Why We Started Questioning Christmas as Christians

As we continued studying Scripture and learning about the biblical feasts, something interesting began to happen.

We noticed that we were observing the appointed times described in Scripture while also celebrating holidays we had always known growing up: Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, New Year’s, and others.

At first, we did not think much about it. But the deeper we went in our studies, the more one simple question began to surface: Why?

A Question We Had Never Asked

We understood why we were learning about the biblical feasts. Leviticus 23 describes them as the LORD’s appointed times, given within God’s covenant relationship with Israel. As Christians, we were not trying to erase that Jewish setting or claim that our participation made the feasts ours. We were drawn to study them because they are part of the biblical story and helped us understand Scripture more deeply.

That led us to examine the holidays we had inherited as well.

Why were we celebrating Christmas?
Why Easter?
Why Thanksgiving or New Year’s in the ways we did?

We realized that we had celebrated many things simply because we always had. They were beloved family and cultural traditions passed from one generation to another. Like many people, we had never stopped to ask where each practice came from, what it meant, or why we continued it.

It only seemed fair to examine the traditions we had grown up with as carefully as we were examining unfamiliar ones.

Examining Our Christmas Traditions

So I started researching Christmas—its history, its development, and how it came to be celebrated in so many different ways.

I researched the Christmas tree.
The ornaments.
The garlands.
The star.
The gifts.
Even Santa Claus.

I learned that the history was more layered than a single explanation. Christmas customs developed across many centuries and places. Some drew from Christian worship and remembrance of Jesus’ birth; others grew from European winter customs, local cultures, family practices, and later commercial influences. Even familiar symbols did not all begin at the same time or carry the same meaning everywhere.

Scripture tells the story of Jesus’ birth in Matthew 1–2 and Luke 1–2, and Christians have honored that birth in many sincere ways. Yet I could not find a biblical command establishing an annual celebration of Christmas or prescribing the customs we knew.

That distinction mattered to me. It did not mean that every Christian who celebrated Christmas was dishonoring God. Many believers celebrate with a genuine desire to worship Jesus, serve others, and gather with family. But our family needed to decide whether these particular traditions belonged in our own life of faith.

The Struggle in My Heart

That realization created a real struggle in my heart because Christmas held so many memories for me.

Family gatherings.
Decorating the tree.
Santa Claus for the kids.
Opening gifts together.

Those moments were part of my childhood and part of our family story. Even considering a change felt incredibly emotional.

As we continued praying and studying, I began asking a more personal question: If God had already drawn our attention to His appointed times and the story they carry, what was He asking of our family?

This became a matter of conscience and discernment for us—not a measure by which we judged the faith or devotion of others. Christians reach different conclusions about Christmas, and I respect those who honor Jesus through it. I can also speak honestly about the conviction that was growing in our home.

We did not make our decision all at once. The questions came first, followed by research, prayer, difficult emotions, and many family conversations. Slowly, they led us toward a choice we never expected to make.

Have you ever examined a treasured tradition and discovered that the questions themselves were part of your spiritual growth?

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