By no means!  Christmas is the primary Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ the Lord.

However, there is no indication that Christ was born on December 25, and there is no instruction or example in Scripture of celebrating His birth.  Further, the celebration of Christmas did originate from a pagan winter festival and various customs centuries ago.

Yet today the content of Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ the Lord.  The old pagan roots of Christmas are no longer remembered or associated with Christians' observance of this day.

Christmas provides a unique opportunity for Christians to proclaim to the world the good news that a Savior has come – Jesus Christ the Lord!

Adapted from "Isn't Easter a pagan holiday?"

"This is a common, but good question – especially around this time of year – and the answer is much deeper than most realize," says Hodge.

In his article, he goes on to discuss in detail the possible origins of Greek mythology, the Scriptures and the Jewish calendar, and concludes:

"To clarify some points though, we, nor other Christians, do not 'worship' a pagan holiday or any holiday.  We worship God on the day that is set aside as Christmas.  We take time to remember (not worship) the birth of Christ on that day.

"Whether Christmas happens to occur at the same time (or close to the same time) as a pagan holiday is irrelevant.  There is nothing inherently wrong with celebrating a Christian holiday at the same time the pagans celebrate.

"The Church has often failed during Christmas-time because we simply talk about the birth of Christ without talking about why He came.

"What is important is that we understand the implication of the omnipotent Son of God leaving His heavenly throne to empty Himself!

"Why would the Creator of the universe choose to do this, knowing he would be raised by sinful parents in a sinful world to be rejected and to die a horrible death?

"Unbelievable as it is, it was to pay the penalty for the sin of humankind (Romans 3:23; 6:23) so that we, undeserving, hateful sinners-doomed to die, could instead live with Him in paradise for eternity.

"Now, that is worth celebrating!

Find out more about this wonderful gift.
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At Christmas time, it is appropriate to include a witness for Christ in our greetings to extended family, neighbors, and co-workers in keeping with the holiday.  We have a ready-made opportunity to explain the Good News of the Gospel.

Your presentation of the good news of God's gift may take many forms:

These tracts use Scripture to show that Jesus came to die for man's sin and invite readers to accept Him.

 •  Pocket Testament League offers low-priced copies of the Gospel of John with different cover designs, various translations, several languages, and all contain the plan of salvation and an opportunity to sign up for a free correspondence course.  1-800-636-8785

"The best gift you can give is the gift of God's promise of eternal life through faith in Christ.  And God's Word explains it better than human words can.

"Giving a Gospel of John is the easiest way possible to share your faith at a time of year when so many people are open to the message of God's love and forgiveness."  –Pocket Testament League.

 •  Send cards with a biblical message and/or Bible verse, write out a verse such as John 3:16, or include Christmas tracts with all your Christmas cards.

 •  If you mail or e-mail an annual family letter, include a personal testimony of the Lord's working in your life, your gratefulness for His salvation, and a Bible verse.

If you send e-cards (Crosscards, Dayspring, etc.) or if you have a website or other online presence (such as Facebook), you can include a message and/or link to the Gospel, such as:

 •  Scripture:

"The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23)

"To all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God." (John 1:12)

 •  Links to online information and video:

"Have you accepted the most precious gift anyone could ever give you?  Read more." (link to http://christiananswers.net/godstory/prayer1.html)

"Watch a free on-line video which clearly explains how Jesus Christ was born and why – starting at the very beginning, at the dawn of Creation.  Watch The Hope, an 80-minute video." (link to
http://christiananswers.net/hope/home.html)

Prepare a plate of goodies for your neighbors, friends, and/or family and include a Christmas tract, a Scripture portion (see above), or an audio tape or CD of a book of the Bible.

Everyone loves to hear the familiar Christmas carols.

 •  Go caroling in your neighborhood, in a hospital or nursing home, or to shut-ins from your church.

 •  Go as a family or with another family or group.

 •  Include your testimony in just a couple of sentences between songs, briefly speak of the gospel message in the songs, and/or pass out Christmas tracts.

