There is much discussion online at this time of year as to the presumed pagan origins of Christmas. December 25, we are told, was a date stolen from pagan worship, specifically from the festival of the “Birth of the Unconquered Sun” (Sol Invictus)? Should Christians have Christmas trees? Aren’t trees pagan objects of worship? How should Christians think about, and respond to, such questions? Do these questions have any relationship to the content of Scripture? Listen to find out.
Links and sources:
William Tighe, “Calculating Christmas: The Story Behind Dec 25” Touchstone Magazine (December, 2003)
Thomas J. Talley, The Origins of the Liturgical Year (The Liturgical Press, 1991)
Aaron Gleason, “How Christmas Baptizes Norse Mythology into Powerful Christian Archetypes,” The Federalist (December 15, 2017)
Origin of the names of the Days
Jewish month names from Babylon
Every December, social media lights up with claims that Christmas is a pagan holiday—that it was stolen from the Roman celebration of Sol Invictus or other ancient pagan festivals. Others say Christmas trees are condemned in Jeremiah 10, and that Christians should avoid the holiday entirely. Are these claims true? Or are they more rooted in misinformation and misreading than in actual history and Scripture?
In this Christmas Day episode of the Naked Bible Podcast, Dr. Michael Heiser carefully walks listeners through the historical background and biblical reasoning behind the December 25 date, showing that the origin of the holiday is not based on pagan worship but rather on early Christian theological reflection. He dismantles the misuse of Jeremiah 10, which some interpret as a ban on Christmas trees, by placing the passage back into its ancient Near Eastern context.
Heiser reminds believers that Christian liberty, careful historical thinking, and biblical literacy are key tools for evaluating cultural traditions. Rather than encouraging paranoia or guilt, he offers a measured response rooted in Scripture and credible scholarship.
This is a must-listen for anyone wanting clarity on Christmas, church history, and how to separate biblical truth from modern myth.
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