Jesus was not born in December; the internal evidence of Scripture points to late September or early October of 4 BC, around the Feast of Trumpets, with His conception near the end of December the year before. Scripture never states this explicitly, but Luke's account supplies the clues. Rome's tax registration, decreed in 8 BC and levied on the Jews in 4 BC, would normally have followed the fall harvest, when people were free from their fields and had money to pay. Jews traveling to Jerusalem for the fall holy days would have filled Bethlehem, only about six miles away, which explains why there was no room in the inn. Shepherds also would not have been in the fields at night in December. Palestine's rainy season runs from late October to early April, with the worst weather between December and February, and shepherds would not have kept sheep out in the rain and cold. Luke's picture of shepherds watching their flocks by night therefore fits early autumn, not winter. Popular nativity lore, including crèches and pageants, perpetuates embellished myths with little basis in the Gospel accounts.

Jesus was not born on December 25, and proof for that early winter date is scanty. Early Christian leaders did not celebrate Christ's birth at all. Origen, living into the third century, mocked Roman birthday celebrations as pagan, and around AD 200 Clement of Alexandria noted that Christian teachers proposed various dates for the Nativity, none of them December 25, most of them in spring. Only in the fourth century did December 25 in the Roman West and January 6 in the East become competing dates. Two theories explain the choice. The first holds that the date was borrowed from Roman paganism, namely the late-December Saturnalia and Aurelian's 274 feast of the birth of Sol Invictus on December 25. Though no proof shows the Roman church deliberately syncretized the festival before the mid-fourth century, the Roman church's habit of ignoring God's Word in its quest for converts makes this the most reasonable explanation. The second theory holds that Christ was thought to have been conceived and crucified on March 25, so that birth nine months later fell on December 25. That rests on supposition and a notion of divine symmetry. Scholars dismiss the biblical details, such as shepherds with their flocks at night (Luke 2:8), but trusting the Bible's historicity resolves the dilemma. The biblical details narrow Christ's birth to a two-week period in early autumn, aligning with the fall holy days, particularly the Feast of Trumpets. Any divine symmetry would more likely tie His birth to God's feasts than to the short days of early winter.

Jesus was not born on December 25. The Bible gives no exact date for His birth, but it leaves clues. Zacharias, John the Baptist's father, served in the Temple during his priestly course, which places John's birth in the latter half of March. Since John was six months older than Jesus, Jesus was born in the second half of September, around the fall holy days. The early Christians evidently cared little about the date. Mark, the earliest gospel, written about fifty years after the birth, begins with Jesus' baptism as an adult and says nothing of His birthday. December 25 came from paganism instead. Romans held Saturnalia from December 17 to 25, a week of lawlessness, drunkenness, sexual license, and the ritual murder of a chosen victim on the last day. December 25 also marked the birth of Sol Invictus, the Invincible Sun, and the winter solstice, which Egyptians, Mesopotamians, Greeks, and Persians had long honored. After Constantine's conversion, the Roman church declared December 25 to be Jesus' birthday so that pagans could keep their festival, and little changed in practice. God's command in Deuteronomy 12:30-31 forbids worshipping Him in the ways the nations worshipped their gods.

We are approaching the time when the world celebrates the supposed birth of Jesus Christ, yet we in the church of God do not observe Christmas, often standing out and prompting questions about our beliefs. If we assert that Christ was not born on December 25, we must be prepared to provide evidence. Luke's Gospel offers clues through a detailed, chronological account starting with Zacharias, a priest of the course of Abijah, who was visited by the angel Gabriel and told he would have a son named John. Elizabeth, his wife, conceived soon after, and in her sixth month of pregnancy, Gabriel visited Mary, announcing she would bear a son named Jesus. Mary then stayed with Elizabeth until near the time of John's birth, indicating Jesus was born approximately six months after John. Historical details in Luke's account, combined with the timing of the course of Abijah and the gestation period, suggest John was conceived in the first half of 5 BC, placing Jesus' birth in 4 BC, not in December. Knowing the true date of His birth destroys the foundation of the Christmas holiday and reinforces the accuracy of God's Word, equipping us to counter falsehoods with verifiable truth.

