“Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image…” (Exodus 20:3–4)
Let us remember Him not by images, but by living holy lives, by keeping His words, and by honoring His true nature.
The Roots of Christmas: From Nativity to Santa Claus
The word Christmas is relatively recent. Earlier, Yule came from Germanic and Anglo-Saxon traditions tied to the winter solstice. Other languages—Navidad (Spanish), Natale (Italian), Noël (French)—refer to the nativity. In German, Weihnachten means “hallowed night.”
But by the 20th century, Christmas began losing its Christian meaning. It became a secular holiday, celebrated by believers and non-believers alike, centered around family, shopping, and gifts. Santa Claus took the spotlight.
How can the Church of Jesus Christ accept these images and symbols—plastic baby dolls, Santa figures—as representations of our Lord and Savior? Jesus, who suffered, died, and shed His blood for the salvation of the world, is reduced to decoration.
Mockery of Christendom
What we see today is mockery of the entire Christian faith. Despite God’s clear commandments, many believers have ignored His word. He loved us enough to come in the person of Jesus Christ—and yet we dishonor Him by creating and promoting false images.
The early Church Fathers themselves criticized pagan customs like celebrating birthdays. They taught that a saint’s death—their martyrdom—was their real “birthday” into eternal life. Yet Christmas has taken a different turn entirely.
Why December 25?
The Bible never tells us the date of Jesus’ birth. The choice of December 25 came centuries later—first suggested by Sextus Julius Africanus in 221 AD. One theory is that the Church replaced a pagan holiday—dies solis invicti nati (“birthday of the unconquered sun”)—with a Christian one.
Another theory sees it as symbolic: if light was created at the spring equinox (March 25), then the Incarnation must have occurred that day. Nine months later?
December 25.
Originally, the birth of Jesus was remembered alongside His baptism, on January 6.
