The "real" Reason for the Season

Billions of people are caught up in Christmas celebrations each year, but do they really understand the truth about Christ’s birth? The answer is right in the pages of your Bible!


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At year’s end, busy shoppers and party-goers turn their attention to annual Christmas celebrations. But how often do they stop to ask: Why?

What do trimming a tree, decorating the house with lights, stockings, pine boughs and flying reindeer, hanging mistletoe and taking the children to see Santa Claus have to do with the birth of Jesus Christ—the supposed "reason" for the season? Why do sleigh bells and carols about "peace on earth, good will toward men" ring hollow as headlines report increasingly violent crimes, international terrorism, spreading droughts and famines, continuing wars and declining morals? Why do so-called Christian nations perpetuate anti-Christian customs that make life an endless round of momentarily pleasurable, but largely meaningless, social activities?
Though credible scholars and historians universally recognize the fact, the average professing Christian has no idea that the customs surrounding Christmas originally had nothing to do with Jesus Christ!
Even the widely held idea that Jesus was born on December 25 is known to be a fabrication! Contrary to the common tradition, Jesus was probably born in the fall, because Scripture recounts that sheep were in the fields (Luke 2:8)—a situation that would not exist in December. Jesus was also six months younger (Luke 1:24–27, 36) than John the Baptist, who was conceived in late June (after his father had served the eighth course of Abijah—see Luke 1:5; 1 Chronicles 24:1–19). Josephus, the Jewish historian, explains that 24 courses of priests served in the temple for week-long periods twice a year, beginning in the month of Nisan (in the spring, about April). John, conceived in June, would have been born in March, meaning that the six-months-younger Jesus would have been born in September—not on December 25!
So, why do people celebrate Christ’s birth on December 25—even though Scripture nowhere gives that date, and does not even teach that Christians should celebrate Christ’s birthday at all? Late December is the time of the winter solstice, one of the major festival periods in the ancient world. Historians note "the birth of many solar saviors and dying gods is celebrated at this time, usually on December 25th" and that "Christmas is a wonderful amalgamation of many religious traditions, ancient and modern, pagan, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Mithraic, and Christian" (The Pagan Book of Days, pp. 132–133). Modern Christmas is a composite of several year-end festivals celebrated in pagan Rome. The Saturnalia, (December 17–21) was a time of "extravagant decadence" when slaves and masters traded places for a few days. It was a season of revelry where the common greeting was "bona Saturnalia." Next came the Sigillaria—the feast of dolls—on the 22nd when toys were purchased and given to children. The Brumalia (December 25) was celebrated as the "Birthday of the Unconquered Sun, when the days began to lengthen after the solstice" (Christmas and Christmas Lore, Crippen, p. 7). These were times of feasting, drinking and debauchery. The Egyptians also celebrated the rebirth of the sun in the form of an infant several thousand years before the Romans (see The Golden Bough, St. Martin’s ed., pp. 471–472).
By contrast, the early Christian Church did not celebrate Jesus’ birthday as long as the teachings of the Apostles remained intact. In fact, as late as 245ad, the church scholar, Origen "repudiated as sinful the very idea of keeping the birthday of Christ" (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th ed.). However, in an effort to gain converts, "the church at Rome definitely fixed on the 25th of December as the birthday of the Lord" in the 4th century (Crippen, p. 6). The choice of the winter solstice festival and the birthday of the sun-god were deliberate. New "converts" could continue their popular pagan customs uninterrupted—but under a new "Christian" name! People follow the same fabricated practice today—largely ignorant of what is hiding behind the "Christian" façade.
But have you ever wondered if there is more to life than this? Have pagan customs adopted by mainstream Christianity replaced more meaningful biblical practices?

Leviticus 23 outlines a series of 7 Holy Day festivals commanded by God and celebrated by Jesus and the first century church.