As we approach the annual celebration of Christmas, it is evident that the world, regardless of belief, embraces the season with fervor. However, we must address the timing of Jesus Christ's birth, asserting that it did not occur on December 25. Scripture provides evidence that challenges this date. Zacharias' first course of service in the Temple fell in late spring, around the ninth week of the year, just before Pentecost, with all priests serving during that holy day. Following this, Zacharias returned home, and John the Baptist was conceived in mid- to late June. Given that Jesus' conception was six months later, as recorded in Luke 1, it places His conception in December, suggesting His birth occurred during the fall holy day season, not in late December. This discrepancy highlights the misalignment of the traditional date with historical and biblical timing. Furthermore, the choice of December 25 coincides with the pagan Saturnalia, a festival Roman Christianity adopted and syncretized with other pagan customs to integrate various peoples into their fold. Thus, we maintain that Jesus was never part of Christmas in the first place, as His birth did not align with this date or its associated traditions.

The timing of Jesus Christ's birth does not align with the traditional December date often celebrated by the world. Evidence suggests that His birth likely occurred around the end of September, possibly near the Day of Trumpets in 4 BC, during the fall holy days. This period coincided with a time of taxation, when people traveled to be registered after the harvest, ensuring they had the means to pay. Bethlehem, near Jerusalem, would have been overcrowded due to the influx of visitors for the holy days, explaining the lack of room in the inn and the humble circumstances of His birth in a grotto or cave, with a manger as His first crib. Further supporting this timeline, shepherds were out in the fields at night when the angels announced His birth, an unlikely scenario during the rainy season of December. In that colder, wetter month, shepherds would have brought their sheep in for shelter, indicating that the event must have taken place earlier in the year, likely in late summer or early fall. This perspective challenges the worldly portrayal of Christmas and invites a deeper appreciation for the biblical accounts of His birth.

The astounding fact is that Jesus Christ was not born on December 25. It is widely acknowledged that He could not have been born around the winter solstice. In the early fourth century, the Catholic Church combined the Roman winter solstice festival, the Saturnalia, with a celebration of His birth to ease the transition of new converts to Christianity. Despite this, no command or suggestion to commemorate the Savior's birth can be found from Genesis to Revelation in the Bible. The notion of putting Christ back into Christmas is contradictory, as He was never part of this celebration to begin with.

The celebration of Jesus Christ's birth on December 25 is rooted in historical inaccuracies. It is widely acknowledged that He could not have been born around the winter solstice. In the early fourth century, the Catholic Church merged the Roman winter solstice festival, the Saturnalia, with a celebration of His birth to ease the transition for new converts. The Bible does not specify the date of His birth, nor does it provide any instruction or example for commemorating it. The best deduction places His birth in the autumn, contradicting the traditional December date. This discrepancy highlights a broader issue of adopting practices not endorsed by Scripture, raising questions about the integrity of such celebrations.

Jesus Christ was not born on December 25th, nor even in the winter season. When He was born, shepherds were in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night, which could not have occurred in Judea during December due to the cold, rainy weather. Historical evidence indicates that shepherds brought their flocks in from the mountainsides and fields by mid-October to protect them from the harsh season that followed. The Bible itself confirms that winter was a rainy time, unsuitable for shepherds to remain in open fields at night. Ancient Jewish custom was to send sheep out to the fields in early spring and bring them back at the start of the first rains in October or November. Since the shepherds had not yet brought their flocks home, it suggests that October had not begun, pointing to Jesus' birth likely occurring no later than September. On this ground alone, the idea of a December nativity should be abandoned, as no flocks would have been in the fields at that time. The exact date of His birth remains unknown, and if God had intended for us to celebrate it, He would not have concealed the date so thoroughly.

Many lies surround the celebration of Christmas, particularly concerning the birth of Jesus Christ. It is falsely claimed that Christmas marks the birthday of the Messiah, but He was born in the autumn, not in December. December 25 is not His birthday; instead, it aligns with the ancient celebration of the birth of the sun, tied to the lengthening of days. Additionally, the notion that shepherds in the Holy Land kept their flocks in the fields at night during winter is incorrect, as it is too cold for such practices at that time of year. Historical records also show that Christmas was not observed by Christians from the time of the apostles; it was introduced into the professing church only in the 4th century AD, and even then, true Christians rejected its celebration. These falsehoods reveal that Christmas is not a holy day ordained by God, but a holiday steeped in pagan origins and deceptive traditions that turn people's hearts away from true worship of God and Jesus Christ.

