article from NOVEMBER 2011-JANUARY 2012
How Should God’s Youth Approach the Holiday Season?
While this time can be difficult, confronting it is easier if you prepare.
For countless teenagers around the world, December is a time to receive gifts, eat sugary treats, visit with family, and sing an almost endless repertoire of catchy songs. It is considered “cute” for them to don red Santa hats in class or brag about the latest high-tech gadget they will be given by “Saint Nick.”
After Christmas is over, school halls echo with discussions about “ringing in” the start of the calendar year on New Year’s Eve with girlfriends and boyfriends, and plans to drink heavily at midnight parties.
In contrast, teenagers in God’s Church, who do not keep these holidays, dread the season. They often have to explain in front of snickering peers why they cannot participate in their school’s gift exchange or read Christmas poems in English class. They may also have to tell a favorite teacher why they cannot volunteer for Christmas-related “good-will” projects, such as wrapping presents for impoverished children.
In most schools, there are also assemblies where “Santa Claus” (often a disguised principal or other adult) comes to “town” to visit students, handing out candy canes and singing carols. For teens in the Church, his “arrival” usually means a trip to the library to avoid participating.
The ultimate test, however, is resisting friends and family who seem genuine as they pass out gifts and offer holiday greetings. It is not easy to explain to a hurt friend why you cannot accept her CD and card, or tell relatives you will not spend Christmas dinner with them.
As a teenager in God’s Church, going against the grain during this time of year is challenging. With school activities, media advertisements, celebrations and the infectious “Christmas spirit” around you, it becomes even more difficult not to get caught up—even if you understand why you should not participate.
Whether you have been attending with the Church for a while or are just beginning to learn about the origins of such traditions, God plainly says not to observe them. And when confronted with questions, He expects you to be prepared.
During this time, you must be on guard and well-versed about these holidays so you can successfully answer questions about them—and withstand their influence.
Short and Sweet
Sir Winston Churchill once stated, “Broadly speaking, the short words are the best, and the old words best of all” (Man of the Century: Churchill). Known as a leader who firmly stood for his cause, Britain’s former prime minister understood there is no need to complicate matters. He knew a brief response is all you need in many situations.
The same principle applies to responding about your beliefs. I Peter 3:15 states, “…be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness [mildness]…”
Notice it says be ready with an answer—not a sermon. Your job is to answer anyone who asks you, not to convert them. If you prepare your answer with “mildness” (as the word meekness can be translated), you need not feel anxious about responding.
Verse 16 continues: “Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation [or conduct] in Christ.”
If your conversation is brief and to the point, you can in good conscience know you spoke the truth without hesitation. Additionally, applying this principle can help you avoid an unnecessary “religious” interchange with someone who just wants to prove you wrong.
For example, if someone asks, “What did you ask Santa for this year?” your answer should not be: “Santa Claus is MOLECH! Before Christmas was ‘Christianized,’ innocent babies were burned to him during ancient rites. That is why I hate Santa and everything about Christmas—and you should too!”
While this is true, explaining this in a haughty, self-righteous manner will get you nowhere. It dumps too much information on someone who, without God’s help, cannot understand the real meaning of these days. Remember, those who keep Christmas consider it a time of family togetherness, beautiful decorations, feasting on special foods, and singing carols throughout the neighborhood. They have been deceived! To them, you are nothing but a “scrooge” who does not like to have fun.
And for everyone but those in God’s Church, this time is fun. Those in the world cannot understand why anyone would not want to keep the holidays. After all, how harmful can a fat man who supposedly climbs up a chimney and travels on flying reindeer with gifts really be?
Again, keep it simple: “I actually do not keep Christmas.” If they ask why, you might respond, “Nowhere in the Bible does it say that Christians should keep Christmas, and there is no example of them doing so in the New Testament.”
If the person counters that Christmas is about the birth of Jesus and New Year’s is not religious, you can respond: “The Bible does not say we should celebrate Jesus’ birth or New Year’s Eve. In fact, Jesus was not born in the winter.”
In most instances, whomever you are speaking with will just say “hmm” and change the subject or tell you, “Well, if that’s what you want to do, it is weird, but whatever.” Most do not ask past a simple why, and even then, do not really want to know.
Be patient and realize that the majority of people never reflect on why they believe the way they do, and may single you out for doing so. Few ever seek to understand these holidays’ origins and generally accept them without question, choosing to follow the crowd because it is easier.
Know the Facts
As the winter season approaches, study the Church’s literature on Christmas and New Year’s. Ask God to help you understand and become an expert on them. Pray for Him to inspire you to be like King Solomon, who said, “I applied my heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness…” (Ecc. 7:25).
The more knowledgeable you are about these holidays, the harder it will be for anyone to catch you off guard. As the second president of the United States, John Adams, said in the first volume of his autobiography, “Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence; nor is the law less stable than the fact…”
If, after you have answered in a simple manner, a peer continues to press you about not celebrating Christmas or New Year’s, calmly explain that both celebrations are rooted in pagan, non-Christian traditions.
Keep answers brief. Those genuinely interested will continue to pepper you with questions, while others will simply hear the word “pagan,” roll their eyes, and walk away.
If someone becomes really persistent, be sure you are ready with an answer. This is where the ability to stand for your beliefs in a right way becomes crucial.
