Why True Christians Shouldnt Celebrate Christmas UNDENIABLE LINKS BETWEEN CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS AND PAGAN TRADITIONS: The

traditions of Christmas started long before Jesus was born. The Winter Solstice has long been celebrated by many cultures. Worldwide, interpretation of the event has varied from culture to culture, but most cultures have held a recognition of rebirth, involving holidays, festivals, gatherings, rituals or other celebrations around that time. The word solstice derives from Latin Sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still). Over 4,000 years ago the Mesopotamians celebrated Zagmuk. Zagmuk is a Mesopotamian festival celebrated around the winter solstice, which literally means beginning of the year. It celebrates the triumph of Marduk, the patron deity of Babylon, over the forces of chaos, symbolized in later time by Tiamet. The battle between Marduk and chaos lasts 12 days, as does the festival of Zagmuk. Ancient Romans celebrated Saturnalia: Saturnalia is the feast with which the Romans commemorated the dedication of the temple of their god Saturn. Saturnalia became one of the most popular Roman festivals. The customary greeting for the occasion is a lo, Saturnalia! lo being a Latin interjection related to (ho) (as in Ho, praise to Saturn). It was a time of celebration, visits to friends, and gift-giving, particularly of wax candles, and earthenware figurines. Another pagan Roman festival was Sol Invictus which was the birthday of the unconquered sun. Yule or Yule-tide is a winter festival that was initially celebrated by the historical Germanic peoples as a pagan religious festival. Yule is the modern English representative of the Old English words geol or geohol and geola or geoli , with the former indicating the 12-day festival of Yule and the latter indicating the month of Yule. Yule is attested early in the history of the Germanic peoples; from the 4th century Gothic language it appears in the month name fuma jiuleis. About AD 730, the English historian Bede wrote that the Anglo-Saxon calendar included the months geola or geuli corresponding with either modern December or December and January. He gave December 25 as the first day of the heathen year and wrote that the Anglo-Saxons celebrated all night long to honor the Germanic divine mothers. The people honored the pagan god Odin during the mid-winter holiday. Germans were terrified of Odin. As they believed he made nocturnal flights through the sky to observe his people & then decide who would prosper or perish.

Here are a couple of pictures of Odin, its amazing the similarities between Santa Claus and this pagan god. One of the main things associated with Christmas is of course the Christmas Tree. In doing research the Encyclopedia Britannica says of the evergreen tree: The use of evergreen trees, wreaths, and garlands to symbolize eternal life was a custom of the ancient Egyptians, Chinese, and Hebrews. Tree worship was common among the pagan Europeans and survived their conversion to Christianity in the Scandinavian customs of decorating the house and barn with evergreens at the New Year to scare away the devil and of setting up a tree for the birds during Christmastime Jeremiah 10:1-4: Hear the word that Jehovah has spoken against you people, O house of Israel. This is what Jehovah has said: Do not learn the way of the nations at all, and do not be struck with terror even at the signs of the heavens, because the nations are struck with terror at them. For the customs of the peoples are just an exhalation, because it is a mere tree out of the forest that one has cut down, the work of the hands of the craftsman with the billhook. With silver and with gold one makes it pretty. Leviticus 18: 3, 29, 30: The way the land of Egypt does, in which you dwelt, you must not do; and the way the land of Canaan does, into which I am bringing you, you must not do; and in their statutes you must not walk.In case anyone does any of all these detestable things, then the souls doing them must be cut off from among their people. And you must keep your obligation to me not to carry on any of the detestable customs that have been carried on before you, that you may not make yourselves unclean by them. I am Jehovah your God. So you can see how all the traditions of pagan festivals have been transformed into Christmas. 2 Corinthians 11:14, 15: For Satan himself keeps transforming himself into an angel of light. It is therefore nothing great if his ministers also keep transforming themselves into ministers of righteousness. But their end shall be according to their works.

