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At some point in your life or another, you may have been the recipient or even the dispenser of judgment over a Christian putting up a Christmas tree, teaching kids to believe in Santa, for giving gifts or screaming ‘NSYNC’s “Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays” at the top of your lungs. (Totally did that yesterday, by the way 😉 ). You may have even questioned whether Christmas traditions have pagan roots.

Yes, Jesus is the reason for the season, but does that mean e very other seasonal activity at Christmas time is distracting or wrong for Christians to participate in? Here are a few thoughts to help us think through these questions.

Are Christmas traditions pagan?

Short answer, no.

When it comes to worrying about pagan roots and influence related to Christmas, there’s a lot more myth involved than hardcore truth. Even some of the traditions typically questioned as pagan in origin can also be traced back to potential Christian influence or simply cultural tradition, not necessarily paganism. You’d be hard-pressed to find someone today who is decorating a Christmas tree or singing “Jingle Bells” around a fire with friends as an act of worship to a pagan god. 😉

That being said, Christians are called to be discerning because we do live in a fallen world and, as the Bible makes clear, not every perspective or action is pleasing to God. (Acts 17:11; Ephesians 5:10)

If you want to dive deeper into discerning Christmas origins and traditions, there are some great voices and Bible teachers who have done a great job of addressing questions about whether Christmas is pagan and some thoughts about how Christians might participate in the holiday season, both from historical study and from Scripture. So let me recommend a few resources to you!

Pastor Mike Winger has a great teaching video debunking the idea that Christmas is pagan in origin. He tackles everything from Christmas trees, to origins of the holiday, and much more.

Kirk Cameron’s film, Saving Christmas is free to watch on YouTube, and takes a fun, clever, creative approach to addressing the topic of Christmas. If you’ve ever felt like you have to reject the cultural expressions of celebrating Christmas in order to keep focused on the true meaning of Christmas, this will be a great watch for you.

The film unpacks the significance and connection between the nativity’s events and how they foreshadow the death and resurrection of Jesus. Like Pastor Mike Winger, Kirk also explores the most popular Christmas traditions–Christmas trees, Santa Claus (Saint Nicholas), celebrating Jesus’ birth on December 25, etc.–through a Christian lens, revealing that there isn’t pagan influence to these traditions after all and helping us see the Christian value in these things.

In the first several minutes of this video, apologist Alisa Childers talks about some Christmas myths–particularly that Jesus was actually born on December 25­–why that issue doesn’t make Christmas any less worth celebrating, and clarifies that the Church didn’t adapt Christmas from a pagan holiday.

Phylicia Masonheimer’s e-book, He Restores All Things, explains the roots of Christmas and gives an advent guide with practical ideas to help you celebrate the season! Lastly, I really appreciated Allie Beth Stuckey’s podcast on whether it’s helpful or not for Christian parents to teach their children to believe in Santa Claus. I found her perspective personal and thoughtful, as well as nuanced and biblically-grounded.

Are Christmas traditions distracting?

Many Christians wrestle with this question: are secular ways of celebrating Christmas unhelpful and distracting to the true meaning of the season? It’s a valid question. In my Live Beyond The Lyrics devotional series at NewReleaseToday, I shared some thoughts from Stars Go Dim’s song, “Christmas Has A Name.” The song is about not losing sight of Jesus during holiday festivities and busyness, and it reminds us that, for Christians, the Christmas season is about worshipful meditation on the birth of Jesus.

So, I agree; the risk of distraction is real. But it seems to me like the issue when it comes to secular traditions being distracting isn’t about what you do so much as it’s about why and how you do it. Is it really such a bad thing to decorate Christmas trees with friends and family, sing fun Christmas carols and watch nostalgic movies? Don’t we experience God’s blessing and goodness in the simple things of life like fellowship, and fun, and making memories?

In my opinion, the struggle to keep Christ at the forefront of our minds during Christmas is an issue of how you and I are managing our own time and our own hearts, not an issue of secular traditions distracting from the true meaning of Christmas. (Mark 7:15) Secular Christmas traditions will only distract you from the true meaning of Christmas if you let them.

I don’t think we need to spiritualize every non-Christian Christmas activity, but I think it can even be interesting to think about where some cultural traditions connect to the values of our Christian faith. I have a Christmas tree in my apartment with a star on top. Every day I look at it and think about how God used a star to announce the birth of Jesus.

I love giving gifts to family and friends. When I give them, I try to think about how Jesus was given gifts to celebrate him and, while a totally different scenario, I get to do that for others and express value to people in my life. Giving gifts can remind us that if we can be generous and express value to people during the holidays, we can do the same for others every day of the year.

The gift-giving aspect of Christmas, in particular, is often labeled by Christians and non-Christians as selfish and consumeristic, and it can be sometimes. But I think of it this way: this season of gift-giving is beautiful because so many people are thinking outside of themselves. They’re thinking about how they can do something to bless the heart and enrich the life of another person.

What if instead of chucking secular holiday traditions altogether, you considered shifting your perspective as you participate in them?  What if instead of chucking secular holiday traditions altogether, you thought about ways to intentionally keep the celebration of Christ’s birth central to your Christmas activities alongside the other ways you celebrate?

Here are some ideas that I love to practice in my own life. Read the narratives of Jesus’ birth in Scripture (Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2) or go through an Advent Bible reading plan. Listen to the classic Christmas hymns and Christmas worship, just like you listen to secular Christmas carols and read secular holiday classics.

Participate in special church Christmas services with fellow believers, just like socialize over Christmas parties and holiday movies. Make time for service projects and acts of generosity, just like you make time for Christmas shopping and gift-giving.

Why do we have to pick one type of celebration over the other? Why can’t we endeavor to engage both well? Seek God for the specific conviction He’s giving you on this subject and respect those who feel led differently. However you celebrate, I hope you have a Merry Christmas!

***BONUS CONTENT  I wrote my Christmas song, “With Us (Emmanuel)” during the Christmas season as I was reflecting on on John 1 and the incarnation of Jesus. May it bring you some Christmas joy and stir worship of Jesus in your heart. Listen below or head here to find the song on your favorite music streaming service.

Let’s Talk: Share your favorite Christmas tradition, and how you keep your heart focused on Jesus during the Christmas season. Discuss this post in the comments below.