IS CHRISTMAS A
PAGAN HOLIDAY?
Every year, the debate resurfaces: Did Christians
“borrow” December 25th and its traditions from ancient pagan festivals?
Surprisingly, history says otherwise.
Let’s walk through the evidence and separate myth from
reality.
1. THE DATE:
DECEMBER 25TH
The Claim
Christmas is celebrated on December 25th because early
Christians copied pagan festivals like Sol Invictus, Saturnalia, or the Winter
Solstice.
The Reality
Sol Invictus
- The
festival wasn’t tied to December 25th until AD 354, and even then, the
calendar doesn’t describe a sun festival that day.
- Earlier
Roman inscriptions list sun festivals on:
- August
8, 9, 28
- December
11
- Possibly
October 19
- Emperor
Aurelian celebrated the sun through chariot races October 19–22.
Winter Solstice
- Ancient
Romans did not treat the Winter Solstice as a major festival.
- No
celebratory traditions existed.
- Even
the solstice date was debated:
- Julian
Calendar: December 25
- Pliny
the Elder: December 26
- Columella:
December 23
Saturnalia
- Saturnalia
never fell on December 25.
- Macrobius
records it beginning on December 17, lasting three days.
- Some
calendars extended it to December 24—but never the 25th.
2. SANTA CLAUS:
FROM SAINT TO SYMBOL
The Origins of “Santa”
- Santa
Claus grew from Dutch immigrants in 1800s New York.
- Based
on Sinterklaas (St. Nicholas), whose feast was December 6th.
- Later
merged with December 25th to shape Christmas as a family holiday.
- Newspapers
promoted gift-giving on Christmas instead of New Year’s.
- Sinterklaas
evolved from a bishop into a red-suited Dutchman.
- The
tradition spread globally, taking on regional adaptations.
- Stockings
originated from Clement C. Moore’s poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas.”
- In
1927, Finland’s Markus Rautio reshaped the pagan figure Joulupukki into a
Santa-like image.
Father Christmas
- Older
than Santa, but not pagan.
- A
medieval symbol of the season.
- First
referenced by Richard Smart of Plymtree, who described him as a herald of
Christmas.
3. CHRISTMAS
TREES: NOT A PAGAN PRACTICE
The Claim
Christmas trees stem from druidic or pagan rituals involving
evergreen trees.
The Reality
- Christmas
trees trace back only to the 16th century.
- The
earliest known reference appears in an Alsace ordinance.
- Early
pagans did not link pine trees to December festivities.
- Germanic
tribes viewed the oak, not pine, as sacred.
- Maximus
of Tyre wrote:
“The Celts indeed worship Zeus, but they honour Him in the form of a lofty oak.”
4. MISTLETOE: A
MODERN TRADITION
Despite assumptions, mistletoe’s Christmas use is not pagan.
- First
appears in Robert Herrick’s Hesperides (poems 892, 980).
- William
Coles mentioned it in The Art of Simpling (1600s).
- Kissing
under mistletoe arose in Britain during the late 18th century.
CONCLUSION
The popular claim that Christmas is a pagan holiday simply does not align with historical facts.
The traditions we associate with Christmas developed through Christian
practice, cultural influence, and centuries of celebration—not pagan rituals.
From the date itself to Santa, Christmas trees, and
mistletoe, the evidence points to a rich Christian heritage that evolved over
time.
Endnotes:
This article is based on
Wesley Huff’s infographic, available in the “Holidays” section of his website:
https://www.wesleyhuff.com/infographics
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