“Why Christians Do Not Own The Winter Holiday Season”

By: Tom Cara, Executive Director, FFRFMCC

The month of December can be a perplexing time for ex-Christians

Like many who were brought up in the Christian tradition, I grew up with Christmas.  Awaiting Santa’s arrival as a child still holds treasured memories within me. But, imagine going through all those years enjoying the fun and happiness brought about by the Christmas season, only to come to the realization that everything we were taught as youngsters regarding the celebration of the holiday was nothing but a fairy tale?  And, as such, concluding that fairy tales are no reason for a celebration.

Just the thought of abandoning Christmas is almost enough for a burgeoning skeptic to cling to their Christian identity, simply so they can continue celebrating Christmas.  Or even worse, simply admit to their hypocrisy.

But now, as a long-declared atheist, I freely admit to an ever-enduring enjoyment of the winter holiday season and now clearly understand the true reason for the season is non-discriminatory.

Though I can no longer stomach all the religious symbolism, I love the commercial excess – the beautiful lights, the decorated trees, the red-bowed wreaths, the cute little village scenes, Santa Claus and snowmen.  I also still enjoy listening to the holiday tunes – yes even the traditional carols.  Honestly, who wouldn’t enjoy all this?  I even have a close Jewish friend who admits she loves all the same things, as do I, about the Winter Holiday Season (Note:  I am now averse to even using the word “Christmas” in reference to the season).

Yes, the lights, the mesmerizing decorations, the falling snow, the wonderfully sweet treats, and the magic of Santa Claus in a child’s eyes.  There is nothing quite like this time of year.

When my skepticism first began to truly take hold, I began to realize that I should stand firm and just admit that “Christmas” is only for those who believe Jesus Christ is who they claim he was.  So, I did the honorable thing and began to boycott “Christmas.”  Which, not surprisingly, caused some sadness within me.

This sadness, fortunately, was short-lived as I quickly took note of the obvious, and completely justified, secularization of the holiday, and the understanding that Christians have co-opted festive traditions they did not invent.  For centuries now, Christians have propagated a myth, repeated and reinforced it, in their attempt to pass it off as the “true” reason to celebrate this time of year.  As the adage goes, “The more a lie is spread, the more people will accept it as truth.”  Even without any evidence whatsoever.

So, to get through this, I felt the need to conduct a thorough examination of the history of Christmas, and its ever-expanding grasp on our modern society through traditions that, as we shall find out, did not originate with this most favorite of Christian holidays.  And, there is no better place to begin this search than with the bible itself.

The account of Jesus’ birth is mentioned just briefly in only two of the Gospels – Matthew and Luke.  And, it may come as a surprise to many who were raised in a Christian tradition, but the two versions are quite disparate.

Let’s begin by talking about those “three” Wise Men who are such iconoclasts of Christmas displays.  All of us good non-theists know their names – Gaspar, Melchior and Balthazar (even though they are never mentioned by name in the bible).  You may have also noticed the quotation marks I had placed around the number “three” in the first sentence of this paragraph.  The reason for this is that the Gospels make no mention of the actual number of kings who visited Mary, Joseph and Jesus.  They are only referred to as “wise men from the east.”  These “wise men,” according to legend, were also responsible for misdirecting the Roman soldiers who had been tasked with seeking out and killing Jesus.  This had been ordered by King Herod who was supposedly not enthralled with the talk of a new King taking his place.  This time is also known to Christians as the “Epiphany,” when the world was suddenly “enlightened” to the coming of the messiah.  This visit by the Wise Men, occurring exclusively within the Book of Matthew (there is no mention of this in the Book of Luke) is understood by scholars to most likely have taken place when Jesus was a toddler, not a newborn baby.  Hence the reason why Herod ordered the murder of all children under the age of two years.

Consider another inconsistency between the two Gospel versions of Jesus’ birth.  According to the Book of Matthew, the wise men “set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising and followed the star until it stopped over the place where the child was.  When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.  On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage.” (Matthew 2:9-11)

The house?

Yes, there is no mention of a manger birth in the Matthew version. And, with the wise men finding Mary, Joseph and Jesus in a house would lead one to understand that Mary and Joseph actually lived in Bethlehem.  Thus, they had no need to travel to Bethlehem as ordered by Emperor Augustus to be counted and pay their taxes, which is exclusive to the Luke version, because they were likely already living there.  But, being wanted by the law, they needed to escape from their home in Bethlehem to Egypt to avoid having Jesus killed (even though he was preordained by God to be killed much later).

