Each year, on December the twenty-fifth, the world celebrates the birth of Christ with its accompanying traditions such as exchanging of gifts, caroling and the like.  But is that Biblical? We sing songs about angels appearing to shepherds out in the open fields by night as they (the shepherd) kept watch over their flock. The angels had brought them good news or tidings of the birth of Christ (Luke 2:8 -11). Yet we know that at that time of year (December) it is winter in Judaea and indeed that part of the world. It is therefore impossible to find open pastures or grass fields for grazing flocks of sheep or any animals. Was Christ born in December?   Were these shepherds out in the fields grazing sheep in the middle of winter? A simple check of your encyclopedia will reveal the pagan origins of Christmas. 

Many will ask: does it matter how we serve God, and isn’t it okay if we use pagan traditions and customs in worshiping God? The answer is yes; it does matter and God rejects any form of traditions or paganism in worshiping Him. Shocking as it may seem, God simply hates the pagan customs and traditions that are so often used in our attempts at worshiping Him! God has commanded – not suggested – that we worship Him in the way He has commanded and to do anything less or more is rejected by Him (Deuteronomy 12: 32). 

When God brought His chosen people – Israel – out of the land of Egypt: during their journey to the land God had promised them, He commanded them: “When the Lord thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither (where) thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land; Take heed to thy self that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou inquire not after their gods (pagan gods), saying, how did these nations serve their gods? Even so I will do likewise. Thou shall not do so unto the Lord thy God: for every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. What things soever I command you, observe to do it; thou shall not add thereto, nor diminish from it” (Deuteronomy 12:29 – 32). Notice that in verse thirty-one God calls the pagan customs of worship: “abomination”. In Mark 7:8-9 God says: “For laying aside the commandments of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And He said to them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own traditions”. Again, in Luke 6:46 God says: “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”.  

The Word of God does reveal that the practice of putting up the Christmas tree and adorning it is pagan in origin and was practiced long before the birth of Christ!  

Let us begin by looking at Jeremiah chapter ten, verse one to verse five. Here we read: “HEAR ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: Thus, sayeth the Lord, learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven: for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the