 •  Print 4-page Booklet of 14 Christmas carols to take with you caroling, or Carols by Candlelight, a Gospel message with words for carols.

Christmas is a time of giving, modeled on God's great gift to us. Teach your family how giving pleases the Lord.

 •  Model a free and happy generosity.

 •  Teach your child to be thoughtful of those in need and understand how to meet their needs.

 •  See "Teaching the Character Quality of Generosity" in the sidebar at left.

 Talk to your family about those God told us to give to: prisoners; widows and orphans; our "neighbors"; the poor, handicapped, hungry, thirsty, or sick; strangers, those in need of clothing, and those that cannot return our gifts.  (See James 1:27; Luke 14:12-14; Matthew 25:35, 36.)

"Let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth." (1 John 3:1)

Discuss ways to meet the different needs of people.

 •  Some need material things. Give food, clothes, or money for housing, utilities, or transportation to a needy family or individual.

 •  Some need friendship, companionship, time, or service. Make a short visit to a nursing home, take a meal or a "tea party" to a shut-in from your church, or help serve a meal at a rescue mission.

There are several ways that you may become aware of the needs of others and give to them.

 •  You may know someone to give to directly. This may be extended family, neighbors, friends, or acquaintances.  (See the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37.)

 •  You may give through your local church, an example given to us in Scripture.  (See Acts 6:1-7.)

 •  You may give through an organization that ministers in parts of the world with which you would not come into contact, such as:

Gospel for Asia offers you the opportunity to give the Gospel as well as a practical gift to meet urgent needs of Dalit ("Untouchable") families, showing them a tangible expression of God's life-changing love.

Gospel Rescue Missions present the Gospel, as well as provide emergency food and shelter, youth and family services, rehabilitation programs for the addicted, education and job training programs, and assistance to the elderly, poor, and at-risk youth.  See a directory of missions and "Eight Ways to Truly Help the Homeless" (including precautions for your family's safety).

Home School Foundation helps needy homeschooling families through hard times, including their Widows Fund.

"He who is generous will be blessed, For he gives some of his food to the poor."  (Proverbs 22:9)

Hospitality is a gift that money cannot buy, and it is something that God tells us to give to others (Romans 12:13).  You do not need to do an elaborate dinner or party.

 •  Ask a neighbor in for tea.

 •  Do not wait until your house looks "perfect" to practice hospitality.

 •  True love will offer the best gift, the Good News of salvation, along with any gift that ministers to physical needs (Acts 3:6).

 •  Give in the name of the Lord so that He gets the glory and others are pointed to Him.

Christians' celebration a Christ-centered Christmas is a testimony to all around us and can have an impact in the culture warfare today.

Many do not recognize the extent of Christian influence on our nation's founding, giving us a rich Christian heritage, or the majority of our population that are at least nominally Christian.

For example, The Barna Group did a nationwide survey that revealed that "most American adults believe that the stories they read in the Bible can be taken as literal truth" and that "Three out of four adults (75%) said that they believe Jesus Christ was born to a virgin, Mary, as described in the gospel narratives."

Some Christian organizations are working to keep the Christian emphasis in our public celebration of Christmas in various ways, such as:

Bruce Barilla furnishes information on right to display the Nativity scene on public property at nativityhelp.org

As Christmas nears, Barna (see above) pointed out that the large majority who believe in the virgin birth coincides with the fact that few Americans are offended by public displays that remind people of the meaning of Christmas and the importance of the celebration.

Liberty Counsel founder Mat Staver has launched the seventh annual campaign to determine what stores want to take "Christ" out of Christmas.

Liberty Counsel's website has provided a list for consumers, so people know where to patronize when they go Christmas shopping. "The 'Friend or Foe Campaign' is designed to make sure that Christmas does not get secularized or censored from its essence, namely the birth of Jesus Christ," says Staver.

Liberty Counsel is also offering a "Help Save Christmas" action pack designed to help show that it is legal to celebrate Christmas.

Also see American Family Association's list of top retailers and how they recognize Christmas.

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