Christians and Christmas

Episode 5 of the Solid Food podcast, hosted by Dr. Lee Lewis, titled "Christians and Christmas" was published on November 29, 2025 and runs 48 minutes.

November 29, 2025 ·48m · Solid Food

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Summary

"Let's get right down to it. Should Christians celebrate Christmas? Everyone knows that it's all rooted in paganism, and besides that, we all know that Jesus wasn't born on the 25th of December. Shouldn't we just avoid the whole thing altogether?"Sure, those are things that people say, but are they true and accurate? Let's dig into the scriptures as well as some "historical resources to determine the truth for ourselves. Works CitedDavid Prior, The Message of 1Corinthians: Life in the Local Church, The Bible Speaks Today(Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985), 140.Ancient Sources on December 25th and Pagan FestivalsChronograph of 354 (Philocalian Calendar) – A.D. 354 Earliestrecord of December 25 as Christ’s birthday and of the pagan Natalis SolisInvicti (“Birth of the Unconquered Sun”).Hippolytus of Rome, Commentary on Daniel – ca. 200–230 IdentifiesDecember 25 as Christ’s birth and calculates March 25 as date of the Passion.Tertullian, Against the Jews (Adversus Iudaeos) 8 – ca. 197–200 Links the Passion to March 25, forming part of the early Christian dating tradition.Augustine, De Trinitate 4.5 – ca. 399–419 Affirms that early Christians held conception and death of Christ occurred on March 25.John Chrysostom, Homily on the Nativity – ca. 386- 390 Defends December 25 as the true date of Christ’s birth and notes its recent adoption in the East.Historia Augusta, “Aurelian” 25.3 – Late 4th century Describes Aurelian’s promotion of the Sol Invictus cult in A.D.274.Macrobius, Saturnalia – early 5th century Defines Saturnalia as December 17–23, confirming it did not include December 25.

Episode Description

Sure, those are things that people say, but are they true and accurate? Let's dig into the scriptures as well as some "historical resources to determine the truth for ourselves.

Works Cited

David Prior, The Message of 1Corinthians: Life in the Local Church, The Bible Speaks Today(Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985), 140.

Ancient Sources on December 25th and Pagan Festivals

Chronograph of 354 (Philocalian Calendar) – A.D. 354 Earliestrecord of December 25 as Christ’s birthday and of the pagan Natalis SolisInvicti (“Birth of the Unconquered Sun”).

Hippolytus of Rome, Commentary on Daniel – ca. 200–230 IdentifiesDecember 25 as Christ’s birth and calculates March 25 as date of the Passion.

Tertullian, Against the Jews (Adversus Iudaeos) 8 – ca. 197–200 Links the Passion to March 25, forming part of the early Christian dating tradition.

Augustine, De Trinitate 4.5 – ca. 399–419 Affirms that early Christians held conception and death of Christ occurred on March 25.

John Chrysostom, Homily on the Nativity – ca. 386- 390 Defends December 25 as the true date of Christ’s birth and notes its recent adoption in the East.

Historia Augusta, “Aurelian” 25.3 – Late 4th century Describes Aurelian’s promotion of the Sol Invictus cult in A.D.274.

Macrobius, Saturnalia – early 5th century Defines Saturnalia as December 17–23, confirming it did not include December 25.