The Writings of Virtuous Maidens

Dec. 24, 2007

Thoughts On Celebrating Christmas

Posted in Lois, the Simple
Shalom to you!
Well, it's Christmas Eve and everyone is hustling and bustling to finish up with Christmas preparations and packaging, but as for us...We aren't celebrating Christmas the traditional way this year (we really didn't do it last year either). We're quite unsure of how to celebrate it at all. Over the past few years we've looked deeper into why we have Christmas on December 25th and why we have all the other "signs" of Christmas. Unfortunately most of the things we do for Christmas celebration are of pagan origin. We quite putting up a Christmas tree several years ago, and just recently we found a verse in Jeremiah (even before the idea of CHRISTmas was born) that forewarned us about cutting down a tree and decorating it with silver and gold as the heathens did.

Jeremiah 10: 3-4 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. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
This entire chapter is really breath-taking and has a lot of strong words.

I was once heard,
"Even if everyone celebrates a holiday for the wrong (pagan) reasons, doesn't mean that we are celebrating the same holiday for those reasons."
Now, I do think this statement is true, but why would we want to take any part in anything that is pagan? It is a hard decision to make and lots of thoughts to ponder. I am torn about it because I don't want to not celebrate Christ, but I certainly don't want to do anything that is un-Biblical.

Robin Sampson @ Heart of Wisdom has been posting some interesting thoughts on celebrating Christmas and Jesus. She did a really good job on these two posts, To Christmas or Not to Christmas? Holiday Dilemmas and King of the Jews: King of Kings, so I would encourage you to stop over there.

I really enjoying reading her blog because she looks at the Bible through a Hebraic perspective. You can learn a lot from reading her blog about the Hebrew culture and why some of the Biblical commands are the way they are, in relation to how Jesus was raised.

And has anyone ever noticed that we say Merry Kris-mas, not Merry CHRIST-mas? I wonder if the pronunciation of Christmas has anything to do with Kris Kringle?

Shalom to you in CHRIST,
Lois The SIMPLE
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Comments

Dec. 24, 2007 - Great thoughts on an important issue.

Posted by ThreeLittleLadies
I just read some similar thoughts from a messianic point of view, and they used the same verse. We've already got our tree up this year, but I think we've got a lot of heart searching to do before next year. God is challenging me on a lot of traditional things that I do lately. It isn't always comfortable to make changes and allow yourself to be pruned, is it? Oh Lord, make me willing to become the person You've created me to be! Thanks for putting into words some of the thoughts I've been having in my mind too.

Your sister in Christ,
Carol
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Dec. 24, 2007 - ~ Interesting...~

Posted by SincerelyAmanda
I would be interested in doing some more background research on this one.

The literal Hebrew translation describes it as:

"For the ordinances of the people are vanity; for one cuts a tree out of the forest with the axe, the work of the hands of the craftsman. They adorn it with silver and with gold; they fasten them with nails and hammers, so that it will not wobble. They are like a rounded post, and they cannot speak. They must surely be lifted, because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them; for they cannot do evil nor good; it is not with them. There is none like YOU, O JEHOVAH; YOU are great, and YOUR name is great in might......But they are at once foolish and animal-like; their tree is an instruction of vanities."

It sounds to me like it is referring to a false god; an idol that the people would make. I suppose anything can be made into an idol if you put it in place of the KING of kings and LORD of lords, and the secular and pagan commercialism can definitely cause problems.

I was always told the Christmas tree was chosen as evergreen representing everlasting life, lights because of the LIGHT of the world and Heaven, gold because of the gifts of the Magi, etc. There is also the symbolic referrence of "the Jesse tree" as some call it (Isaiah 11:1), referring to the genealogy of JESUS. I guess that trees are generally looked at as having important symbolic connections.

It's weird to see how many cultural traditions we experience in the Western world are of pagan influence. The wedding ring, for instance, is pagan (as far as I know). But that doesn't make Christians suggest vetoing rings at their weddings.

Hmmm...I don't know about the pronounciation of Christmas...sounds like lazy tongues to me more than anything, but you never know.

Celebrations are important in the Bible, and I hope we can all strive to make them as Biblical as possible without a bunch of worldly cultural baggage.

~Amanda~

Edited by SincerelyAmanda on Dec. 24, 2007 at 7:50 PM
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Dec. 25, 2007 - <i>Untitled Comment</i>

Posted by pianolove
Here's how I see it.

