Is Christmas a pagan tradition, something we should avoid at all costs and not celebrate? Every year, at about this time, your Facebook feed will fill up with quite a few Facebook memes informing you it is a sin to celebrate Christmas. Just as with mainstream Christianity, we who have come to Torah have no choice but to give the Torah (the Bible) precedence. What we feel, what we might think, and what others say does not matter if it conflicts with the Torah.
We who study the Torah know Yehovah our God does not allow anyone to take His place or His glory. He and He alone is to be worshiped and obeyed. He and He alone is to be our source for all the things we need in this life, and we can trust Him to provide for us. How do we know this? Paul says, so in Rom 8:32, when we look at the cross, we know Yehovah can be trusted to give us everything we need.
Now it is easy for us to see how Santa Claus will come into conflict with the Torah. It is, therefore, rather obvious how we who are saved have to avoid Santa Claus.
What about the Christmas tree?
The Torah says we are only to worship Yehovah, so it is rather easy to see it would not be sinful to have a Christmas tree as long as you dont worship it. Very few Christians would consciously worship a tree, and the Israelites who made the Golden Calf did not set out to make an idol. They made the Golden Calf as a symbol of Yehovah, but even so, they were guilty of idolatry. Also though few Christians would worship a tree, it has become the symbol of Christmas and for the celebration of the birth of Christ. When Christians allow the tree to become a symbol for Christmas and the celebration of the birth of Christ, the tree has become their Golden Calf.
Is it wrong to have a Christmas tree?
It is not wrong, as long as it does not become your Golden calf.
Is it wrong to give each other gifts at Christmas?
No, there is nothing in the Torah that says it is wrong to give each other gifts at Christmas.
Is it wrong to celebrate Christmas as the birth of Christ, even though we all know He was born in October?
The Torah says we are to celebrate Yehovahs feast days and Yehovah’s seasons. Some of them we cant properly celebrate without access to a temple, but we can rehearse them the best we know how to. There is nothing wrong with celebrating Christ at Christmas, as long as you stay obedient to the Torah. If you remain obedient to the Torah, Christmas will become a cultural season with great opportunities to tell others about your faith, Yehoshua (Jesus/Yeshua), and Yehovah. There is nothing wrong with cultural celebrations, as long as they dont conflict with the Torah.
If we allow the Bible to take precedence in our lives, we have to accept that it is nothing wrong with celebrating Christmas as a cultural thing. If we allow the Bible to take precedence, we will, of course, avoid Christmas traditions that come into conflict with Torah.
So enjoy yourself this Christmas with the Torah and Yehovah as the object of faith. And keep in mind that this is the season where people are most receptive to hear about your salvation and how you live Torah obedient glorifying your Father Yehovah.
