Christmas is under attack today. One of the most frequent charges is that it is pagan or that it arose from pagan sources. CHRISTMAS IS NOT PAGAN, NOR DID IT ARISE FROM PAGAN SOURCES. The Christmas festival originated early in the fourth century from an internal theological need to emphasize the physical birth of Christ as the focal point of divine incarnation
Apparently, Christmas was not observed in the first three centuries after Christ. There is no hint of such celebration in the New Testament or in early church literature. It is true that certain Christmas customs and even the date, December 25, are of pre-Christian origin. But we must distinguish between our Christmas customs, which are from many sources, and the basic essence of Christmas, which is distinctly Christian.
Jewish people observed death anniversaries, but never birthdays. From the first century, Easter was observed by followers of Christ, but not until the fourth century was there an annual observance of His birth. Christmas apparently originated in the Eastern Church among Christian groups known as "Adoptionists," who believed Christ's baptism was the point at which Christ became divine: i.e. was adopted as the Son of God. The first Christmas was intended to commemorate the Christ-event, but placed that event at Christ's baptism. This observance was placed on January 6. The Adoptionists did not attach any particular importance to the physical birth of Christ, but placed high value on His baptism, which they called epiphany, meaning “to appear.” In their theology, it was the time when God appeared. Ina different form, this emphasis has been retained in our modern Epiphany on January 6 and in our traditional twelve days of Christmas, which end on that day.
This annual observance of the Christ-event rapidly spread to the Western Church, where it underwent two very significant changes. More orthodox western Christians changed the meaning to emphasize not Christ’s baptism, but His birth, which they regarded as the true incarnation. They also changed the date from January 6 to December 25. Two important reasons for these changes were: 1) Theological; Biblical truth firmly holds that Christ’s physical birth marked the incarnation. They had tried to emphasize this theology in connection with the January 6 observance but found that date indelibly connected with heresy. To continue with the January 6 Epiphany would have endangered orthodox Christianity in the West, a Christology only recently hammered out at the Council of Nicea in 35 A.D. 2) Practical; from remote antiquity, there had been in Western Europe a mid-winter festival called Brumalia, which was observed on December 25. It was connected with sun-worship. There were candles and bonfires to aid in the birth or rebirth of the sun god. Other features included feasting, decorations, and the exchange of gifts.
In the dark winters of northern Europe, such mid-winter gaiety and rejoicing seems almost a psychological necessity, and it was immensely popular. Serious problems arose when Christians participated in the Brumalia festival, for they reverted, if only for a few days, to pagan customs and associations. In the second century, the strict Christian teacher, Tertullian, had simply forbidden Christians to participate, but the popularity of the festival and its social and cultural ties were too strong, and Christians did participate. Then came one of the boldest and most courageous efforts of the early church; the church took over the mid-winter festival and Christianized it! This effort was in keeping with the goal of the church to see all of society redeemed. Already Christians had an important annual observance, Christmas, and they needed another date for it other than January 6. Obviously the effort to redeem December 25 was never completely successful.
Christmas, properly understood, has nothing to do with a date. It commemorates a fact. The exact date of the birth of Christ is relatively unimportant, but the historic fact of His birth is vital. The primary motivation for Christmas was theological. Early Christians felt a need to express their convictions about the incarnation. How better to do this than with an emphasis on the reality of His physical birth? The impulse to celebrate Christ’s birth did not come from outside, but was a consequence of theological reflection on the fact of redemption. The fact that Christmas came to be set on December 25, the date of an earlier festival, and that several customs of the earlier festival have survived, are purely incidental and secondary. The essence of Christmas is Christian.
At least twice, Christian leaders have tried to destroy this mid-winter festival or to prohibit Christian participation. Tertullian is representative of leaders in the early church who took this stance. Devout seventeenth century Puritans passed laws outlawing Christmas both in England and in colonial America. There is some reason to believe our Puritan forefathers rather deliberately planned a mid-winter harvest festival, which we now know as Thanksgiving as a substitute for the more “popish” Christmas. THERE ARE GOOD REASONS FOR RETAINING CHRISTMAS. Christians still face the very same theological necessity that first called Christmas into existence- the need to emphasize the incarnation. Christmas is of tremendous practical advantage, and the church would forfeit this only to its great hurt. At Christmas, the minds of millions are turned, if only briefly and imperfectly, to a focal point of the Christian religion.