Do we celebrate our own and family's birthdays?

If yes, than I think we should celebrate our Lord's.

However, there is more than one way to celebrate Christmas. You don't have to have a tree, lights, ribbons, or presents. (I think presents are the most distracting)

And, I think christmas is WAAAAAAAAY overblown. We wouldn't be celebrating Christmas if it wasn't for Easter (or Ressurection Day, as we call it). That's something to think about.

As far as having a tree goes.... Trees were used in the worship of Ashterosh (a co-god of Baal). I think that verse is refering to decorating a tree for worship.

Heather

Edited by pianolove on Dec. 25, 2007 at 1:53 PM
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Jan. 1, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by melarooski
Well, I know it's been a while since you actually posted this but I wanted to say something. Well, nothing in particular other than I have been introduced just recently to some Christians beliefs about not celebrating Christmas or celebrating it differently. I'm uncertain and, as you put it, "torn" as to how I should celebrate. Thankfully, I have a whole year to consider it before the next December 25th at least. As to when we celebrate it, I don't know what particular day is best or if there is a "best day" for celebrating it, but I do know that we really ought to be celebrating in the miracle of it all every single day.

Anyways, thanks for the post. I think I'll go check out that blog you mentioned. :-)

-Mellie
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Jan. 3, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Priceless Purity
Interesting topic...We agree with SincerelyAmanda though. ;)
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Jan. 10, 2008 - Just some thoughts . . .

Posted by Anonymous
Greetings!

I stumbled across your blog recently and appreciated your boldness in sharing about your family’s studies/decisions regarding Christmas. Not too many years ago, we were studying Scripture in regards to the same issues. As a family, we earnestly desire to conform all aspects of our lives to God’s Word. It is a step by step journey (and slow at times!), but we pray that day by day we can draw closer in obedience to Him.

The Bible is God’s commands and instruction to His children, and it teaches how we as believers in Christ should practice our faith. As we researched and studied, we found that not only are the origins of Christmas pagan, but when we examine the Scriptures, the celebration of Christmas is not taught, nor even hinted at. We also found that Scripture actually teaches against observing such things as Christmas. This was what made our family finally decided to not observe the holiday at all. (And I assure you, it was not an easy decision to come by!) Anyway, I just thought that I would share that with you. :)

On a different note, I noticed that you observe many Jewish feasts. This is another aspect of Scripture regarding the practice of our faith that we as a family have examined to a great extent (at least 2 years of in-depth study). We truly wanted to know what the Lord’s desire for His people was regarding the observing of Old Testament Law. We came across scores of verses that taught regarding this issue, and I present some of them for your consideration:

Romans 6:22-7:6 – But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives? For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband. So then, if while her husband is living she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined to another man. Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.

Romans 10:4 – For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

Galatians 3:17-19 – What I am saying is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise. Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made.

Galatians 3:24-25 – Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

Galatians 4:9-10 – But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? You observe days and months and seasons and years. I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain.

Galatians 5:16-18 – But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

Colossians 2:16-17 – Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day—things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.

1 Timothy 1:8-11 – But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.

Hebrews 8:13 – When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.

Sorry, that got a little long! Anyway, these are a few of the many verses that we found that are applicable to the law observance issue. I would be curious as to your thoughts regarding them.

A servant of Christ,
Sarah

www.followinhissteps.blogspot.com
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Jewish Tradition


Rosh Hashanhah (September-October)
Jewish New Year

Yom Kippur (September-October)
The Day of Atonement, when Jewish people fast and pray

Succoth (September-October)
Celebration of the grape and olive harvest and the end of the farming year. People camped in huts or booths for Succoth, which means the “Feast of Booth.”

Hanukakah(December)
The feast of the Lights celebrates the rededication of the temple in Jerusalem by Judas Maccabeus in 164B.C. Candles are lit on each of the eight days of the festival.

Purim (February-March)
Celebration of how Queen Esther saved the Jews from their enemies. They dress up as each one of the characters

The Passsover (March-April)
Commemoration of the Exodus from Egypt. The Angel of Death killed every first born Egyptian, but “passed over” the Israelites

Shavuot(May-June)
Remembers the days that Moses received the Ten Commandments. It is also known as the Feast of Weeks.



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