus?
- Where did these traditions come from?
- Who authorized them and for what reason?
- New Standard Encyclopedia Volume 4 Article
"Christmas" (Chicago, Illinois: Standard Education
Corporation, 1989), C-320 writes, "Christians began
to celebrate Christmas about 200. But they
observed it on varying dates, because the exact date
of Christ's birth was unknown. In 354, December 25
was declared to be the birthday of Christ, and in
440 the pope decreed on that date. The Church at
Constantinople, however observed it for years on
January 6, and that date is still used in some Eastern
Orthodox churches." "December 25 comes only a
few days after the winter solstice (about December
22). the shortest day of the year in the Northern
Hemisphere. This season had long been a period of
celebration among the pagans in many parts of the
world because it symbolized the beginning of a
new year in nature. Christmas thus replaced a pagan
holiday with a Christian one, while keeping the same
symbolism - the birthday of Christ corresponds to the
birth of the year. Many of the pagans customs became
part of the Christmas Celebration."
- Earl W Count, 4000 Years of Christmas (New York,
New York: Henry Schuman, 1948, 18 writes,
"Mesopotamia is the very ancient Mother of
Civilization. Christmas began there, over 4000 years
ago, as the festival which renewed the world for
another year. The twelve days' of Christmas; the
bright fires and probably the Yule log; the giving of
presents: the carnivals with their floats, their
merrymakings and clownings, the mummers who
sing and play from house to house; the feastings;
the church processions with their lights and songs
- all these and more began there centuries before
Christ was born. And they celebrate the arrival of a
New Year." "For that day [December 25] was sacred,
not only to the pagan Romans but to a religion from
Persia which, in those days, was one of Christianity's
strongest rivals. This Persian religion was Mithraism,
whose followers worshiped the sun, and celebrated
its return to strength on that day. The church finally
succeeded in taking the merriment. the greenery,
the lights, and the gifts from Saturn and giving
them to the babe of Bethlehem." "It happened that
the date [December 25] did fall in the midst of the
Saturnalia. Far from being an invention to compete
against Roman and Persian paganism, the birthday
of Christ ran the danger of being swallowed up in
pagan merrymaking. The [church] Fathers tried
strenuously to keep Christmas strictly a church
celebration. It was part of their unremitting struggle
to break the grip of the pagan gods upon the people.
And they broke the grip -- after a battle of centuries.
The pagan Romans became Christians -- but the
Saturnalia remains."
- Here is the origin of the Christmas Tree:
R. Brasch, How did it Begin? (New York, New York:
David McKay Company, Inc., 1966) 332, 333 writes,
"It is a fact that the Christmas tree stems primitive
pagan customs. Its main features, green foliage and
candles, were associated with the winter solstice
when nature seemed dead, and green branches and
trees were used in a magical rite to insure the return
of vegetation and the victory of light over darkness."
New Standard Encyclopedia, Volume 4, C-320 writes,
"Nearly all American customs can be traced to other
countries -- the homeland of the many nationalities
represented in the United States. For instance, the
Christmas tree, usually an evergreen , was first used
in Germany.The mistletoe was sacred to the Druids,
priests of ancient Britain and Gaul. The Norse used
holly and yule log to keep away evil spirits."
- Here is the origin of the gift giving:
New Standard Encyclopedia, Volume 4, C-320 writes,
"Gifts were exchanged during the Roman celebration
of Saturnalia, a feast to the god of Saturn, held
December 17-23. Gift-giving came to symbolized the
gifts brought to the Christ Child by the Three Wise
Men or Magi." Note the wise men gave gifts to
Yeshua (Jesus) not exchange gifts among themselves.
Adam Clarke, Clarke's Commentary, Volume 3 writes,
"the people of the East never approach the presence
of kings and great personages without a present in
their hands."