Admittedly, much of the folklore and many of the customs surrounding Christmas are of pre-Christian origin, but this does not mean they are necessarily anti-Christian. Let us not confuse Christmas with the tinsel that surrounds its observance. Christmas properly understood and observed, is distinctly Christian.
Apparently, Christmas was not observed in the first three centuries after Christ. There is no hint of such celebration in the New Testament or in early church literature. It is true that certain Christmas customs and even the date, December 25, are of pre-Christian origin. But we must distinguish between our Christmas customs, which are from many sources, and the basic essence of Christmas, which is distinctly Christian.
Jewish people observed death anniversaries, but never birthdays. From the first century, Easter was observed by followers of Christ, but not until the fourth century was there an annual observance of His birth. Christmas apparently originated in the Eastern Church among Christian groups known as "Adoptionists," who believed Christ's baptism was the point at which Christ became divine: i.e. was adopted as the Son of God. The first Christmas was intended to commemorate the Christ-event, but placed that event at Christ's baptism. This observance was placed on January 6. The Adoptionists did not attach any particular importance to the physical birth of Christ, but placed high value on His baptism, which they called epiphany, meaning “to appear.” In their theology, it was the time when God appeared. Ina different form, this emphasis has been retained in our modern Epiphany on January 6 and in our traditional twelve days of Christmas, which end on that day.
This annual observance of the Christ-event rapidly spread to the Western Church, where it underwent two very significant changes. More orthodox western Christians changed the meaning to emphasize not Christ’s baptism, but His birth, which they regarded as the true incarnation. They also changed the date from January 6 to December 25. Two important reasons for these changes were: 1) Theological; Biblical truth firmly holds that Christ’s physical birth marked the incarnation. They had tried to emphasize this theology in connection with the January 6 observance but found that date indelibly connected with heresy. To continue with the January 6 Epiphany would have endangered orthodox Christianity in the West, a Christology only recently hammered out at the Council of Nicea in 35 A.D. 2) Practical; from remote antiquity, there had been in Western Europe a mid-winter festival called Brumalia, which was observed on December 25. It was connected with sun-worship. There were candles and bonfires to aid in the birth or rebirth of the sun god. Other features included feasting, decorations, and the exchange of gifts.
In the dark winters of northern Europe, such mid-winter gaiety and rejoicing seems almost a psychological necessity, and it was immensely popular. Serious problems arose when Christians participated in the Brumalia festival, for they reverted, if only for a few days, to pagan customs and associations. In the second century, the strict Christian teacher, Tertullian, had simply forbidden Christians to participate, but the popularity of the festival and its social and cultural ties were too strong, and Christians did participate. Then came one of the boldest and most courageous efforts of the early church; the church took over the mid-winter festival and Christianized it! This effort was in keeping with the goal of the church to see all of society redeemed. Already Christians had an important annual observance, Christmas, and they needed another date for it other than January 6. Obviously the effort to redeem December 25 was never completely successful.
Christmas, properly understood, has nothing to do with a date. It commemorates a fact. The exact date of the birth of Christ is relatively unimportant, but the historic fact of His birth is vital. The primary motivation for Christmas was theological. Early Christians felt a need to express their convictions about the incarnation. How better to do this than with an emphasis on the reality of His physical birth? The impulse to celebrate Christ’s birth did not come from outside, but was a consequence of theological reflection on the fact of redemption. The fact that Christmas came to be set on December 25, the date of an earlier festival, and that several customs of the earlier festival have survived, are purely incidental and secondary. The essence of Christmas is Christian.
At least twice, Christian leaders have tried to destroy this mid-winter festival or to prohibit Christian participation. Tertullian is representative of leaders in the early church who took this stance. Devout seventeenth century Puritans passed laws outlawing Christmas both in England and in colonial America. There is some reason to believe our Puritan forefathers rather deliberately planned a mid-winter harvest festival, which we now know as Thanksgiving as a substitute for the more “popish” Christmas. THERE ARE GOOD REASONS FOR RETAINING CHRISTMAS. Christians still face the very same theological necessity that first called Christmas into existence- the need to emphasize the incarnation. Christmas is of tremendous practical advantage, and the church would forfeit this only to its great hurt. At Christmas, the minds of millions are turned, if only briefly and imperfectly, to a focal point of the Christian religion.
Admittedly, much of the folklore and many of the customs surrounding Christmas are of pre-Christian origin, but this does not mean they are necessarily anti-Christian. Let us not confuse Christmas with the tinsel that surrounds its observance. Christmas properly understood and observed, is distinctly Christian.
