Why is Christmas celebrated on December 25th? Most people assume that it has always been a Christian holiday and that it is a celebration of the birth of Jesus. But it turns out that Jesus was not born on December 25th. However, a whole bunch of pagan gods were born on that day. In fact, pagans celebrated a festival involving a heroic supernatural figure that visits an evergreen tree and leaves gifts on December 25th long before Jesus was ever born. From its early Babylonian roots, the celebration of the birth or "rebirth" of the sun god on December 25th came to be celebrated under various names all over the ancient world. You see, the winter solstice occurs a few days before December 25th each year. The winter solstice is the day of the year when daylight is the shortest. In ancient times, December 25th was the day each year when the day started to become noticeably longer. Thus it was fitting for the early pagans to designate December 25th as the date of the birth or the "rebirth" of the sun.
The truth is that thousands of years before there was a "Santa Claus", there was another supernatural figure who would supposedly visit a tree and leave gifts every December 25th.
His name was Nimrod.
The celebration of December 25th goes all the way back to ancient Babylon.
According to ancient Babylonian tradition, Semiramis (who eventually became known as the goddess Astarte/Asherah/Ashtoreth/Isis/Ishtar/Easter in other pagan religions) claimed that after the untimely death of her son/husband Nimrod (yes she was married to her own son), a full grown evergreen tree sprang up overnight from a dead tree stump. Semiramis claimed that Nimrod would visit that evergreen tree and leave gifts each year on the anniversary of his birth, which just happened to be on December 25th.
This is the true origin of the Christmas tree.
On Bibletools.org, Mike Ford describes this ancient pagan tradition about Nimrod this way....
----
After Nimrod's death (c. 2167 BC), Semiramis promoted the belief that he was a god. She claimed that she saw a full-grown evergreen tree spring out of the roots of a dead tree stump, symbolizing the springing forth of new life for Nimrod. On the anniversary of his birth, she said, Nimrod would visit the evergreen tree and leave gifts under it.
----
On that same site, John Plunkett described the ancient pagan myth regarding December 25th in this manner....
----
From many ancient writings, considerable is learned of this man, who started the great organized worldly apostasy from God that has dominated this world until now. Nimrod was so evil, it is said he married his own mother, whose name was Semiramis. After Nimrod's untimely death, his so-called mother-wife, Semiramis, propagated the evil doctrine of the survival of Nimrod as a spirit being. She claimed a full-grown evergreen tree sprang overnight from a dead tree stump, which symbolized the springing forth unto new life of the dead Nimrod. On each anniversary of his birth, she claimed, Nimrod would visit the evergreen tree and leave gifts upon it. December 25th was the birthday of Nimrod. This is the real origin of the Christmas tree.
----
From this original fable peddled by Semiramis (the "Queen of Heaven") came the tradition for pagans to go out to the holy "groves" and leave gifts for Nimrod (who later came to be worshipped as "Baal") at an evergreen tree.
Does that sound like a "Christian" holiday to you?
In fact, in his classic work "The Two Babylons", Alexander Hislop describes the Babylonian origins of Christmas on page 93....
"Long before the fourth century, and long before the Christian era itself, a festival was celebrated among the heathen, at that precise time of the year, in honor of the birth of the son of the Babylonian queen of heaven. It may fairly be presumed that, in order to conciliate the heathen, and to swell the number of the nominal adherents of Christianity, the Roman Church, giving it only the name of Christ adopted the same festival. This tendency on the part of Christians to meet Paganism halfway was very early developed; and we find Tertullian, even in his day, about the year 230, bitterly lamenting the inconsistency of the disciples of Christ in this respect, and contrasting it with the strict fidelity of the Pagans to their own superstition."
In fact, the name "Yule" is the Babylonian word for "infant" or "little child" as Hislop describes on pages 93 and 94 of his book....