The claim that Jesus Christ was born on December 25 has no biblical or historical foundation, and this fact stands as one of three central proofs supporting the church's rejection of Christmas observance. Historical evidence demonstrates that December 25 was fixed as the winter solstice holiday by Roman emperor Aurelian in AD 274, and early Christians are believed to have adopted this date so their observance would appear less conspicuous alongside existing pagan festivals such as Saturnalia and Brumalia. The earliest recorded observance of Christmas on this date occurred in Rome in AD 336. Scholars widely agree that Jesus' actual birthdate was never known and that December 25 was selected purely for convenience, with other proposed dates—including March 25, April 19, and November 17—lacking any literary or historical support. Available evidence instead points to Jesus having been born in the fall of 4 BC, possibly coinciding with one of God's feast days. Scripture itself contradicts a December birth. Luke 2:8 records shepherds "living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night," yet shepherds in that region customarily brought their flocks in from the fields by autumn due to cold, wet conditions and occasional snowfall. This detail alone undermines the traditional December dating. The pagan customs surrounding Christmas—lights, greenery, the Yule log, wassailing, and the Christmas tree tradition traced to Saint Boniface's conversion of Teutonic tree worship—further disqualify it as a legitimate form of worship, since Deuteronomy 12:29-32 explicitly forbids worshiping God according to the customs of pagan nations. Even historically, Christmas was not universally embraced; the Puritans avoided it due to its pagan origins, and Charles II abandoned the practice in England in 1644. This absence of a divinely appointed date is significant because God provided clear, detailed instructions for His true holy days in Leviticus 23, specifying exact times and observances. No such command exists anywhere in Scripture for celebrating Jesus' birthday. Rejecting Christmas does not diminish belief in the miraculous nature of Christ's human birth as recorded by Matthew and Luke; rather, it reflects the conviction that the world has distorted the entire event—wrong year, wrong date, and wrong pagan trappings. This factual foundation connects directly to the broader encouragement offered to young people in the church who face social pressure during the Christmas season. Rather than relying on feelings or emotional arguments, believers are urged to stand firm on facts: Jesus was not born in December, the early church never observed Christmas, and God promises rich blessings—as outlined in Deuteronomy 28—for those who remain obedient to His true ways despite hardship or social isolation.

Christmas stands alongside Easter as one of the most misleading observances associated with Christianity, filled with elements—evergreen trees, Yule logs, holly, mistletoe, Santa Claus, and the mother-and-child Nativity motif—that have nothing to do with the true relationship between God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Since truth is central to God's character and ministry (John 14:6; 8:32; 18:37), and lies produce spiritual bondage, examining Christmas's origins reveals why God would not sanction its celebration. The holiday traces back to ancient Babylon, to Nimrod and his mother-wife Semiramis (also known as Ishtar and Isis). After Nimrod's death, Semiramis promoted him as a deity, claiming an evergreen tree sprang from a dead stump symbolizing his new life, with gifts left beneath it on his birthday—the winter solstice. She later bore a son, Horus, claiming him as Nimrod reincarnated, creating a false trinity of father, mother, and son worshipped across cultures under various names, including Aphrodite and Adonis, and Ashtoreth and Molech. The pagan Saturnalia festival, celebrating the sun-god's return, became embedded in this tradition. Christians did not observe Christmas until roughly AD 300. Early church father Origen even noted that only sinners like Pharaoh and Herod celebrated birthdays. Emperor Constantine's conversion and shift of worship to Sunday—his former sun-worship day—made it easier for Rome to transform the pagan December 25th winter solstice festival, honoring the sun god's birth, into the supposed birthday of the Son of God. Only in the fifth century did the Roman Catholic Church officially designate December 25th as Christ's birth celebration, despite this date originating from the Roman feast of Sol, the sun god. The holiday spread through England via Pope Gregory I's policy of blending pagan practices with Christianity, then through Norman invasions, and eventually to America through German and Dutch settlers, becoming a national holiday in Alabama in 1836. Beyond its pagan history, Christmas is problematic because Scripture never commands believers to celebrate Christ's birth, nor does it even reveal the date. Christ Himself modeled no example of birthday celebrations, and He warned against worshipping God through man-made traditions (Matthew 15:9). The holiday's focus on mother and child distracts from the Father-Son relationship central to God's Word (John 10:30), reducing Christ to a helpless infant while elevating Mary and even Joseph above the true Father. Gift-giving customs falsely claim biblical basis, since the wise men's gifts honored a young child-king, not a newborn, and were never exchanged among themselves. Most troubling is Christmas's fruit—drunkenness, gluttony, self-gratification, and increased crime—demonstrating its disconnect from God's character, since pure sources cannot produce corrupt results (James 3:11-12). God explicitly warned against worshipping Him through pagan methods (Deuteronomy 12:31-32), instructing that nothing be added to or taken from His commands. Rather than embracing paganism disguised as Christian observance, believers are called to follow God's revealed holy days, which cultivate genuine peace, joy, and spiritual growth.