Do all the denominations in Christianity celebrate 25th Dec as Christmas?Or has there been a change of date any where in history by Christians,specifically because of the reason you mention as the date being a pagan tradition?

Thanks.

EDIT::::::::I had asked this on another thread on Halloween.I have moved it to a new thread so as not to overtake the Halloween thread.

Thanks all.

I thought we celebrated chrismas on the 25th because it is when jesus was born

We do not know what date Christ was born. Here is an explanation of the history of the celebration and how we (most Christians) came to celebrate it on the 25th:
CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Christmas (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03724b.htm)

Christmas Traditions  --  Kathy Capoccia (http://www.biblebb.com/files/christmas00.htm)
This site explained it quite well.

Christmas... is just ridiculous. If anyone's birth (in particular, Jesus') was meant to be celebrated, then God would have let us know the exact date of his birth, don't you think? By logical reasoning, Christ's birth was NOWHERE near December 25th, but most likely sometime in mid-October. The first century Christians did not engage in the celebration of Christ's birth, this holiday didn't come about until after apostasy infiltrated the Christian congregation.

People like RickJ, however wrong they are, will still disagree. Just watch.

Silent is pretty much right... we should celebrate Jesus everyday... not one day or two but the Bible does pretty much say to each his own on the subject of celebrating days let them be convinced in their own heart. That is one reason I think JW's aren't right about not celebrating ANYTHING at all.

Aren't right or are right? True, they do not even celebrate birthdays. If it is not in the Bible, they do not acknowledge the day. Maybe they make more sense that way. Celebrations of the soul do not need a special day.

Christmas ( as well as birthdays) were not celebrated in the early church.

If one follows tradition, Christmas as for as a christian celebration started @ 354 AD by Bishop Liberius of Rome. The Heathens of the area basically were celebrating the Feast of Sol Invictus. At this time Christians were still an outlawed relgion and could not have any public celebration. So this date was used to allow Christians to have a celebration and not be noticed.

Most bible scholars do not believe Christ was born in Dec but many beleve it woul have been the spring.

Also from 1649 to 1658 celebrations of Christmas was outlawed in the US and in Mass, it was not legal till 1856

Nobody Knows.

My Youth Paster explained it well.

He said Jesus was probley born in late spring or early summer, because in winter the sheperds wouldn't be in their fields. Its too cold. But nobody knows. I don't think it was December 25th. Its just like anyone else's birthday. You don't usually celebrate someone's birthday on their actuall birthday. But either before or after.

Christmas.....is just ridiculous. If anyone's birth (in particular, Jesus') was meant to be celebrated, then God would have let us know the exact date of his birth, don't you think? By logical reasoning, Christ's birth was NOWHERE near December 25th, but most likely sometime in mid-October. The first century Christians did not engage in the celebration of Christ's birth, this holiday didn't come about until after apostasy infiltrated the Christian congregation.


We are told in Mathew that the wise men found the birth of Christ a cause for rejoicing. Was this wrong of them? Is it wrong to remember a great event and to rejoice and have joy because of it? You say this is ridiculous?

I see no reason to think that just because we don't know the exact date of His birth, then we are forbidden to have a day set a side for all to rejoice over the birth of our Lord.

This is the verse I was referring to about celebrating a day or not

14:2 One man has faith to eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.
14:3 Don't let him who eats despise him who doesn't eat.
Don't let him who doesn't eat judge him who eats, for God has received him.

14:4 Who are you who judge another's servant? To his own lord he stands or falls.
Yes, he will be made to stand, for God has power to make him stand.

14:5 One man esteems one day as more important. Another esteems every day alike.
Let each man be fully assured in his own mind.

14:6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord;
and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it.
He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks.
He who doesn't eat, to the Lord he doesn't eat, and gives God thanks.

14:7 For none of us lives to himself, and none dies to himself.
14:8 For if we live, we live to the Lord. Or if we die, we die to the Lord.
If therefore we live or die, we are the Lord's.

14:9 For to this end Christ died, rose, and lived again,
That he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

14:10 But you, why do you judge your brother?
Or you again, why do you despise your brother?
For we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

silent is pretty much right.....we should celebrate Jesus everyday.....not one day or two but the Bible does pretty much say to each his own on the subject of celebrating days let them be convinced in their own heart. That is one reason I think JW's aren't right about not celebrating ANYTHING at all.