It is not until the Book of Luke story where Mary had “laid him (Jesus) in a manger, because there was no place for them in the Inn” (Luke 2:7).  And, the only ones who paid homage to the newborn Jesus were the shepherds from the fields, their flocks, and the angels from heaven – with no Wise Men to be found.  So, all those nativity scenes and figurines that gift shops make a killing from every year by portraying Wise Men at a manger are actually incorrect from a biblical sense and not truly representative of Luke’s one and only manger version.  And, because there were no Roman soldiers pursuing them in the Luke version, Mary, Joseph and Jesus had no need to flee to Egypt.  Instead, they returned peacefully and quietly to Nazareth, where they had time to stop in Jerusalem to present Jesus at the temple and have him circumcised.  The latter is certainly not something one would want to rush!

Here is one more inconsistency between the two tales of Jesus’ birth.

In the Book of Matthew, an unnamed angel instructs Joseph to name the newborn king “Jesus,” and he will be known as “Emmanuel” (more accurately, “Immanuel”) or, in Hebrew, “God with us.”  In this version, there is no mention of an angel, name or unnamed, appearing to Mary to explain what will be happening to her.

In the Luke version, however, the angel (who is identified here as Gabriel) tells Mary to name him “Jesus,” and that he will be known as the “Son of God.”  There is also no mention of Gabriel or any other angel appearing to Joseph in a dream as described in the book of Matthew.

So, between the two stories, we are conflicted as to who Jesus was actually supposed to be.  Was he God’s illegitimate son?  Or, was he God himself in human flesh on earth?  One might think the authors of the bible would agree on such an important point.

Is there any wonder why non-theists are so confident that this is nothing but folklore?

It is interesting that with all the emphasis placed on the celebration of Christmas by the Christian faithful, how all the hoopla is based on just a few pages (with two wildly differing accounts) written in a book nearly 2,000 years ago.  And, for those of the Christian faith who have a special fondness for St. Paul, who is the one and only link between the crucifixion of Jesus and the writing of the Gospels, please note that his epistle letters make absolutely no mention of Mary, Joseph, Wise Men or even a virgin birth in a manger.  Nor can we find anywhere in the bible a single passage that mandates the birth of Jesus must be revered as a holy day.

We must also pose this question:  “Who would have been witness to the birth of Jesus and still been around decades later to verify it?”

Well, one could argue that Mary and Joseph would have had the most knowledge regarding all the details of this event, and also be the ones to provide the most accurate depiction.  However, the only two documented versions point more to the reality that these were simply fables concocted at a time so long past the proposed date of the events that no one would be able to disprove them.

The differences in the Jesus birth stories vary too greatly for even Christians to attempt to spin them into one coherent story.  I found that, when pointing out these inconsistencies to Christian family and friends, they are typically left speechless (but with dirty looks).  But, it is satisfying to hear some say, “Interesting.  I didn’t realize that.”

Now that we have revealed the many discrepancies between the two birth stories, let’s focus on the traditions associated with the December celebration that Christians have come to claim as their own.

We know a lot of Christians out there believe many of the traditions and festivities that go with the celebration of Christmas, such as the decorating of pine trees, stringing holly and putting up mistletoe, the giving of gifts, and the whole idea of “Eat, Drink and be Merry,” were born out of the celebration of Christmas, or “Christ’s Mass” as it was originally thought up by Pope Julius I in the 4th century CE, whose objective was to convince pagans to convert to Christianity by letting them hold on to their seasonal traditions.  This is the one and only reason why Christmas is celebrated on December 25th.  A date which, at that time, pagans considered to be the Winter Solstice.  Once astronomical science became more advanced, the Winter Solstice was more accurately determined to be anywhere from December 20th to December 22nd, depending on the year.

Dies Natalis Invicti Solis – “The Birthday of the Unconquered Sun.”  This marked the beginning of the astronomical New Year when days would become longer again and marked the prospect of renewed life as we approached the vernal equinox.  This celebration had more to do with a very early, and logical, understanding of our natural world, and nothing to do with any belief in the supernatural.

The Norse word “Yule,” often identified today to mean “Christmas,” was originally translated as “wheel” in ancient Nordic tongue.   The wheel was a pagan symbol for the sun.  And honestly, my ancestors the Vikings had it correct.  While they may have applied “god-like” attributes to the sun, they understood that if there was anything that must be worshiped as the true reason for giving us life, it is our sun.  For life on this planet could never have happened if its orbit had not landed in what is coined the “Goldilocks Zone” – not too close, not too far, but juuussst right for giving life a chance.  And today, we should continue to honor the sun.  Because it’s real, we can see it in the sky, truly feel its warmth, and could not survive without it.  Unlike the revered silent and invisible mythological being that has its own holiday named after it.

