I find more peace in skipping Christmas than joining the rat race in all the shopping malls

From a humanist’s point of view, much of which I agreed with, at least from the historical perspective.

Usually at this time of year column space is given to Christian clerics making a case for ‘Xmas’ by supporting the Christianisation of a pagan festival by squeezing the nativity of Jesus in like the ugly sisters trying to squeeze into Cinderella’s glass slipper.

All the apologetics in the world can never make something pre-Christian to sound like it is a Biblical festival of the Church, when there is no commandment from God or Jesus to do so.

Jews are not mentioned celebrating birthdays in the Bible, and the early Jewish Church in Jerusalem certainly never celebrated the Messiah’s birth, but rather His death at Passover.

The Bible says better is the day of one’s death than one’s birth and Jews still keep a ‘yahrzeit’ or remembrance of a family member’s date of passing today.

Birthdays generally devote attention to the person, and not to God and can like Christmas be a very bawdy and commercial affair.

The only birthdays mentioned in Scripture are of two despots — Pharoah and King Herod.

There is a great pressure to celebrate Xmas/Christmas whether by secular society or by well-meaning Christians, but there is no Biblical or doctrinal premise for doing so.

It is a man-made convolution of pagan ritual with a veneer of “Jesus’ birthday” on a date that is most unlikely.

I have not celebrated Christmas for a few years now and find more peace skipping it than joining the rat race in all the shopping malls and unnecessary expenditure.

I do however follow Yeshua’s instructions and remember His death every Passover on the Biblical (Hebrew) date of Nisan 14.

If we do as God commands rather than as we wish we will be more likely to be following His will rather than our own.

Shalom and God bless,

Colin Nevin, Bangor (Chef, Hilton Tel-Aviv, Israel 1991-2002)