Unwrapping the True History of Christmas: A Fundamentalist Christian Perspective

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

As a Bible-believing Christian committed to the authority of Scripture alone, I approach the subject of Christmas with both reverence for the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ and deep concern for the many traditions that have attached themselves to this holiday over the centuries. The birth of the Savior is the most glorious event in human history after the resurrection itself, yet the Bible gives us no command to celebrate it annually on a specific date, nor does it provide most of the customs we associate with “Christmas” today.

In this blog post, I want to walk you through the historical development of Christmas celebrations—from the silence of Scripture and the early church, through the adoption of December 25, the incorporation of extra-biblical (and often pagan) practices, the godly rejection by Reformers and Puritans, the 19th-century revival, and finally to the thoroughly commercialized spectacle we see in our day. My prayer is that this survey will encourage us all to examine every tradition in light of God’s Word (2 Timothy 3:16–17; Colossians 2:8) and to worship Christ in spirit and in truth (John 4:24)

 The Biblical Account: The Incarnation Without a Holiday

The story rightly begins not in history books but in the inspired pages of Scripture. Matthew 1–2 and Luke 2 give us the only authoritative record of the birth of Jesus Christ. The eternal Son of God took on human flesh, born of a virgin in Bethlehem, announced by angels to shepherds, and visited by Magi from the East. This is the glorious doctrine of the incarnation—“God with us” (Matthew 1:23).

Yet nowhere in the New Testament are believers commanded to commemorate this event with an annual feast. The early church celebrated the resurrection weekly on the Lord’s Day and remembered Christ’s death in the Lord’s Supper, but there is no hint of a “Christ Mass” or birthday celebration for Jesus. Birthdays in Scripture are almost always associated with pagan rulers (Pharaoh in Genesis 40; Herod in Mark 6), and the Jewish tradition from which Christianity emerged did not celebrate birthdays at all.

The exact date of Christ’s birth is unknown. Shepherds in the fields (Luke 2:8) suggest a time other than mid-winter in Judea, and the biblical timeline points more toward autumn. December 25 is nowhere found in God’s Word.

The Early Church: No Trace of Christmas

For the first two centuries of Christianity, there is simply no evidence that believers celebrated Christ’s birth on any date. The church’s calendar centered on Passover/Easter, baptisms, and the weekly Lord’s Day. Church fathers such as Origen (early 3rd century) explicitly condemned birthday celebrations as pagan practices.

The earliest known reference to a celebration of Christ’s nativity on December 25 comes from a Roman almanac dated AD 336, during the reign of Constantine. Some scholars suggest an earlier calculation by Hippolytus of Rome (c. AD 200) placed the incarnation on March 25 and thus the birth nine months later on December 25. Others note that December 25 was already the widely celebrated Roman festival of *Natalis Solis Invicti*—the “Birthday of the Unconquered Sun”—established by Emperor Aurelian in AD 274.

Whether the church chose the date to co-opt a pagan festival or arrived at it independently, the fact remains: December 25 has no scriptural warrant. The adoption of this date represents the beginning of a centuries-long process of syncretism—blending biblical truth with cultural and pagan elements.

Medieval Developments: Pagan Customs Enter the Church

As Christianity spread through the Roman Empire and into northern Europe, missionaries often allowed converts to retain pre-Christian practices, “baptizing” them with Christian meanings. This policy of accommodation led to the incorporation of many traditions that have no root in Scripture.

- The Christmas Tree: Evergreen trees were used in pagan Germanic and Scandinavian cultures to celebrate the winter solstice, symbolizing life amid death. The modern Christmas tree tradition is usually traced to 16th-century Germany, but its roots are far older and unmistakably pagan (Jeremiah 10:2–4 is often cited as a warning against such practices).

- Yule Logs, Mistletoe, Holly: All derive from Druidic and Norse winter solstice rites meant to coax the sun’s return.

- Feasting and Revelry: The Roman Saturnalia (December 17–23) featured role reversals, gift-giving, gambling, and excessive eating and drinking—customs that carried over into medieval Christmas celebrations.

By the Middle Ages, “Christmas” had become a rowdy, carnival-like season often marked by drunkenness and immorality. The “Lord of Misrule” presided over festivities that mocked authority—hardly a fitting commemoration of the holy birth of the King of kings.

The Reformation Era: Godly Men Reject Christmas

When the Reformers recovered the principle of *sola Scriptura*, many saw Christmas for what it had become: a man-made tradition lacking biblical authority.

- In 1647, the Puritan-dominated English Parliament officially abolished Christmas, calling it a “popish” superstition with pagan roots.

- The Massachusetts Bay Colony banned Christmas celebrations from 1659 to 1681, with fines for those found feasting or absent from work.

- Reformed theologians such as the Westminster Assembly divines and Scottish Presbyterians refused to observe Christmas as a holy day, insisting that only Scripture can establish days of worship (the regulative principle).

These godly men understood that adding to God’s Word, even with good intentions, leads to corruption (Deuteronomy 4:2; Revelation 22:18–19).

The 19th-Century Revival: Sentimentality and Commercialization

Christmas lay largely dormant in Protestant regions until the 19th century. Charles Dickens’ *A Christmas Carol* (1843) and Prince Albert’s introduction of the German Tannenbaum to Victorian England helped re-popularize the holiday. Washington Irving and Clement Moore (“’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” 1823) shaped the modern image of Santa Claus, transforming the historical Saint Nicholas—a 4th-century bishop—into a magical, elf-assisted gift-giver.

Department stores quickly seized the opportunity. By the early 20th century, Christmas had become the biggest retail season of the year. Coca-Cola’s red-suited Santa in the 1930s cemented the commercial icon we know today.

What began as an attempt to honor Christ had become a festival of materialism, fantasy, and self-indulgence.

 Christmas Today: A Secular Spectacle with a Christian Veneer

In our day, December 25 is barely recognizable as a remembrance of Christ’s birth. Cities deck themselves with lights and trees that originated in pagan sun-worship. Children are taught to believe in a mythical being who rewards good behavior—directly contradicting the biblical doctrine of grace. Billions are spent on gifts while the poor are often overlooked (contrast James 1:27).

Even in churches, nativity scenes sit alongside Santa visits, and “Christmas services” sometimes feature more jingle bells than preaching of the gospel.

A Call Back to Biblical Fidelity

Dear reader, the incarnation is worthy of eternal praise. We should rejoice daily that “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). But we must ask: Does the modern Christmas celebration honor the holy God who commands us to worship Him only in the way He has appointed?

Some Christians choose to separate entirely from December 25 observances, gathering instead to study the Scriptures about Christ’s birth. Others use the season to point family and neighbors to the true Savior, rejecting pagan and commercial elements. Whatever path of conscience you take (Romans 14), let it be governed by this principle: “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

May we worship the Lord Jesus Christ—not a holiday, but the living King—every day of the year.

Soli Deo Gloria,  

DMMC 

12-24-25

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