Add: “If you look up the term Saturnalia in an encyclopedia, you will learn Christmas is rooted in traditions that existed long before Jesus was born.” You may also state, “While the word Christmas is not in the Bible, some of its traditions, such as the Christmas tree, are referenced in Jeremiah 10. In fact, God actually commands not to follow this custom.”
Most of your peers will not take it this far. They will not care that Christmas derives from the pagan Saturnalia, which was a time of promiscuous revelry and debauchery. They most likely are engaging in lives filled with fornication and premarital sex, partying, drinking and doing drugs. Even if they are not doing some of these things—and statistics reveal that most teens participate in at least one—you pointing out that they are doing something the Bible condemns may anger them and bring you unnecessary persecution. Most teens likely come from families where they are not told that what they are doing in their personal lives is wrong, and if you try to do it, they will retaliate. You will not win favor by calling what they consider to be fun something that “heathen” do.
If you encounter someone who is sincerely interested, however, refer them to any of the Church’s booklets on the subject, such as The True Origin of Christmas or Mr. Pack’s World to Come broadcasts about man’s holidays.
About a Week Later…
Immediately following Christmas comes New Year’s Day. Responding to peers regarding this celebration is no different. Your answer should point to what God says: “God states in the Bible not to participate in traditions that come from the worship of other gods. New Year’s has origins in these practices, so I do not keep it.” If needed, you may add that God outlines His calendar in the Bible, beginning in the spring with His Holy Days, including when and how He wants them to be celebrated (Lev. 23). There is nothing in it about New Year’s Eve.
There is no mistaking the source of the modern Christmas celebration or New Year’s Eve. Most aspects of these holidays have their roots in Babylonian, Roman, or Germanic (Teutonic) customs and religions. The Encyclopaedia Britannica, a source you and many of your peers probably use for research, reveals under the subtitle “Christmas,” “In the Roman world the Saturnalia (December 17) was a time of merrymaking and exchange of gifts. December 25 was also regarded as the birth date of the Iranian mystery god Mithra, the Sun of Righteousness. On the Roman New Year (January 1), houses were decorated with greenery and lights, and gifts were given to children and the poor. To these observances were added the German and Celtic Yule rites when the [pagan] Teutonic tribes penetrated into Gaul, Britain, and central Europe. Food and good fellowship, the Yule log and Yule cakes, greenery and fir trees, gifts and greetings all commemorated different aspects of this festive season. Fires and lights, symbols of warmth and lasting life, have always been associated with the winter festival, both pagan and Christian.”
In some instances, your friends may have seen specials explaining the origins of New Year’s on television or may have read on the Internet that Christmas did not originate with “Christ.” If they question along this line, be ready to share what you know about the holidays’ historical significance.
Even if friends do not give you a hard time about the holidays, be careful you do not become accidentally swept up in them. There is no getting around God’s instruction in Jeremiah 10:2: “Learn not the way of the heathen.” That includes common holiday phrases such as “Merry Christmas,” “Happy New Year,” “Season’s Greetings,” and others.
To such salutations you can respond with a courteous “Thank you,” “Have a nice day,” or the like. Keep your answer neutral. Do not say, “You too,” or wish the same back to them.
The carols and Christmas songs are much harder to keep out of your mind, as they are annoyingly played over and over in most establishments throughout November and December. This is where your creativity becomes vital. Some effective strategies include singing another melody in your mind or perhaps finding stores that do not play them.
The best strategy may be to avoid certain stores until the time has passed!
Live Peaceably
If someone turns hostile because of your beliefs, gracefully end the conversation immediately. You will not get anywhere by trying to reason with him or her—nor is it your job to convince them otherwise. Learn to apply Proverbs 26:4: “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like unto him.”
But do not go in the other ditch and hastily dismiss them.
The goal when answering holiday questions is not to offend, but to explain if asked, and in the simplest form possible. Do not be unnecessarily rude; instead, be sure you have an easy demeanor. This will show them that you are comfortable and confident about your beliefs and will most likely cause them not to question as much as they might have if you gave a sheepish, timid answer.
Always remember, “A soft answer turns away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger” (Prov. 15:1). Again, be patient and consider that you may have reacted the same way if you did not know the truth. (Read Ephesians 5:8-10.) Be sure to pray in your mind as you face this trial, asking for God’s protection, and guidance toward peace, according to His will.
Though persecution is sometimes unavoidable, we must be careful not to provoke it by anything we do or say. Remember, “If it be possible, as much as lies in you, live peaceably with all men” (Rom. 12:18).
Stand Your Ground
In this day and age, it is challenging to go against the holiday current. Yet this presents you an opportunity to learn to stand your ground with conviction.
By being ready to answer, others will know you mean what you say. And when they see you live by God’s Word with integrity, they will learn to respect you for it, albeit often begrudgingly. Remember, many do not care to prove the origins of anything, including Christmas and New Year’s, let alone what God says about them. Do not lose sight of how privileged you are to know this precious truth now, and that someday—very soon—everyone, including all your friends and family, will understand it as well. When that time comes, you may be a role model for them to follow.
Remain firm in your beliefs. No matter how hard it seems, know that “God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it” (I Cor. 10:13).
If you have not already done so, be sure to prove for yourself the truth about these holidays by reading The True Origin of Christmas and Why Christians Don’t Celebrate New Year’s alongside your Bible.
Armed with this knowledge—you will be able to successfully navigate every winter holiday season!