"That Christmas was originally a Pagan festival is beyond all doubt. The time of the year, and the ceremonies, with which it is still celebrated, prove its origin. In Egypt, the son of Isis, the Egyptian title for the queen of heaven, was born at this very time, 'about the time of the winter solstice.' The very name by which Christmas is popularly known among us -- Yule-day -- proves at once its pagan and Babylonian origin. 'Yule' is the Chaldee name for an 'infant' or 'little child'; and as the 25th of December was called by our Pagan Anglo-Saxon ancestors, 'Yule-day,' or the 'Child's-day,' and the night that preceded it, 'Mother-night,' long before they came in contact with Christianity, that sufficiently proves its real character. Far and wide, in the realms of Paganism, was this birthday observed."
So when you offer "yuletide" greetings, you are actually acknowledging Nimrod's birthday.
The truth is that the pagan holiday of "Yule" has been celebrated by the pagans of northern Europe from late December through early January for centuries and centuries. Yule logs were traditionally lit throughout northern Europe to honor the pagan god Thor. The festival would continue until the Yule log burned out - which could take up to twelve days. This is where we get the so-called "12 days of Christmas".
In fact, Wiccans, neo-pagans and even many witches still celebrate Yule to this day. Many of them think it is incredibly funny when Christians use the pagan word Yule. Yule is one of the most important holidays for them. The following excerpt was taken from a website on witchcraft:
-----
Birthday of the Twins:
Kemetic (ancient Egyptian) holy day. Birthday of the Twins, Heru Sa Aset and Bast, children of Aset [Isis]. Origin of Yule and Christmas. On Winter Solstice Asar [Osiris] dies. Aset [Isis] with the magick help of Nebt Het [Nephthys] creates a Djed Pillar [artificial penis] for Her husband and impregnates Herself. For three full days (December 22-24) Asar lies dead and the Twins grow in Aset’s belly. On this day (December 25th) the Twins are born, the reincarnation or resurrection of Their Father. The green tree is a symbol of the green-skinned Asar, God of fertility and vegetation. The colored lights are symbols of Aset, Goddess of magick and divine light. Red, green, and white are the traditional candle colors of Bast (this was Her birthday alone for several thousand years of early Kemetic history), later being adapted to red for Aset (the color of the Mother’s menstrual flow), green for Asar (the color of vegetation), and white for the Twins (the color of pure light).
-----
So where did Christmas come from?
Well, the truth is that the word "Christmas" is not actually found anywhere in the entire Bible.
In fact, the word "Christmas" was not even invented until about a thousand years after Jesus left this earth.
The Catholic Encyclopedia even admits this....
"The word for Christmas in late Old English is Cristes Maesse, the Mass of Christ, first found in 1038."
But Jesus was not even born on December 25th.
The reality is that it would have simply been far too cold for shepherds to be out with their sheep at night in Israel on December 25th.
The vast majority of Christian scholars now acknowledge this.
So when was Jesus actually born?
Based on the information we have in the Scriptures, it appears that it is most likely that Jesus was born in the fall. In particular, it seems most likely that Jesus was actually born during the Feast of Tabernacles as the video posted below demonstrates....
So how did December 25th come to be celebrated by Christians?
Well, by the time the Roman Empire legalized Christianity in the 4th century, most of the other religions in the empire were celebrating the birth of their gods on December 25th.
Leading up to December 25th in ancient Rome, a festival known as Saturnalia was one of the biggest celebrations of the year. Saturnalia was a festival during which the Romans commemorated the dedication of the temple of their god Saturn. This holiday began on the 17th of December and it would last for an entire week until the 23rd of December.
Saturnalia was typically characterized by gift-giving, feasting, singing and lots and lots of debauchery. The priests of Saturn would carry wreaths of evergreen boughs in procession throughout the pagan Roman temples.
Later on, the Romans also started holding a festival on December 25th called Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, which means "the birthday of the unconquered sun." Basically it was a way for the empire to consolidate all of the December 25th "sun god" birthdays throughout the empire into one holiday.
In the year 350 A.D., Pope Julius I declared that the birth of Jesus would be celebrated on December 25th from then on. There appears to be little doubt that Pope Julius was trying to make it as painless as possible for pagan Romans to convert to Catholicism.
However, the new holiday did not really take off with Christians at first. The widespread celebration of December 25th by Christians did not really get going until 378. It was apparently then dropped in 381 and then resurrected in 400.