At that just illustrates the ridiculous ignorance people have about Jehovah's Witnesses. The ONLY celebration that the Bible commands Christians to observe... and I'll say it again, the ONLY one is that of Jesus' death. NOT his birth. His death. So if you're going to make some kind of attack on a faith, at least try and have some accuracy in it. The date of Jesus' death, Nisan 14, is well-known and documented. Why would God have seen to it that that's the case? Because that's what we're commanded to observe. The date of Jesus' birth, however, is neither commanded for Christians to celebrate, nor is the date of it given at all. In fact, the only 2 mentions of birthday celebrations in the Bible are cast in a very negative light, and both times they involved someone's murder, the second incident being the murder of John the Baptizer.

Sorry if I touched a nerve people by saying, I thought it was because when jesus was born, it was a question, not a statement.

Do all the denominations in Christianity celebrate 25th Dec as Christmas?Or has there been a change of date any where in history by Christians,specifically because of the reason you mention as the date being a pagan tradition?

Thanks.


FB, it seems your simple question has again turned into a debate that completely veers off topic in a few posts here.

I think it is important for some of you here to understand that Firmbeliever is asking this question because she isn't Christian and just wants to understand what Christians believe. She doesn't have a hidden agenda to tear down anyone and get into a debate. She is asking a very simple question.

Firmbeliever, nearly all the Christian denominations celebrate 25th Dec as Christmas Day. Those links given by RickJ & SavedSinner should help you understand further. As you are reading here from the responses, "JW" refers to Jehovah Witnesses, another sect of Christianity. They do not celebrate Christmas Day.

sorry if i touched a nerve ppl by saying, i thought it was because when jesus was born, it was a question, not a statement.

Alb,
It is OK.
Check the link RickJ and Savedsinner posted.It gives a good history of how it came to be.
Fr-Chuck's also explained a bit more on that too.

EDIT:::Ruby,
Yes I understand it might just go anywhere from here.

Thanks for explaining why I ask.

And another thing is that during my school years in a school run by Christian missionaries, they always celebrated Christmas on 25th with a school play,although I did hear some students say that like RickJ's link said it was not the actual birthday.

For all the others answering please stay on topic and do not turn this into a mudslinging name calling thread.That gets nowhere and this thread will just get shut down.
Please,if you have anything to add in view of my question I would appreciate it.Thank you.

Albear, your heart was in the right place. You attempted to answer the question.

Silentrascal, it is okay for you to believe Christmas is ridiculous, if that is your feeling. However, as we have discussed, there are threads that don't warrant a religious debate. This is one of them. Your anger, contempt, disdain for others doesn't belong here. You need to tone it down. There is a way to disagree with people without the personal attacks. I am sure you are fully capable of doing that.

I think it was helpful because she hit some really good points. In addition to that it always seems like when your trying and hoping every time you have that special moment with your love one that you will be pregnant just relax and just have fun.

Ruby,
Yes I understand it might just go anywhere from here.

Thanks for explaining why I ask.

And another thing is that during my school years in a school run by Christian missionaries, they always celebrated Christmas on 25th with a school play,although I did hear some students say that like RickJ's link said it was not the actual birthday.


Yes FB. Most people know that 25th Dec was not his actual birthday and the debate of when it actually occurred has been going on for years.

To answer FirmBeleiver's question directly - there are in fact some Christian denominations that celebrate Christ's birth on a date other than what most of us recognize as December 25 - specifically the Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates Christmas on January 7. The reason for the discrepancy has to do with the Eastern Church's use of the Julian calendar, rather than the Gregorian calendar which the rest of the world uses. Hence the date they think of as December 25 actually falls on what the rest of us call January 7.

Also, not only do we not know the date of Christ's birth, no one really knows for sure what year it was as well. Best guesses are somewhere between 7BC and 4BC.

ebaines,
Thanks for the new information. I did not know that.

Christmas is not ridiculous. Its is a day for us to celebrate the birth of our saviour. It deosnt matter when the actual date was.

We are told in Mathew that the wise men found the birth of Christ a cause for rejoicing. Was this wrong of them? Is it wrong to remember a great event and to rejoice and have joy because of it? You say this is ridiculous?

I see no reason to think that just because we don't know the exact date of His birth, then we are forbidden to have a day set a side for all to rejoice over the birth of our Lord.


