People almost everywhere observe Christmas. But how did Christmas come
to be observed? How did the customs and practices associated with Christmas
make their way into traditional Christianity's most popular holiday?
Did you know December 25 has a checkered past, a long and contentious history?
This should come as no surprise given that Christmas and many of its
popular customs and trappings are nowhere set forth in the Bible.
Our Creator's view of this popular holiday is ignored or not even considered
by most people. Yet His perspective should be our main consideration.
Let's examine the history of Christmas and compare it with God's Word,
rather than our own ideas and experiences, to discover His opinion regarding
this nearly universal holiday.
Historians tell us the Christmas celebration came from questionable
origins. William Walsh (1854-1919) summarizes the holiday's origins
and practices in his book The Story of Santa Klaus: "We remember
that the Christmas festival ... is a gradual evolution from times that
long antedated the Christian period ... It was overlaid upon heathen
festivals, and many of its observances are only adaptations of pagan
to Christian ceremonial" (1970, p. 58).
Christmas:
The Untold Story