But the truth is that December 25th was celebrated as the birthday of scores of pagan gods long before it was ever associated with Jesus.
As we discussed earlier, the celebration of December 25th goes all the way back to Nimrod (who eventually came to be worshipped as Baal).
Baal worship spread throughout the known world and provided the basis for all other pagan religions. The following are just some of the pagan gods that had "birthdays" on December 25th....
Mithras
Horus
Attis
Dionysus the son of Zeus
Tammuz
Hercules
Perseus
Helios
Bacchus
Apollo
Jupiter
Sol Invictus - (The "Unconquered Sun")
When the Roman Catholics decided to make December 25th a "Christian holiday" in the fourth century, they simply adopted a long standing pagan holiday and kept most of the same pagan traditions.
For example, the ancient Babylonian "Christmas tree" became known as a symbol of fertility throughout the ancient world. The pole, balls, and tinsel (phallus, testes, semen) represented various aspects of male fertility, while wreaths were always fashioned in a circle to represent female fertility.
In "The Two Babylons", Hislop describes some of the ancient traditions surrounding the Christmas tree on page 97....
"The Christmas tree, now so common among us, was equally common in Pagan Rome and Pagan Egypt. In Egypt that tree was the palm-tree; in Rome it was the fir; the palm tree denoting the Pagan messiah, as Baal-Tamar, the fir referring to him as Baal-Berith. The mother of Adonis, the sun-god and great mediatorial divinity, was mystically said to have been changed into a tree, and when in that state to have brought forth her divine son. If the mother was a tree, the son must have been recognized as the 'Man the branch.' And this entirely accounts for the putting of the Yule Log into the fire on Christmas Eve, and the appearance of the Christmas tree the next morning."
That sure puts a different spin on Christmas traditions, now doesn't it?
Most Christians don't even realize that God warned us about such things in the Bible.
In Jeremiah 10:1-4, God warns us against putting up these decorated trees like the pagans were doing....
Hear what the LORD says to you, O house of Israel. This is what the LORD says: "Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by signs in the sky, though the nations are terrified by them. For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter."
The Puritans understood this. It comes as a surprise to most Americans to learn that the Puritans once banned Christmas trees in many areas of the United States because they were considered so pagan.
According to ancient Babylonian tradition, the springtime fertility festival of Ishtar (Easter) was a time when the "Queen of Heaven" was believed to become impregnated. Nine months later the sun god would be "born" or "reborn".
To the ancient Babylonians, these holiday trees came to be worshipped as the "Queen of Heaven", and gifts were brought to the "groves" of trees that had been grown in her honor and placed beneath them as offerings.
The Babylonians also used wreaths to represent the nativity of the sun, since they were objects that depicted the "womb" of the Earth mother.
Early Christians completely rejected these traditions. In the 3rd century, Tertullian wrote the following about these pagan celebrations....
"On your day of gladness, we [Christians] neither cover our doorposts with wreaths, nor intrude upon the day with lamps. At the call of public festivity, you consider it a proper thing to decorate your house like some new brothel. We are accused of a lower sacrilege because
we do not celebrate along with you the holidays ..."
The truth is that the celebration of December 25th and most of the accompanying traditions have always been pagan.
But many Christians will protest and say that it is okay for them to celebrate December 25th because to them it is all about Jesus.
That was the same excuse that Aaron used when he and most of the rest of the people of Israel worshipped the golden calf while Moses was up on the mountain getting the Law of God. Aaron actually said that the worship of the golden calf was being done to the Lord as we read in Exodus 32:5....
When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, "Tomorrow there will be a festival to the LORD."
But we know how that turned out.
God was not pleased.
At all.
In fact, He was furious.
In the same way, God is not pleased when we celebrate pagan holidays and keep traditions that have been pagan for thousands of years.
For even more on the pagan origins of Christmas, check out the following YouTube video....
Matt, this might throw some light. The Bible indeed is true.The Druids convened their ceremonies under the oak trees. The significance of these trees has its roots also in the Christmas tree. refer Jer 10: 2-5 ” Thus says the Lord, learn not the way of the heathen, for the customs of the people are vain, for one cuts a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workmen. with the axe, they deck it with silver and with gold, they fasten it with nails…..”
