Should You Be Keeping Christmas Today?

Jeremiah 10:2  

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.”

As our article on Christmas explains, the holiday that millions around the world are keeping today originated in ancient pagan customs—not in the Bible. Though people claim to be remembering the birth of Jesus Christ the Messiah on this day, everything we are shown in the Bible indicates Christ wasn’t born in the month of December.

The fact that shepherds were keeping watch of their sheep in the fields at night at the same time Christ was born (Luke 2:8) is very strong proof that Christ was born in the warmer months of the year. Shepherds would typically only live out in the fields with their flocks from springtime to the beginning of autumn.

It is well known among historians that Christmas originated from ancient pagan myths surrounding the winter solstice and the supposed birth of the pagan god Mithra. Many other pagan festivals also took place in late December, including the Roman Saturnalia holiday.

Today’s Bible verse explains why this is such a problem from God’s point of view. The Bible teaches that we should not “learn the way of the Gentiles” (the nations that didn’t worship the true God). God’s point was that He didn’t want His people to derive their worship practices toward Him from false religions. Carefully read Deuteronomy 12:30-31 and consider the implications these verses have on the observance of Christmas.

To learn the true story behind the birth of Jesus and how it differs from many Christmas traditions, read our article “The Birth of Jesus.”

Tomorrow on the Daily Bible Verse Blog: “Abraham to Die Before Receiving the Promises.”

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