Passover originally was the annual celebration of the Hebrew's release from slavery after a series of ten plagues from God convinced the pharoah to let them go. They slaughtered a lamb for passover as all the Egyptians were asleep. Then the final plague killed all the first-born of Egypt. This lamb is symbolic of Christ being the "Lamb of God" dying for our sins. The passover "last supper" of the gospels records Jesus and His deciples having passover with bread and wine and the bread and wine being symbolic of Jesus' flesh and blood. "Do this in remembrance of me" was His command showing us to celebrate the passover with it's new, more meaningful purpose.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread depicted the Hebrews leaving in such haste from Egypt that they didn't have time to let their bread rise. Every year on passover, the Israelites would clean their houses from all leaven and abstain from partaking of risen, leavened, or yeast altered bread. As christians we know that Jesus resurrected in the middle of this feast as it is a 7 day feast. It also symbolises leavening as being sin. To abstain from leavening, we abstain from sin as explained by Paul. "Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians 5:6–7).

The Feast of Pentacost represented the first of the late spring harvest in Israel which was to be sacrificed to God. It also was the time the "Law" was given to Moses on Mt. Sinai. In christianity this was the day the new testament church started. 31AD on Pentacost, Jew and Gentile alike were gathered together in "like mind" to celebrate the annual Jewish feast. Then, suddenly the Holy Spirit poured out on about 120 of these people, including the apostles. This event is described in Acts chapters 1 and 2. This feast also describes the future resurrection of God's saints as the "Firstfruits of Christ" as Christ was the firstfruits of God's people being the first resurrected. This is the Holy Day of God's saints... those who will take part in the First Resurrection.

The Feast of Trumpets is the first of the "prophetic" Holy Days. In ancient times it was a day to celebrate the "blowing of trumpets" and was symbolic for the future coming of the messiah... or the Second-Coming of Christ on Earth. It represents the tribulation through the first 6 trumpets and the return of Christ at the blowing of the "last" or "seventh" trumpet. It is believed that Jesus may have been born on this Holy Day feast since His birth was sometime in late summer/early fall.

The Day of Atonement was a Jewish day of Fasting and giving an atoneing sacrifice for the people of God by the High Priest. In this old feast, there were two lambs or goats and one was to be set free and the other sacrificed. In Christianity, atonement depicts the imprisonment of Satan and his thugs of demons for 1000 years giving mankind a genuine opportunity to atone or grow closer to God. Since the cause of sin is locked away and absent from the earth, those who remain alive after the tribulation can gain a genuine relationship with God. Fasting shows us just how dependent on God we are and shows how weak we are.

The Feast of Tabernacles was a feast in which Israelites would travel to and fro to the temple and pitch tents for 7 days. It is also known as the feast of indwellings. It is to comemmorate the 40 years of Israel wandering in the wilderness, living in tents after leaving Egypt under the leadership of Moses. The christian aspect of this festival is to picture the new Kingdom of God on Earth. It celebrates the 1000 years of peace on earth under Christ's leadership. The saints of God are to be kings and priests in this Godly Kingdom to assist Christ. Christians celebrating this 7 day feast usually travel to nearby paradises and spend this time worshipping and fellowshipping. Zechariah gave a prophecy of this peaceful time when all would come up to Jerusalem and learn of God in chapter 14.

The Last Great Day or 8th Day is the day after the 7 day feast of Tabernacles. It pictures the 2nd resurrection, White Throne Judgement (a learning process for repentance), the separating of the righteous from the unrighteous, and the New Heaven and New Earth leading up to the consummation of the marriage with New Jerusalem falling from heaven and on to the new earth with God dwelling in New Jerusalem. No more tears. No more pain. No more suffering. Humankind's ultimate destiny... to be part of this glorious future.


So much more meaning with these holy days than with these "false christian" practices of christmas and easter. A conspiracy of epic proportions and greatly misunderstood by so many well-meaning christians. Thank you "Roman Catholic Church" for blinding the masses from the truth and for deliberately breaking the warning from God in Deuteronomy 12:29-32.

The reason for the season is the celebration of the winter solstice.