There is no evidence scripturally or secularly that early Christians in the 1st Century commemorated the birth of Jesus Christ. According to The World Book Encyclopedia: early Christians considered the celebration of anyones birth to be a pagan custom. (Vol. 3, page 416) Rather than commemorate his birth, the only command Jesus gave concerning a commemoration of his life of any sort actually had to do only with his death. Luke 22:19: Also, he took a loaf, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them, saying: This means my body which is to be given in your behalf. Keep doing this in remembrance of me. It wasnt until several hundred years after the death of Jesus that the first instances of the celebration of Christmas begin to appear in the historical record. According to the new Encyclopedia Britannica, some who later claimed to be Christian likely wished the date to coincide with the pagan Roman festival marking the birthday of the unconquered sun. According to the New Catholic Encyclopedia, 1967, article on Constantine the Great: Besides, the Sol Invictus had been adopted by the Christians in a Christian sense, as demonstrated in the Christ as Apollo-Helios in a mausoleum (c.250) discovered beneath St. Peters in the Vatican. The date for Christmas is no doubt linked to the pagan customs of the winter solstice and sun worship. According to the scholiast on the Syriac bishop Jacob Bar-Salibi, writing in the 12th century: It was a custom of the Pagans to celebrate on the same 25 December the birthday of the Sun, at which they kindled lights in token of festivity. In these solemnities and revelries the Christians also took part. Accordingly when the doctors of the Church perceived that the Christians had a leaning to this festival, they took counsel and resolved that the true Nativity should be solemnized on that day. However, this statement directly conflicts with what we know of the early Christians, namely, that they were ridiculed, tortured and cast apart from operative society precisely because they would not participate in the pagan feasts and celebrations. The early Christians set themselves directly in opposition to the paganism which ruled the day. John 17:16: They are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world So true Christians will not pick and choose what is acceptable in the way to worship God. God commands to worship in spirit and truth. John 4: 23, 24: Nevertheless, the hour is coming, and it is now, when the true worshippers will worship the father with spirit and truth, for, indeed, the father is looking for suchlike ones to worship him. God is a spirit and those worshipping him must worship with spirit and truth. So it is plain to see how these pagan holidays were just clothed in a Christian name and

the Church gave the holiday its blessing. Its interesting what the encyclopedia says of Syncretism:

Religious syncretism exhibits blending of two or more religious belief systems into a new system, or the incorporation into a religious tradition of beliefs from unrelated traditions. This can occur for many reasons, and the latter scenario happens quite commonly in areas where multiple religious traditions exist in proximity and function actively in the culture, or when a culture is conquered, and the conquerors bring their religious beliefs with them, but do not succeed in entirely eradicating the old beliefs or, especially, practices. Religions may have syncretic elements to their beliefs or history, but adherents of so-labeled systems often frown on applying the label, especially adherents who belong to "revealed" religious systems, such as the Abrahamic religions, or any system that exhibits an exclusivist approach. Such adherents sometimes see syncretism as a betrayal of their pure truth. By this reasoning, adding an incompatible belief corrupts the original religion, rendering it no longer true. Indeed, critics of a specific syncretistic trend may sometimes use the word "syncretism" as a disparaging epithet, as a charge implying that those who seek to incorporate a new view, belief, or practice into a religious system actually distort the original faith. Non-exclusivist systems of belief, on the other hand, may feel quite free to incorporate other traditions into their own. The scripture I quoted earlier talking about satan transforming himself into an angel of light comes to mind again. He knows exactly what he is doing. The part I bolded above is exactly what he is doing. Galatians 5:9: A little leaven ferments the whole lump. Satan knows that if he muddies up peoples worship, even in the slightest way, they will not be acceptable to God. So he transforms all the wickedness into something beautiful and fun. Jesus had rebuked the religious leaders of his day because they were hypocrites because they made the word of god invalid because of their traditions. He told them they worshipped him in vain because they teach commands of men as doctrines (Matt 15:6-9) Matthew 23:25, 27: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of plunder and immoderateness.Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites because you resemble whitewashed graves, which outwardly indeed appear beautiful but inside are full of dead mens bones and of every sort of uncleanness. In that way you also, outwardly indeed, appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.so as a true christian we wouldnt want to be likened to the pharisees in following traditions of men that have only been transformed into something to look as though it is holy but everything that it originates with is disgusting to God. Even if we were to take one aspect of what Christmas is about which is making kids believe that there is a Santa Clause there is no denying that is lying and that in itself is something unacceptable to God. Ephesians 5:9-11: for the fruitage of the light consists of every sort of goodness and righteousness and truth. Keep on making sure of what is acceptable to the Lord; and quit sharing with them in the unfruitful works that belong to the darkness, but, rather, even be reproving them. 2 Corinthians 7:1: Therefore, since we have these promises, beloved ones, let us cleanse ourselves of every defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in Gods fear.

So to follow the traditions and holidays of the world, regardless of how people/churches have tried to clean them up to appear acceptable and holy they will always have the origin of things unacceptable to God. And we see from the scriptures that true Christians would want to have no part in these things.