I like to think of this as a huge load of holiday pressure off of us all. No more feeling pressure to get a tree, have a perfectly decorated home, spend crazy money on gifts, sign a million cards, throw parties or attend a bunch of parties. All of these things are fun and a great way to express our love for God and each other, but what a relief that we don’t really need to do these things during this time of year in the name of this “holiday”.
Adjei Acheampong, I am sorry, but your comment is stupid. Do you actually believe God is going to take a pagan holiday and make it holy? You can pour a gallon of sugar on poison but it is still poison…just a bit sweeter going down. In order to take something evil and make it good, you must get rid of the evil. Adding the name “Christ” to a pagan celebration does not make it holy. What you and many others want to do is to baptize paganism and you simply cannot do it. If you so desire to celebrate something and honor Christ in doing so, celebrate the holy days of the Bible instead of the unholy days of paganism.
Was the Christ born on Dec 25?Well Jehovah is the God of absolute truth,never to be associated with lies and sophistry.This feast was never celebrated by Christ nor his disciples cuz it has no scriptural basis.Pls,”don’t go beyond what is written and nothing beyond what is written is true of us”,hence Xmas is satanic and devilish-1Cor4:6.If the Holy Spirit of JEHOVAH dwells in you,then believe his words.
Let me settle an argument here.
Christians have absolutely no evidence to support their weak argument that ‘Christmas’ (correctly named Yule or the Winter Solstice) has anything to do with religion.
In fact, Christmas, as it is now known thanks to brainwashing techniques such as religious views in secular schools, was traditionally about having a party in the winter to give everyone something to look forward to.
The evidence there is for when Jesus was born – none of which says he was the son of god or whatever you call him – point to him being born sometime around September. Not December 25th. Surely if he was actually the Messiah, he wouldn’t want you to celebrate his birthday months too late? It’s quite pathetic.
After all, what EVIDENCE do you have that any of it exists?
“I believe that” or “I have faith that” are not and never will be evidence.
The Bible? It is a book. A story. No more factual than a fairytale. Therefore, it is not evidence either.
Your faith? Not evidence. Beliefs? Not evidence.
Humans are born to question everything, and rightly so. It is our ability to question things that make us so clever that we can be at the top of the food chain.
So why shouldn’t we question religion? Christians and every other religious group have no evidence whatsoever that any of their beliefs are true.
Pardon me for not believing in your imaginary sky pixie, but I can’t put my trust in something which is not factual. Show me the evidence, then talk to me and tell me to believe.
No evidence = no argument.
The case is closed. No replys to this comment, and no further comments about it.
I rest my case with this: present the evidence. Oh wait, you can’t!
good news,i wish everyone could read these facts,well explained and in brief.God be praised for He cant leave His loved children purishing in darkness.
This is fascinating stuff. I have been pondering these types of thoughts for a couple of years and it’s nice to hear some evidence of my suspicions. It’s also nice to hear so many others think and feel the same way. As a Christian myself I am curious as to which churches support the avoidance of the Christmas cellobration?
Oh how the truth can cut like a two-edge sword.
Now we need to start thinking about Idolatry which is also associated with Christmas, but entails so much more in our Christian religion.
I learned that Christianity now surpasses Buddhism and Hinduism in idolatry(which WERE greatest idolaters of all world religions), but now Christianity is Number 1. So much for the Protestant Reformation.
Let’s get rid of all those false images of Jesus with long hair and beards and even if we knew what Jesus looked like, we are still prohibited from making ANY image or likeness of Him. Of course, this is only one area of idolatry, but at least it’s a good start.
I like to think that i have an open mind when it comes to religion but let me just say this. not once have I ever encountered anyone or anything pagan that has said “you know, everyone else is wrong. This religion is the only true one. If you doubt this at all you are a sinner.” christianity on the other hand has tried to shove this down my throat more times than I can count. This actually greatly puts me off because I don’t believe I would want to worship a God who says I must not dabble in other religions to find my own way, eventually, to christianity. Whatever happened to free will.