Pretty much all Christian religious Holidays and traditions are based on archaic pagan celebrations and traditions. What better way than to enforce christianity, then by covering up a pre-existing religion!

reply to post by MrRoboto


Because you're not covering it up, you're counterfeiting it. How much of the traditional christmas celebration have anything to do with Jesus' birth? Even the word "Christmas" derives from "Christ-Mass" which is the exact opposite of birth. And Abrahamic religions (Jew, Christian, Muslim) never used the sun to forcast any festivals. They were all moon forcast celebrations which is why Jewish and Judeo-Christian Holy Days outlined in Leviticus 23 are always on different days on the Gregorian calendar.

Let's use a few "traditions" of christmas to show how "non-christian" it really is.

Santa Clause- Big fat man with a white beard and red suit who flies around in a sleigh pulled by 8 reindeer. Christians will tell you that Santa Clause represents St. Nicholas... a Catholic saint from Asia Minor (Turkey) who has nothing in common with the popular "Santa Clause" other than a red suit. In ancien Nordic Pagan beliefs, the god Odine was a fat man with a white beard flying in a chariot pulled by an 8 legged horse. End result..... Santa Clause is a modern version of Odine... NOT ST. NICHOLAS!

Christmas Tree- I'll let the bible give this answer.
Jeremiah 10
Idols and the True God
1 Hear the word which the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel.
2 Thus says the LORD:


“ Do not learn the way of the Gentiles;
Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven,
For the Gentiles are dismayed at them.
3 For the customs of the peoples are futile;
For one cuts a tree from the forest,
The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.
4 They decorate it with silver and gold;
They fasten it with nails and hammers
So that it will not topple.
5 They are upright, like a palm tree,
And they cannot speak;
They must be carried,
Because they cannot go by themselves.
Do not be afraid of them,
For they cannot do evil,
Nor can they do any good.”

Pagans of the Germanic and Nordic tribes used evergreens as symbols of everlasting life around the time of the winter solstice, when the sun was at it's lowest point in the sky. The fir tree, which was native of Europe, was used as a symbol of everlasting life as it remained green in the winter. They would decorate the tree with silver and gold...much like the garland and icicles along with the bulbs of today to help accent the shine of the sun. They would put candles out in their windows and decorate their dwellings with things like holly bush, mistletoe, wreaths (circle of life) and stars on the fir trees much like the modern custom of topping a tree with a shiny star.

Gift Giving- usually told to christians as a gesture for what the magi did when they visited baby Christ and gave their gifts of gold, myhrr, and frankencense but the truth behind what the magi did is so much more than gift giving. They brought gifts fit for a King since the Christ was the newborn King. The gift giving done on the modern solstice celebration originated on Saturnalia and Burhmalia when gifts of toy dolls were given to children in order for them to mutilate the dolls. This was due to the story of Saturn, the sun god who killed his own two children so that they wouldn't challenge his position as a god.

Just a few examples of modern christmas celebrations that prove nothing of Christ's birth but are plagued with pagan customs even today. Let's not forget the warnings from God....


Deuteronomy 12:29-32 (New King James Version)

Beware of False Gods

29 “When the LORD your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, 30 take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ 31 You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way; for every abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.
32 “Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away

What do trimming a tree, decorating the house with lights, stockings, pine boughs and flying reindeer, hanging mistletoe and taking the children to see Santa Claus have to do with the birth of Jesus Christ—the supposed "reason" for the season?

Because its festive, And so is the birth of Jesus.

Why do sleigh bells and carols about "peace on earth, good will toward men" ring hollow as headlines report increasingly violent crimes, international terrorism, spreading droughts and famines, continuing wars and declining morals?

A beacon of hope in a world of darkness

Though credible scholars and historians universally recognize the fact, the average professing Christian has no idea that the customs surrounding Christmas originally had nothing to do with Jesus Christ!

No, but they do have something to do with love, peace,giving,sharing, miracles, hope,celebration of life.
Isn't that what Jesus is all about.

Even the widely held idea that Jesus was born on December 25 is known to be a fabrication!
Contrary to the common tradition, Jesus was probably born in the fall, because Scripture recounts that sheep were in the fields (Luke 2:8)—a situation that would not exist in December.

