The History of Christians Not Observing Christmas

Today, many Christians observe Christmas by treating the birthday of Jesus Christ as special or holy in comparison to other weekdays as a matter of faith. Often, Christians who do not observe Christmas are viewed as unfaithful or at least unusual. However, this was not always the case.

Early Christianity

There is no evidence that Christians observed Jesus’ birthday for the first 300 years after Jesus’ birth. These early Christians had different views about the date of Jesus’ birthday. Yet, they did not observe Jesus’ birthday on any date.

In documents written by early Christians before 300 CE, there are indications that Christians observed yearly holidays like Passover and Pentecost. Some Christians also observed a yearly holiday to commemorate Jesus’ baptism. However, there is no mention of a yearly holiday to commemorate Jesus’ birthday until after 300 CE.

Early Protestantism

During the 16th century CE, some Christian leaders in the Roman Catholic Church tried to reform their churches according to the Bible. Many of these Christian leaders were expelled from the Roman Catholic Church, and they became the first Protestants.

Many early Protestant groups continued to observe Christmas, like the Lutherans and the Anglicans. Yet, this was not unanimous. Many other Protestant Christian leaders taught against Christmas observance as part of their reformation efforts.

These non-Christmas Christians believed in the Regulative Principle of Worship—that people should worship God only in the manner that God has commanded. They applied this Principle to “Christian holidays” like Good Friday, Easter, and Christmas. They reasoned that since God did not command people to observe those holidays, then people should not observe those holidays.

Early Presbyterianism

One Protestant group which taught against Christmas observance was the early Presbyterians. In 1560 CE, Presbyterian leaders published the First Book of Discipline. In the first chapter, it reads,

By contrary Doctrine, we understand whatsoever men, by Laws, Councils, or Constitutions have imposed upon the consciences of men, without the expressed commandment of God’s word: such as… keeping of holy days of certain Saints commanded by men, such as be all those that the Papists have invented, as the Feasts (as they term them) of Apostles, Martyrs, Virgins, of Christmas, Circumcision, Epiphany, Purification, and other fond feasts of our Lady.

The early Presbyterians affirmed the Regulative Principle of Worship. Here in the Book of Discipline, they specified that Christians should not observe “holy days” that God did not command in the Scriptures—including Christmas. Accordingly, the early Presbyterians did not observe Christmas in their churches.

This included the Christians in Scotland, who were mostly early Presbyterians. Indeed, many Scottish Christians were not observing Christmas since 1560. The Scottish government made Christmas observance illegal in the year 1640. It was only in 1958 that Christmas became a public holiday in Scotland.

The Westminster Assembly

In 1643 CE, a group of Protestant Christian leaders gathered in Westminster, England, to discuss what the Bible teaches on various issues. Their gathering is known as the Westminster Assembly. They produced a document known as the Westminster Confession of Faith.

The Westminster Assembly affirmed the Regulative Principle of Worship. Accordingly, the Westminster Confession of Faith chapter 21 paragraph 1 reads,

But the acceptable way of worshipping the true God is instituted by himself, and so limited to his own revealed will, that he may not be worshipped according to the imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representations or any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scripture.

The Westminster Assembly also produced another document known as the Directory of Public Worship. In a section about days and places of public worship, the Directory reads,

Festival days, vulgarly called Holy-days, having no warrant in the word of God, are not to be continued.

Today, most Presbyterian churches claim to follow the Westminster Confession of Faith. However, they still observe Christmas—in deviation from the earliest Presbyterians and the Westminster Assembly.

Conclusion

The practice of observing Christmas was not always as popular among Christians as it is today. Throughout history, Christians felt free to disagree with Christmas observance.

Therefore, Christians should not judge other Christians who choose not to observe Christmas—especially since many of our forebearers themselves taught against Christmas observance.