Though I say this; everybody is welcome to believe what they believe. I think that it doesn’t matter the traditions behind the day. what matters is why you are celebrating it. For ancient gods, for christ just for an excuse to see family and exchange gifts, as long as you do so with a pure and kind heart, it doesn’t really matter. Merry Chrismas to you all! Enjoy your day for whatever it means to you!
I have never followed the pagan celebrations of christmas as I beieve that to do so dishonors who Jesus is and brings reproach to his heavenly father.
How would we react if that was done to us. Not only that depicting Jesus as a baby each year when now he is a glorified personage sitting at his fathers right hand, and he is ruling as a king not a day old baby.
It also takes away the true meaning of his coming as a man. No the truth has to be told.
the problem tradition is hard to get past.
Yes his heavenly father Yehovah or as many bibles now day pronounce his name Jehovah.
Thankyou
Rod
it is good to read and know….. most of this things are done ignorantly….one day we will wake up and realize that we were fooled in everything,
sometimes I ask myself why cant God just throw a scroll down form above like the ancient days so that we be saved from these CATHOLIC foolishness. and why is it all the time that you read this you find that the catholic changed it and you people still go there? its all bullshit……….
And then there’s Easter …. the celebration of the Saxon Fertility Goddess Eostre; and the Harvest Home which mimics the Festival of Mabon; and let’s not forget All Hallows Eve (halloween) which tried so hard to replace the Celtic Samhain …… Gee Whiz, these pagans make a right mess of the Christian Festivals!!
Dave: Your comment was “You wrote this article like it is new news!
Guess you need to educate you American audience…”
Well, if it was written 20 years ago, it’ may be harder to believe seeing as new information, evidence or connections are being made all the time. It’s not like the author was telling about this new exciting thing called “gravity.” It’s a statement made with the more current facts and findings. I am sure that if this article was written in let’s say 1974, there may have been a heck of a lot less information out there and therefore be missing a lot of what we know today. Facts change, to which books and reports are re-written.
Besides the fact the Bible doesnt teach to celebrate the birth of Yeshua, if you are going to do it, should you not do it when he was born? Scripture teaches he was not born in December, but in September.
It amazes me to some degree that there are many professing Christians who, despite the revelations of the true origins of Christmas and its associated traditional practices, continue to join in the festivities. Since learning these truths, I have decided to place my energies in honoring the “Holy Days” God instituted in His written word. I am not against holidays directly, but I oppose many of the activities that have their roots in pagan practices. Jesus Christ has freed me from the bondage of assimilation by association. I choose to remain free and resist the temptations to do as the heathen do during this time of the year. I plan to incorporate in my own home a special celebration to honor the birth of my Savior Jesus Christ on or near His true birthday in the 7th month of the Jewish Calendar (Tisri-October). If I am truly grafted into the family of “Israel,” then I must consider joining in the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles. As for December 25th, I shall celebrate the Feast of Dedication.
It was never clear to me until I checked this and other websites out but now I believe that God has sent us a very important sign called child sexual exploitation and this information to let the ones to seek the truth to form right judgment. I have written laws in Georgia against child molestation to show my fellow man the signs of the times. Now I am having to debate whether or not to burn the Christmas tree and gifts or just leave the pagan wife and bisexual step daughter in search of a spiritual soal mate to build a relationship with God and ignore all of the Catholic holidays with hopes of having a family in balance with Gods true teachings. Who needs to spoil children with gifts when they can be rewarded gifts for doing their chores and good deeds. Trees and lights are also a waist of good money that could provide needed items for the widows and orphans instead of self indulgence. Hey Vatican City are there anymore indulgences for sale?
Light has no sharing with darkness. In 612 B.C.E., the Judeans introduced pagan worship of the sun into the temple in Jerusalem. Jerusalem experienced God’s judgment—it met destruction at the hands of the Babylonians. Certainly, then, the celebration of these so-called holidays has no share with worship of spirit and truth-the worship of our one and only true God, Jehovah.