No one knows the exact date. Jesus could have very well been born in December. Remember that the inn was full.People usually stayed at inns when the weather was unfavorable.Perhaps maybe it was unseasonably warm for December.It must have been odd to see sheep in the fields in the middle of winter.Perhaps the writer wanted to stress that point.

So, why do people celebrate Christ’s birth on December 25—even though Scripture nowhere gives that date, and does not even teach that Christians should celebrate Christ’s birthday at all?

Because December 25 is a day that God has marked in the heavens which we call the winter solstice. This day represents a new beginning. What not a better day to celebrate the birth of the Saviour Jesus.

Leviticus 23 outlines a series of 7 Holy Day festivals commanded by God and celebrated by Jesus and the first century church.So much more meaning with these holy days than with these "false christian" practices of christmas and easter

.

If Christ celebrated festivals in observance of God, Why cant I celebrate festivals in observance of Christ? Arn't they both God.
.

A conspiracy of epic proportions and greatly misunderstood by so many well-meaning christians. Thank you "Roman Catholic Church" for blinding the masses from the truth and for deliberately breaking the warning from God in Deuteronomy 12:29-32.

Did you forget about the New Covenant of Jesus?

This just sounds like a lame attempt to justify not celebrating Christmas because of hard economic times
Bah Humbug.

reply to post by oliveoil


Funny how you justify celebrating that day just because of your idea on what it means. Didn't the bible call Paganism evil? So why adopt customs of an evil people? Deuteronomy 12 29-32 is what that is all about. This warning is not for JUST the old covenant people.

They actually adopted these traditions when the Romans merged with the Christians. The Romans were obviously looking for a way to control their people, and seen that Christianity was a growing religion. So, they introduced Christianity and merged their beliefs with the teachings. They also did this so they could maintain the same parties and holidays they had earlier. The teachings were real, but the dates were off.

reply to post by Locoman8

Funny how you justify celebrating that day just because of your idea on what it means. Didn't the bible call Paganism evil? So why adopt customs of an evil people?

My Idea of what Christmas means is the celebration of the birth of Jesus.

If you want to hang a light bulb in remembrance of Jesus Christs birth so be it.

Maybe the Christians adopted some of the pagan customs because they saw what was truth.

How is acknowledging the Winter solstice and what it represents as evil?

Christmas is not a pagan holiday because it falls on the 25.

The 25 and the winter solstice were here long before the evil pagans.

reply to post by oliveoil


I think the OP is trying to show us that Christmas, along with the other "christian" holidays and traditions are not unique and definitley not christian in origin. In fact, ALL christian traditions ( virgin birth, resurrection, sacrifice, last supper ect have their roots in much more ancient religions and traditions.

Christmas is different things to diffferent people. Sadly, however Christmas hasn't really been about "peace on Earth and goodwill towards men" for a long time. Our sad need to buy ever more stuff, to get ever deeper in debt, and out do our neighbours has gotten in the way.

I'm glad for some people it's still about something good, whether it be the birth of of their saviour, or celebrating the passage to winter, in the end when it isn't about buying more crap, it's a good thing, not matter it's origins.

reply to post by Merigold

In fact, ALL christian traditions ( virgin birth, resurrection, sacrifice, last supper ect have their roots in much more ancient religions and traditions.

lol, It does seem kinda odd that Christian traditions didn't occur until, humm.. after Jesus Christs death.

I like this post. It makes you think.

We all know that the holidays (Easter and Christmas) are exploited for the "almighty dollar".

Im my opinion, society wants you to believe more in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny than Jesus Christ or God himself. Even for a child, the lure of both entities (claus and bunny) is way more appealing than some boring religion. Candy and presents? Come on!

If someone (or something) was trying to veer people away from God, it would be easy. Get society to worship the "money" aspect of things. Spend money and buy more secular things for your children and have them growing up to question everything sacred. Its getting easier and easier every year.