The idea of burning the Yule log was in honor of the sun.  Mistletoe was considered a sacred plant, and the custom of kissing under the mistletoe began as a fertility ritual.  The evergreen tree is the one symbol that unites almost all the northern European winter solstice celebrations.  Live evergreen trees were often brought into homes during the harsh winters as a reminder to inhabitants that soon their crops would grow again (thanks to the returning sun).  Soon it became festive to decorate them as well.  The earliest record of an evergreen tree being decorated specifically for a Christmas celebration was not until 1521 in the Alsace region of Germany.   Protestant religious leaders of the time even argued against the whole concept of decorating trees to symbolize the life of Christ.  They considered it paganist and thus blasphemous:

“Hear the word the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel.  Do not learn the ways of the nations, or be dismayed at the signs in the heavens; for the nations are dismayed at them:  For the customs of the peoples are false: a tree from the forest is cut down, and worked with an ax by the hands of an artisan; people deck it with silver and gold; they fasten it with a hammer and nails so it cannot move.  Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field and they cannot speak; they have to be carried for they cannot walk.  Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, nor is it in them to do good.” (Jeremiah 10: 1-5)

I find it extremely humorous that today’s religious leaders argue that this passage in no way means Christians should not put up a Christmas tree.  The truth is, they would be hard-pressed in this day and age to convince their flock to suddenly cast aside a tradition enjoyed by so many Christians for hundreds of years now.  Like so much of the ridiculousness found in the bible, they find a way to spin it in their favor.  But, it is certainly hard to ignore the fact this passage specifically refers to pagan customs, which the bible clearly describes as creating a false idol to worship other than their god, and should be considered a “no-no” to Christians.

So, in coming to a better understanding of how Christmas originated, as a non-believer my enjoyment of the season has now become one of carefree fun.  The original celebration of the Winter Solstice by the pagan Northern Europeans, with its fun-filled traditions, was intended to bring happiness and relieve depression during the shortest, dreariest, darkest days of the year.  It was also a time for family and friends to gather and celebrate the start of the solar calendar, when the days will get longer again, and life will return in a few short months. Yes, the magic and enjoyment that many consider “Christmas traditions,” the activities Christians believe are reserved for them alone are, in actuality, a right for everyone who would choose to enjoy them.  More and more people of even non-Christian faiths have decided not to be left out of all this fun.  They too celebrate the season with the same festivities even if it bears no relationship or proximity to any of their own religiously significant holidays.

So, for all you non-theists out there who grew up enjoying the fun created by this wonderful season and are wondering what on earth you can do to hold on to the enjoyment of it without betraying your non-religious convictions, you can be comfortable in the knowledge that many of the festive traditions and beautiful decorations we have come to cherish so well have absolutely no relevance to, or origin from, Christianity.  They belong to humanity, not just Christians.

It has become satisfying to note how more homeowners today, particularly among those who consider themselves to be Christian, are electing not to decorate their lawns with nativity scenes during the month of December, and opting for the more secular and cheerful decorations (Unfortunately, they do appear to be popping up in greater numbers in front of government buildings.  But, that’s an argument for another time).  Though many moderate Christians may still attend their traditional Christmas Eve mass (mostly out of guilt from staying away from church during the rest of the year), there has become a greater realization among them that the season has less and less to do with their religion.  Heck, even Mrs. Cratchit chose to skip the Christmas morning service because she recognized the priority in preparing the family’s holiday feast (“So long as you and Tiny Tim were there, I feel it has done us all good”).  Nice out!

A cartoon spoof I came across several years ago still brings me a laugh whenever I think about.  It contained a still shot from the holiday classic, “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”  As Linus is explaining to Charlie Brown “what Christmas is all about” by reciting passages from the Book of Luke version of the Jesus birth, one of the minor comic strip characters says to another, “Isn’t this that same dumb kid who believes in the Great Pumpkin, too?”

Well said!

So, I say trim the Winter Solstice tree with colorful lights, ornaments and tinsel, decorate the house with wreaths, holly and garland, bake the cookies, roast the chestnuts over a open fire, give presents ’til the cows come home, and by all means eat, drink (in moderation), and be merry!  And let us welcome the rebirth of the Sun.

And, when the topic comes up with Christian friends and relatives during holiday gatherings, don’t let them accuse you of being a part of the “war on Christmas” when you offer greetings in a way other than saying “Merry Christmas.” Or, accuse you of hypocrisy when choosing to take part in festivities which they believe belong exclusively to the birth of their savior.  If they do, remind them these traditions were not born of the make-believe notion that someone named Jesus Christ was born on December 25^th, but rather the festival of the Winter Solstice, which is the celebration of ALL life, no matter how you believe it got started.

History and facts are on the side of critical thinkers.  We must remember, and be vocal in pointing out, that Christianity has hijacked this joyful seasonal celebration as just another means to proselytize.  It is our duty to not let them continue to do so without being challenged on it.  The fun of this festive time of year belongs to everyone.

Happy Winter Solstice!