Do Seventh-Day Adventists celebrate Christmas and have Christmas trees?
Do Seventh-Day Adventists celebrate Christmas and have Christmas trees?
The question of whether Seventh-Day Adventists celebrate Christmas and have Christmas trees is a question that has been asked many times. The uncertainty of the celebration is based on the fact that there is absolutely no biblical evidence to suggests that Jesus Christ’s was born on December 25th. This day has been associated with a pagan festival. However, Seventh-Day Adventists are not against the celebration of the birth of Christ, but since the festival is not ordained by scripture, it is not considered binding on the believer. Therefore, if a believer chooses to put up a Christmas tree in his or her house it is truly left up to that individual’s conscience.
However, even though it is left to the individual’s conscience, there are a few things the individual needs to keep in mind. Firstly, the individual needs to remember that Jesus is the reason for the celebration and not him or her. Therefore, Seventh-Day Adventists believe that Christmas should be celebrated by denying self and laying our offerings before God our Father in heaven, and giving glory to His Son Jesus Christ, who gave up everything for us. And this should be evident in every aspect of the celebration. Ellen white noted in that "In celebrating Christmas, fathers, mothers, children, and friends are diverted from the great object to which the custom is attributed. They give their whole attention to the bestowal of gifts upon one another, and their minds are turned away from the contemplation of the Source of all their blessings both spiritual and temporal. In their attention to gifts and honors bestowed upon themselves or their friends, Jesus is not honored and forgotten. Parents should seek to teach their children to honor Jesus. They should be instructed how He came to the world to bring light, to shine amid the moral darkness of the world. They should be impressed with the fact that 'God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (E.G.White, Bible Echo, December 15, 1892 par. 11)
With regards to the Christmas tree, she noted that "We are now nearing the close of another year, and shall we not make these festal days opportunities in which to bring to God our offerings? I cannot say sacrifices, for we shall only be rendering to God that which is his already, and which he has only intrusted to us till he shall call for it. God would be well pleased if on Christmas, each church would have a Christmas tree on which shall be hung offerings, great and small, for these houses of worship. Letters of inquiry have come to us asking, shall we have a Christmas tree? will it not be like the world? We answer, you can make it like the world if you have a disposition to do so, or you can make it as unlike the world as possible. There is no particular sin in selecting a fragrant evergreen, and placing it in our churches; but the sin lies in the motive which prompts to action, and the use which is made of the gifts placed upon the tree." (E.G.White, Review and Herald, December 11, 1879). She also stated that "In every church, however small, special efforts should be made to show our gratitude to God by bringing our offerings for his cause. Let those who desire a Christmas tree make its boughs fruitful with gifts for the needy, and offerings for the treasury of God. And let the children learn the blessedness of giving by bringing their little gifts to add to the offerings of their parents." (E.G.White, Review and Herald, December 26, 1882).