Thats just the way I see it. I no longer believe in any holidays created by man for a monetary purpose. Which most of them are.

Christmas is a day where my children are taught to honor the memory of Saint Nicholas, aka Santa Claus, the patron saint of children. Easter is the day we celebrate Jesus on.

I think what is important is that you teach your children a meaning behind a holiday you celebrate, and not just the commercialized version of it. It is the meaning that is important, not necessarily the scripture behind or against it.

[edit on 2009/11/12 by TLomon]

Originally posted by TLomon
Christmas is a day where my children are taught to honor the memory of Saint Nicholas, aka Santa Claus, the patron saint of children. Easter is the day we celebrate Jesus on.

I think what is important is that you teach your children a meaning behind a holiday you celebrate, and not just the commercialized version of it. It is the meaning that is important, not necessarily the scripture behind or against it.

[edit on 2009/11/12 by TLomon]

Interesting how Christmas in it's christian form never called for the celebration of St. Nick. Of course you must have skipped my post on who Santa Clause really portrays. Odine the nordic god pulled by a chariot through the sky by an 8-legged horse. He was portrayed as a fat man with a white beard. Nothing about Santa Clause can be found similar to St. Nick other than the clothing... and only the color is similar. And Easter is the pagan holiday of fertility. Good friday and easter sunday are false dates for the death and resurrection of Christ. He was killed on Passover and resurrected 3 days and 3 nights later, not 1 1/2 days later.

I wrote almost this exact same thing over 2 years ago and even named it "The Reason for the Season?".

Weirdness.

My question I ask is, if infact Christmas is based on a pagan holiday, and god says to not "recycle" other rituals and use them to worship him, should you be celebrating christmas if you are a christian? I use this bit of text and and I'll use it from one of the thread author's posts..

Deuteronomy 12:29-32 (New King James Version)

Beware of False Gods

29 “When the LORD your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land,
30 take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’
31 You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way; for every abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.
32 “Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away

When I ask people this, their first reply is usually along the lines of well to me it means....or I celebrate.... But what I ask, is does what it mean to you really matter? Isn't what it means to god what matters?

I still think this is a weird thread, with the title and almost identical content. Not to mention the name similarity.

S and F Op, good thread!

I would like to add a little more to what you have wrote;

When Yeshua was born, he was attended to by the same shepards who reared the pascal lambs, paid for by the temple treasury. Whe He made His triumphal entry into jerusalem on a donkeys colt, was the same day the pascal lambs were "bought into home." Yeshua was crucified on the proper day of Pesach or passover, and the 9th hour (3pm) was the same time that the temple priests sacrificed the pascal lambs! When He rose from the dead, the day of the wave offering that blesses the future harvest that comes 7 times 7 days later, on the same day the giving of the law written on stone tablets is celebrated, and the harvest is gathered, is the same day the Holy Spirit came down, writing the law on the tablets of our hearts, and there was a harvest of men.... I love the synchronisity, the feasts being another way of G-d giving us His plan of salvation, not just through scripture, but into the culture of the people themselves.
A lot of christians miss the point of the Holy days because they hold onto the doctrine of of the nicolations who absorbed pagan traditions into their church, a doctrine spoken about in Revelation by Yeshua in His letters to the churches which said that He hates this doctrine! So all of these people who try to justify themselves by taking part in these clearly pagan festivals are offending Yeshua who says in black and white in the book of Revelation that He hates this practice!

I have always said that there is something very wrong with the idea of taking your children to see a perfect stranger, dressed in all red, and telling them to sit in his lap and tell him what you really want and you will get it. And the fact that Santa and Satan are so closely spelled.

reply to post by Selahobed

A lot of christians miss the point of the Holy days because they hold onto the doctrine of of the nicolations who absorbed pagan traditions into their church, a doctrine spoken about in Revelation by Yeshua in His letters to the churches which said that He hates this doctrine! So all of these people who try to justify themselves by taking part in these clearly pagan festivals are offending Yeshua who says in black and white in the book of Revelation that He hates this practice!

