Debunking Christmas Myths

Exposing tardy Wise Men, superbabies and other seasonal inaccuracies.

candlelight services, stockings, mistletoe, rampant misinformation. Few
holidays are more tangled up in folktales, urban legends and outright
unbiblical ideas than the one celebrating our Savior’s birth.

of Christmas carols or exposing the errors of the children’s living
practically Scroogetastic. Nevertheless, here are a few things you may
not have known about your favorite Christian holiday.

Jesus wasn’t born on Dec. 25.

According to biblical scholars, it’s unlikely that the Christ child
regularly drop below freezing once it gets dark, which means most
winter, they sheltered their flocks and stayed inside.

no self-respecting governing authority would ever schedule such a major
September or October, after the harvest season.

Celebrating Christ’s birth on Dec. 25 was popularized in the
probably the year 6 B.C., not 0 A.D.

Three Wise Men didn't appear at Christ’s birth.

manger accompanied by camels, and are usually dressed all glittery and

stable. No mention of a manger.

scholars figure they were astrologers. And since the passage specifies
didn’t deliver the gifts immediately after the birth. It could have
been a couple of years later.

which …



The traditional second verse of this favorite carol isn’t original
McFarland for a children’s program.

noisy moos. Yet a fairly important precept of Christianity is that
Christ was fully human—and not some blissful, preternaturally calm

He cried like a baby.


Lots of Christians start feeling like martyrs when Christmas gets
abbreviated, believing this is just another way for modern, secular
upset about it.

So this holiday season, when someone invites you to attend their
wise men and angels and the maudlin carols in the background.

Or, perhaps not, Ebenezer. Don’t be a jerk.

Just remember: like many of the tightly held traditions of our

This article originally appeared in issue 17 of RELEVANT.



Anonymous commented…

I think articals such as this do more harm then good. I have an aunt whose pastor was going on about these things a few yers back and she told him to stop it. She said no wonder we have such a crisis of faith in this country. People like you try to show how smart you are by bringing up all these irrelevent "facts" and ultimately tread on the faith of weaker Christians.

Furthermore, No we do not have the names of the wisemen in the Bible But wait the Bible does not mention the Trinity either I guess since that comes from tradition we should be suspicious of it as well. As for other symbols no we are not worshiping demons when we use them. First off SANTA NiCHOLUS Comes from the 4th century?? Bishop of Myrna Saint Nicholus. He wears red because that is the bishops color His now flopped pointed hat comes from the Bishops mitre.

I also Supose that we should not practice rites like baptisim and Eucharist since those are all things that the Pagans did long before the church came along. Stop nit picking and causing faith crisis in our weaker bretheren. "Relevant"? I Don't think so.


Anonymous commented…

No we aren't worshiping demons and other gods by having Christmas trees and lights. But priorities can be out of line, and we shouldn't lose sight of the real reason for the season. And Santa Claus? Well, the modern version is just a distortion of St. Nicholas of Myra, who was a great Christian, known for his generosity. He is still celebrated around the world on December 6. He has only recently been made out to be a jolly, fat man who comes down the chimney on Christmas Eve. There is no need to reject Christmas, but there is a need to bring ourselves back into focus and back to truth rather than being swept away with all the consumerism and commercialism. The term Christmas originates from Christ's Mass, when Christians go to church to worship and celebrate the Nativity. This has been a continuous practice for hundreds of years. It's a time when we participate as part of the Nativity of Christ, joining the angels and shepherds in worship and adoration of the most wonderful Christmas Gift of all. Those who don't worship on Christmas are missing out.


Anonymous commented…

As I read this, I'm listening to the podcast including "Do You Hear What I Hear?" Just listen to THAT song and how twisted the story is. A star tells a lamb who tells a shepherd who tells a king who tells the people to pray for, not exactly. Too bad it's such a pretty song.

It seems to me that some of your readers miss the light-heartedness in the article itself. Let's be biblical folks, but we can't be jerks about it.


Marie from Musicademy commented…

Excellent. Thank you. And for people interested in reading more of this kind of exposes, checkout George Barna and Frank Viola's Pagan Christianity


Bryant commented…

Facts about the events surrounding the birth of Jesus are not causing a faith crisis in our country.

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