Is Christmas a Reformed Pagan Holiday?
By John Schloss, PhD
Up until the 3rd century, the Roman Empire celebrated Sol Invictus, or rebirth of the unconquered sun, on December 25th. This is essentially a celebration of the winter solstice, the time when the days stop getting shorter and begin getting longer. Sol Invictus followed a celebration of the Roman god Saturn, called Saturnalia, on December 17th, when the Romans feasted and exchanged gifts. Roman soldiers also celebrated December 25th as the birthday of Mithra, the Indo-Iranian god of light. December 25th was a major holiday for the Roman Empire.
Christmas tree with presents near the fireplace at home in the living room
After Emperor Constantine the Great’s (Constantine I) victory at the Battle of Milvian Bridge, he issued the Edict of Milan in 313 that granted religious freedom to Christians and other faiths within the Roman Empire. His conversion to Christianity may be traced back to this time perhaps earlier, but he was not baptized until near the end of his life. Prior to this edict, Christians were actively persecuted. Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire in the year 380, when Emperor Theodosius I issued the Edict of Thessalonica, officially establishing Nicene Christianity as the state religion. The Edict of Thessalonica led to the confiscation of properties from Christian sects that were deemed heretical, such as Arianism. Five years later, the first Christians were executed by other Christians for their beliefs.
What happened between Constantine the Great and Theodosius I is a commentary on the nature of human politics and a portent of things to come. Constantine organized the First Council of Nicaea in 325 to resolve a theological dispute between Archbishop Alexander of Alexandria and the presbyter Arius. The position held by Alexander eventually prevailed, which maintained that God the Son was eternally generated from God the Father and coequal. Arius, by contrast, taught that the Son was created or begotten by the Father, and thus subordinate to the Father.
In the latter part of his reign, Constantine leaned toward Arianism or the theology of Arius. Constantine’s son Constantius II encouraged the Arians to change the Nicene Creed. In 355, Constantius became emperor and adopted a pro-Arian policy, resulting in the exile of Pope Liberius (a Nicene Christian). Following Constantine II, Emperor Julian, a follower of Roman pagan gods, allowed Nicene Christians relief from persecution. The next emperor, Valens was an Arian Christian and an accused persecutor of Nicene Christians. Following the death of Emperor Valens in the Battle of Adrianople in 378, the new Nicene Christian Emperor Theodosius I convened the Second Ecumenical Council in Constantinople, resulting in the Nicene Creed of 381. The Nicene Creed of 381 included coequal status for the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. The Edict of Thessalonica (380) provided the force of law for the Nicene Creed, any heretic not ascribing to its theological details could forfeit their life and/or lands. This also included December 25th as the new date for Jesus’ birth, preempting the pagan holiday of Sol Invictus. The exact date of the first Nativity is unknown, as the Bible does not mention the month or day.