If you believe that Yeshua was speaking of hating Pagan practices in regards to untruth than you are correct. However, their are also many Pagan practices that should be viewed as truth.
Biblical ex.
Paul quotes Pagan poets at least 3 times as being true.(Titus)

Christianity is bases on truth, and yes some of the customs are Pagan in origin, But just because its Pagan does not mean its untruth.

How can Putting up a Christmas tree,hanging a few lights,giving presents,helping the poor,being festive, celebrating Christs birth be untruth? it can't

Now if one was to worship the tree and the lights and the god of the tree and the lights that would make him a Pagan which Yeshua hates.

Originally posted by oliveoil
reply to post by Selahobed

 

A lot of christians miss the point of the Holy days because they hold onto the doctrine of of the nicolations who absorbed pagan traditions into their church, a doctrine spoken about in Revelation by Yeshua in His letters to the churches which said that He hates this doctrine! So all of these people who try to justify themselves by taking part in these clearly pagan festivals are offending Yeshua who says in black and white in the book of Revelation that He hates this practice!

If you believe that Yeshua was speaking of hating Pagan practices in regards to untruth than you are correct. However, their are also many Pagan practices that should be viewed as truth.
Biblical ex.
Paul quotes Pagan poets at least 3 times as being true.(Titus)

Christianity is bases on truth, and yes some of the customs are Pagan in origin, But just because its Pagan does not mean its untruth.

How can Putting up a Christmas tree,hanging a few lights,giving presents,helping the poor,being festive, celebrating Christs birth be untruth? it can't

Now if one was to worship the tree and the lights and the god of the tree and the lights that would make him a Pagan which Yeshua hates.

What you're doing is finding a reason to celebrate something that God clearly said not to. Christmas trees, worshipped or not are not evil but they are not good either as Jeremiah said... they are part of the heathen customs.

Jeremiah 10:1-5

Idols and the True God
1 Hear the word which the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel.
2 Thus says the LORD:


“ Do not learn the way of the Gentiles;
Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven,
For the Gentiles are dismayed at them.
3 For the customs of the peoples are futile;
For one cuts a tree from the forest,
The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.
4 They decorate it with silver and gold;
They fasten it with nails and hammers
So that it will not topple.
5 They are upright, like a palm tree,
And they cannot speak;
They must be carried,
Because they cannot go by themselves.
Do not be afraid of them,
For they cannot do evil,
Nor can they do any good.”

So, the christmas tree customs were around long before Christ. It's funny how people are holding so tightly on the traditions of men. Christmas leads the celebrator away from the true purpose and teachings of Jesus. The Kingdom of God on earth is the main issue of Jesus. The Second-coming of Christ. The death and resurrection of Christ. These are the things that we use to honor Christ. His birth is a reminder of how helpless and innocent He was. His birth was so low on the scheme of things that only two of the four gospel accounts even mentions the birth of Christ. Funny thing is that all four gospels and most epistles mention the death and sacrifice of Christ but no mention of the birth of Christ outside of Matthew and Luke. Christians need to set their priorities and most of those christians have their priorities in the material pagan holiday formerly known as Saturnalia. Not to mention, why do so many "non-christians" celebrate christmas and easter? How many non-Jews celebrate haunakka? How many non-Jews celebrate Purim?

None? That's what I thought.

reply to post by Locoman8


If you are a Jew and follow the OT Then I would have to say that you are correct. However, If you are a Christian and follow Christ these rules do not apply.

Jeremiah 11:3 says, "And say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant,"

The new covenant of Jesus Christ supersedes this covenant and all previous covenants.

Its okay to celebrate Christmas.

Jesju was definately not born at Christmas. According to tradition, shepherds came to the cave with newborn lambs, he was born during a cencus, which place it within the Pekudei ("cencus") parasha, around Passover, and the astronomical observations place Jesju's birth in 6BC. Remember that in Judea back then, lakes and rivers frose during winter. To give birth outside during winter in Judea 2000 years ago? Get real...