- Here is the origin of Santa Claus:
originated from 2 Christmas traditions; 1. St Nicholas
2.Kris Kringle
- Saint Nicholas was a fourth century bishop of Myra
which is now in Turkey; Patron Saint of children; the
Dutch call him Sinterklaas
- In Germany reformers replaced Saint Nicholas with
the Christ Child or Kris Kringle and in North America
Kris Kringle became Santa Claus, in England he
became Father Christmas
- Santa Claus legendary figure who brings gifts to
children on Christmas pictured as Joly old elf who
knows if children have been naughty or nice
- Children are taught to write to Santa to tell him what
they want for Christmas or sit on his lap and tell him
their Christmas wishes
- Children are also taught it is Santa who brings the
gifts and that on one night, Christmas eve, Santa
encompasses the whole world to bring gifts to all
children everywhere in the world and that he is in
Sleigh drawn by reindeer whereby he goes from
rooftop to rooftop and even comes down every
ones chimney. Santa is a rival to Jesus in the
Christmas celebration, Children are taught to pay
attention to Santa Rather than Jesus
- Is Yeshua (Jesus) honored by all this myth and
deception?
- Was the real Yeshua (Jesus) part of Christmas in the
first place or is the Christmas Jesus a different
Jesus? Read this: 2 Corinthians 11:1 Would to God
ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed
bear with me. 2 For I am jealous over you with godly
jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband,
that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent
beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds
should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in
Christ. 4 For if he that cometh preacheth another
Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive
another spirit, which ye have not received, or another
gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well
bear with him.
- Santa is made to be a god knowing who's been
naughty or nice, actually knowing all our actions all
year long
- Santa is a Myth and the real Yeshua (Jesus) is not
- Yeshua (Jesus) is the giver of gifts and when he returns
he brings our rewards whether good or bad
Re 22:12 - And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward
is with me, to give every man according as his work
shall be. James 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth
temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the
crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them
that love him.
- Mixing religious practices has never been acceptable
to YHWH. John 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is,
when the true worshippers shall worship the Father
in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to
worship him. Jeremiah 10:2 Thus saith the LORD,
Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not
dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are
dismayed at them. 3 For the customs of the people are
vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work
of the hands of the workman, with the axe. 4 They
deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with
nails and with hammers, that it move not. 5 They are
upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must
needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid
of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in
them to do good. 2 Corinthians 6:4 Be ye not unequally
yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship
hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what
communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what
concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he
that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement
hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple
of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them,
and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall
be my people. 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, 18 And
will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and
daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. R. Brasch, How
Did it Begin, 324 writes, "It is interesting... to see how
the genius of the human mind has been able, through
the centuries to give them [heathen customs] a
different and sacred meaning" Ezekiel 23:29 And they
shall deal with thee hatefully, and shall take away all
thy labour, and shall leave thee naked and bare: and
the nakedness of thy whoredoms shall be discovered,
both thy lewdness and thy whoredoms. 30 I will do
these things unto thee, because thou hast gone a
whoring after the heathen, and because thou art
polluted with their idols. 2 Corinthians 7:1 Having
therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us
cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and
spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
- Yeshua (Jesus) was never part of Christmas so we
cant put him back into something he was never in.
M. A. Smith, From Christ to Constantine (Dowers
Grove, Illinois: Inter-Varsity Press, 1971) 150, 151
writes, "Christmas was generally celebrated in the
West only after the triumph of Constantine, when
the time of Christ's birth was reckoned with the
day of the Unconquered Sun on December 25." The
New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious
Knowledge, Volume 3, (Grand Rapids, Michigan:
Baker Book House, 1908), 48 writes, "The pagan
Saturnalia and Brumalia were too deeply entrenched
in popular custom to be set aside by Christian
influence ... The pagan festival with its riot and
merrymaking was so popular that Christians were
glad of an excuse to continue its celebration with
little change in spirit and in manner."
Shalom
Mike
tags: Christmas, December, custom, 25th, Heathen, century, congregation, tree, origins, Apostles, first, trees