So what, that is common knowledge even among christians. It would be nice if you had the actual date of this event. Since no one knows what day Jesus Christ was actually born, Dec 25th is as good as any (He also didnt com 4d saints & spotles bt to win d souls of sinners). B4 any date, anyone, or d world was d word which became flesh durin His birth. No matter how we call d God we believe in – Jesus, Buddha, Allah, Elohim, Chukwu, Obatala, Al-malik, Tia zhu, Gitche manitou… there is one common thing to all of us: our need to believe in an Almighty force beyond human comprehension. Everything else is about faith and the freedom of choice…
To “Let Me Settle This”
If you are waiting for someone to prove the reality of God to you, you will probably not realize it until it is too late and you find yourself on the other side of death’s door wishing someone, somehow, had gotten through to you. The onus is not on anyone to prove it to you; if you don’t want to believe it and then find out the hard way you were wrong, go ahead.
However, if you really DO want to know if God is real, it’s simple. Just ask. If you are truly committed to learning the truth, you will get an answer. Get alone some night or day, outside or inside, get on your knees or stand up straight, but ask with a genuine attitude of really needing to know – “God, are you there? Please find some way to communicate with me that I can understand for sure it is you, and not just someone trying to convince me. Don’t let me find out the hard way after it’s too late to live a full life in your love. Please find a way to let me know now, you are real, and help me to live the life you planned for me to live.”
After all, even the best scientists don’t start out with conclusions; they start out with questions. And don’t let arrogance get in the way. Why go to hell trying to prove you are right when in fact you are not?
Maxine
The world sits on the eve of the looming breakout of thermonuclear war and economic meltdown, Jesus Christ was born zero bc/ad but only THE LORD’S PROPHET *iSRAEL GAVE THE (ISAIAH29:14-16) GOODNEWS TO DESTROY MANKIND’S MATHEMATICAL WISDOM THAT MANKIND’S HISTORY HAS NO ZERO BETWEEN 1B.C.AND 1A.D. THE END OF THE WORLD STARTS DEC.21, 2012. NEXT YEAR IS 2013.**** BREAKING NEWS**** Lyndon LaRouche made an emergency international broadcast, calling for immediate action to remove Barack Obama from office, by purely constitutional means, as the only act which can guarantee the avoidance of a global nuclear holocaust in the very near term.[ http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=h8rk-gzgyVE ]
Lyndon LaRouche Emergency Broadcast December 23, 2011
http://www.youtube.com
As the world sits on the eve of the looming breakout of thermonuclear war and economic meltdown, Lyndon LaRouche made an emergency international broadcast, c…
Lyndon LaRouche Emergency Broadcast December 23, 2011
http://www.youtube.com
As the world sits on the eve of the looming breakout of thermonuclear war and economic meltdown, Lyndon LaRouche made an emergency international broadcast,
Yes. It may be true that Christmas has pagan origins. However, it is not wrong for a Christian to celebrate the birth of Jesus or any part of His life on any given day. A Christian will not be condemned for celebrating this holiday as long as they celebrate and honor this day for the Lord only and recognize the difference between the deeds of a nonbeliever and a Christian. Now, personally, I would not recommend Christians to put up a Christmas tree, but I wouldn’t condemn them for doing so either. As long as they are not worshiping this tree or pagan gods they are fine. Decorating is not a sin. I mean, if you found out square houses were pagan in origin, would you stop living in your home then? In fact, I encourage Christians to tell people about Jesus on Christmas. Many people have accepted Christ on Christmas day thru true bible believing churches. So encourage all people to use Christmas as a way of talking with your family members about Christ. I encourage Christians to bring their friends to church to learn more about Christ during the holiday Season. Get them saved people. That is goal! Then later, tell them the truth about why everyone else celebrates the Lord’s birth on the 25th (despite it not being his actual time of being physically born thru a child). In other words, the day does not matter of when you celebrate the Lord. In fact, if you were to check a Pagan Calendar, just about every day within a month is a special pagan event. In fact, even Joseph told his brothers that he forgave them because what they intended for evil, God intended to use it for good. So there is nothing wrong with Christians celebrating the Holidays in a way that is not rooted in pagan origins. No one says that a Christian has to put up a tree. Giving is what the season is all about. And the Lord wants us to be generous with those that we care about. Generosity with all people is a natural way of being for a Christian. Christmas is just a special reminder of letting those you care about that you thought enough about them to get them something from your heart to their heart.