Why is it Wrong to Celebrate Christmas?  Voiceover: Next on That’s in the Bible! [Video: Question from Trisha of San Diego, CA] Trisha: Why do some religions not celebrate Christmas? [Video: Question from Carlos Aloyo of San Diego, CA] Carlos: Why do all the different Jesus-branded religions celebrate Christmas when it’s pretty much a proven fact that Christmas was actually a festival during Roman times, and it was used as a symbol for Jesus when in actuality that was not Jesus’ birthday? [Video ends] [On-screen text graphic] DECEMBER 25 WAS NOT THE BIRTHDAY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. See to it that nobody enslaves you with philosophy and foolish deception, which conform to human traditions and the way the world thinks and acts rather than Christ. [Colossians 2:8 Common English Bible] [Show open] Is Christmas found in the Bible? Brother Bob Pellien: Hello, I’m Brother Bob Pellien. Thanks for joining us in this episode of That’s in the Bible. Our first question today comes from Trisha from San Diego, California. Here’s what Trisha asks: [Video: Question from Trisha of San Diego, CA] Trisha: Hi, my name is Trisha, and I’m from San Diego, California. My question is why do some religions not celebrate Christmas? [Video ends] [On-screen text graphic] Why do some religions NOT celebrate Christmas? Brother Bob: Trisha, thank you very much for your question. You know, every year at the time of some of the large holidays—the big holidays—there are those who take notice of various organizations—what they do, and what they do not do—and they become curious. Here in the Church Of Christ, we don’t put up Christmas trees in our homes and such, and we don’t hang the tinsel and Christmas lights and do various of the other practices of Christmas, and it always makes some like you, Trisha, and others wonder why we do not celebrate Christmas, and because in their mind they’re thinking that we are opposing the birth of Christ.  Clearly, the Bible records the birth of Christ, but nowhere does it record the instances of celebrating with Christmas trees, the birth of Christ with Christmas trees, and lights, and gift exchanges, and all things that are done at Christmas time. Why don’t we do those things? Is it bad to do those things? Let’s go to the scriptures for some Biblical answers to these questions. First, we turn to Deuteronomy 12:32 where the Lord’s instruction goes like this: See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it. [Deuteronomy 12:32 New International Version] Brother Bob: The Lord’s instruction here is very clear. He said, “Do what I have commanded.” If then God commanded to celebrate the birth of Christ by means of Christmas trees and lights and tinsel and exchanging of gifts and all the other frills that has become just but so normal for celebrators of Christmas,