In general, most Seventh-day Adventists do celebrate Christmas.
Since our denomination doesn’t have specific guidelines about holidays, it’s up to each member to decide whether to celebrate it, based on their personal convictions and study of the Bible.
In this article, we’ll give you an idea of what that can look like for Adventists, and we’ll cover some biblical principles to consider. Keep reading to discover:
- What Adventists believe about celebrating Christmas
- How we celebrate Christmas
- What the Bible says about celebrating Christmas
Let’s get into it!
What do Adventists believe about celebrating Christmas?
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For most Adventists, Christmas is an opportunity to remember the birth of Jesus Christ, though a small minority may avoid this holiday for personal reasons.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church doesn’t have any specific rules about celebrating Christmas.1 This is because Scripture doesn’t provide any instruction to accept or reject Christmas. After all, the Bible was written long before this holiday was ever celebrated.
In matters like these, Adventists are advised to follow their personal conscience and look for overarching principles in the Bible to guide their decisions.
Why most Adventists celebrate
As we’ve already mentioned, for many Adventists (particularly in the West), Christmas is a time to reflect on the birth of the son of God and share that joy with others.
We see it as a great opportunity to connect with people who are already considering the deeper meaning of the holiday.
But in other parts of the world, such as East and Central Africa, the reason for celebrating Christmas has more to do with family. Christmas provides the chance to spend time with the people we love and strengthen relationships—whether through gatherings, meals, or gift-giving.
Our celebration of Christmas also stems simply from the fact that God is a God of joy. In the Bible, we find that Jesus Himself participated in the simple joys of a wedding celebration (John 2:2). Similarly, Christmas is a day for gaining a small glimpse into God’s joy through that fellowship.
Why some Adventists don’t celebrate
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Some Adventists don’t celebrate Christmas because they’re concerned about its origins or some of the ways people celebrate it. They’re worried they and their families could get caught up in the materialism of this holiday and lose sight of what really matters—loving and serving others and spreading the good news of Jesus.
Others don’t participate in this holiday because a lot of its decorations and icons come from pagan festivals and worship.
Just take the date December 25th, for example.
Historians don’t have any evidence that Jesus was actually born on this day.2 The only thing that’s significant about it is that it was originally a pagan holiday to honor the sun god.3
At the same time, Adventists who observe Christmas might point out that nearly everything can be tied to pagan origins. That goes for the names of our planets and the days of the week. Now, though, Christmas has lost its pagan significance. And without this significance, objects like Christmas trees and mistletoes are just that—objects.
Still, materialism and paganism are both perfectly valid reasons for deciding not to keep this holiday. As Adventists, though, our goal is to not make this a divisive issue. No one should feel that their personal conviction to accept or abstain from Christmas is wrong.
Each individual person must decide for themselves.
For her part, Adventist pioneer Ellen G. White provided an answer to those who worried that certain aspects of Christmas would encourage paganism:
“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.
Will you not arise, my Christian brethren and sisters, and gird yourselves for duty in the fear of God, so arranging this matter that it shall not be dry and uninteresting, but full of innocent enjoyment that shall bear the signet of Heaven?”4
In this quote, Ellen White brings out the crux of the matter: The concern with Christmas centers around how we plan to celebrate. And notice, she encouraged us to make it a time of “innocent enjoyment.”
How do Adventists celebrate Christmas?
Adventists celebrate Christmas much like other Christian churches do. Around Christmas time, we might:
- Hear sermons based on the nativity story
- Host/attend Christmas programs or concerts
- Host food and toy drives for families in need
- Get the youth involved in church events like Christmas plays
- Decorate our homes and churches with Christmas trees, some of which have envelopes for donations to the poor, per Adventist tradition5
- Gather to open presents on Christmas day
- Enjoy a tasty (often, vegetarian) meal
- Watch a nativity movie
As far as Santa Claus goes, Adventist parents usually take an honest approach with their children.
They explain that while stories about Santa can be fun, they’re not the true reason to celebrate Christmas. They encourage their children to instead show thanks to God and their family members. And while giving and receiving gifts is a great blessing, children are reminded that the best gift of all is Jesus’ birth.
Keep in mind that Christmas celebrations can vary from culture to culture. Adventists often follow the traditions within their countries, and these traditions may have nothing to do with whether someone is Adventist or not.
But in short, Christmas is a wonderful time of the year to remember the birth of Christ, serve our communities, and spend quality time with family and friends. Let’s take a look at how we can follow biblical principles with our holiday activities.
What does the Bible say about celebrating Christmas?
The Bible doesn’t say anything about celebrating Christmas, but it does give us principles to guide the way we keep it.
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Here are some simple questions to ask yourself:
- How does this holiday relate to my beliefs in God’s Word? (John 17:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:5).
- How does observing this holiday affect my behavior? (Galatians 5:13–14, Romans 12:1–2).
- How does observing this holiday affect the way I treat others? (Philippians 2:3–4; Romans 12:10–13).
- How does observing this holiday affect my relationship with God? (Matthew 6:33; Luke 16:13).
As we mentioned earlier, your answer to these questions might differ from somebody else’s. And that’s okay!
Christmas might encourage one person to embrace Christian values of charity and kindness. But it might encourage another person to get caught up in materialism, greed, or holiday stress. God calls us to the same standards of character, but in the end, we all struggle with different issues and temptations. We respond to situations differently because everyone’s Christian journey is unique.
That’s why each Adventist makes a decision for their life that best aligns with these biblical principles.
This is the case with other holidays, too. Curious to know about them?
Ideas for Celebrating Christmas in a Christ-Centered Way:
- Collect toys for children in need and donate them to a toy drive or charity.
- Participate in food drives so everyone can have a nice Christmas dinner.
- Donate money to the church or a favorite non-profit.
- Use your Christmas decorations to remind your neighbors of Christ’s love.
- Read or watch media about the Christmas story.
- Get your children engaged with the Christmas story through books, media, or some of these Christmas activities.
- Listen to Christmas songs or hymns.
- Go caroling in your neighborhood.
- Talk to or visit loved ones you don’t see very often.
- Bring your neighbors food and presents to show them you love them.
- Invite people to your church’s Christmas program.
- Invite people to your family’s Christmas dinner.
- Share literature about the Christmas story with others.
- Participate in your church’s Christmas program.
- Enjoy quality time with your family.
- Buy loved ones heartfelt gifts. Thank God for the ability to bless others.
- Receive gifts with thanksgiving. Thank God for all the blessings He has given you.
- Reflect on the ultimate gift of Jesus’ coming and sacrifice on the cross.
Related Articles
- “Do Adventists Celebrate Christmas?” General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. [↵]
- Hillerbrand, J., Hans, “Christmas,” Brittanica.com. [↵]
- Ibid. [↵]
- “Do Adventists Celebrate Christmas?” [↵]
- Ibid. [↵]
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We understand your concern of having questions but not knowing who to ask—we’ve felt it ourselves. When you’re ready to learn more about Adventists, send us a question! We know a thing or two about Adventists.