Let me adjust my statement in a less harsh way... Christmas is simply... not a celebration that the Bible tells us needs to be celebrated. That's it. The Bible tells us that Christ's DEATH is to be celebrated. Why go beyond what the Bible tells us to do by creating a celebration around a birthday in which (1) the exact date for the birth is never mentioned, and (2) the only birthday celebrations mentioned by the Bible are cast in a very negative light, involving the murders of people, including God's prophet John the Baptizer?

That is the way that I view it. I view the Bible in that everything contained within it, and the manner in which things are written down, is done so for a reason. There is no reason not to give thought to what Jesus Christ did for us by laying down his perfect life on the stake; in fact as Christians we're to exercise faith in that sacrifice, and how could we if we're not reflecting on it every day? But his birth, while necessary, isn't why he was sent to this earth. It was his sacrificial death in which lies the importance for all of us.

At that just illustrates the ridiculous ignorance people have about Jehovah's Witnesses. The ONLY celebration that the Bible commands Christians to observe....and I'll say it again, the ONLY one is that of Jesus' death. NOT his birth. His death. So if you're going to make some kind of attack on a faith, at least try and have some accuracy in it. The date of Jesus' death, Nisan 14, is well-known and documented. Why would God have seen to it that that's the case? Because that's what we're commanded to observe. The date of Jesus' birth, however, is neither commanded for Christians to celebrate, nor is the date of it given at all. In fact, the only 2 mentions of birthday celebrations in the Bible are cast in a very negative light, and both times they involved someone's murder, the second incident being the murder of John the Baptizer.


I Just have a problem with some of the non biblical things Jehovah's Witnesses believe as well. I am sure you do not see a significance in celebrating Christ since you bellieve He is not God but he is a created being, a servant, just one step above an angel. That is not biblical. Jesus is as much God as the father and the Holyspirit. Jesus is the Great I AM. He sits on the throne, seated on the right hand of the father.

I Just have a problem with some of the non biblical things Jehovah's Witnesses believe as well. I am sure you do not see a significance in celebrating Christ since you bellieve He is not God but he is a created being, a servant, just one step above an angel. That is not biblical. Jesus is as much God as the father and the Holyspirit. Jesus is the Great I AM. He sits on the throne, seated on the right hand of the father.

Actually everything Jehovah's Witnesses believe is soundly based on the scriptures. For example, in both Colossians 1:15 and Revelation 3:14 (BIBLE SCRIPTURES) it very clearly states that Jesus had a beginning and that he was created. Jesus having a beginning shows right there that he cannot be God. But... we're getting off the topic of the post.

At that just illustrates the ridiculous ignorance people have about Jehovah's Witnesses. The ONLY celebration that the Bible commands Christians to observe....and I'll say it again, the ONLY one is that of Jesus' death. NOT his birth. His death. So if you're going to make some kind of attack on a faith, at least try and have some accuracy in it. The date of Jesus' death, Nisan 14, is well-known and documented. Why would God have seen to it that that's the case? Because that's what we're commanded to observe. The date of Jesus' birth, however, is neither commanded for Christians to celebrate, nor is the date of it given at all. In fact, the only 2 mentions of birthday celebrations in the Bible are cast in a very negative light, and both times they involved someone's murder, the second incident being the murder of John the Baptizer.


Funny thing about that, though... Christians generally celebrate Christ's death not on a particular day, but on the first Sunday (or Monday, depending on where you are) following the first full moon after the Spring Equinox.

Which is the pagan celebration of Oestre--a fertillity celebration.

Most saint days are the days of their death--not their birth.

However--the history of the Christian church (the one that MOST people recognize, anyway, including pagans like myself) pretty much says that Christian holy days (read that as holidays if you like) were observed on pagan holy days--for two reasons. One was because, as was said, early Christians were persecuted for their religion, and observing their holy days on another religion's holy day made it safer. The second reason was to convert people--if you could say "hey--that's my holiday too! let's celebrate it together! And look--it wouldn't hurt anyone if you SAID it was about Jesus, would it?" it tended to convert people pretty easily.

funny thing about that, though....Christians generally celebrate Christ's death not on a particular day, but on the first Sunday (or Monday, depending on where you are) following the first full moon after the Spring Equinox.

That is because the Jewish day of Nisan 14 never falls on the same particular day of the week. You have to go by the Jewish calendar in determining the time frame in our modern time that corresponds to the same time on their calendar. It is always celebrated on Nisan 14 after sundown.