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Today’s Christmas story has had many twists and turns added to it over the years. Many of them are just minor issues that do not change the significance of Christmas. If you attend a true Bible teaching church you know the differences from what is fact and what is a myth with Christmas. The real problem with these differences are that it creates two crowds of people. The first is those who think that these minor details actually disprove Christ’s birth. The other type of person it creates, is the Christian who thinks that it means they should boycott Christmas. Here I will break down those differences and show why both types are wrong.

Jesus born on December 25th: Myth

We do not know what day He was born and chances are it was in the spring, maybe fall but not in the winter. No indication is given of the time but the gospels say that the shepherds were out in the fields with their flock. During December temperatures were too cold for the sheep and they would not have been out in the fields. October was generally the last month the shepherds would keep their flock out in the field.

The December 25th date was created to counter a pagan holiday that was happening at the time. So basically since they did not know the real date and wanted to celebrate it, they made it at the same time as a pagan holiday. Like many of the Christian holidays.

It does not matter that over time a different date was set to celebrate His birth. It still does not change the fact that He was born. It also is not any proof that the Bible is inaccurate as it is never claims that he was born in December.

There were 3 Kings at the manger: Myth

They were not kings they were astrologers. We also do not know how many there were, the Bible does not say. The myth of there being 3 comes from the fact that they brought 3 gifts. They were also not at Christ’s birth. The Bible tells us that they came later and Jesus was possibly as old as 2. It also says that when they came to Jesus he was with Mary in the house, not a manger. It also calls Him a young child not a baby. You can also get an idea of His age from Herod. Herod commanded that all male children from 2 and under be killed, indicating that he may have been as old as 2.

None of this changes the fact that there were astrologers who followed a star that was announcing Christ’s birth. Again it is not the Bible that claims there were 3 or that they were there at His birth.

Jesus born in a stable: Half Myth

There are a few things that are half truths with where Jesus was born. Some will say that Jesus’ birth place shows that He was born into poverty. But the Bible does not say that he was born in a manger because of money. Joseph’s relatives house had no room for them. He was most likely born in a cave or a room used for animals at one of Joseph’s relatives houses. This room would not be like the barns we have today. Back then animals were sometimes kept in the home with you. This would be in a cave at the back of the house, it would have been a bit nicer than what we call a barn today.

They did not seek an inn, as is also a myth. No where is an inn mentioned. They went to family and stayed there. But due to the census the house was crowded.

This does not change the fact that the Son of God came down to Earth and was born a humble birth. God could have had him float down from heaven with a beam of light but instead He chose a humble, simple birth for Jesus.

Decorating a tree was forbidden by God: Myth

This is taken from Jeremiah 10: 1-5. You will sometimes hear people say that this verse says God forbid decorating a tree. This is not what the verse says. It says not to be like the gentiles who were cutting down trees and carving them. Then decorating them with gold and silver. It references the tree as the wood used to carve and decorate as an idol. This was an act of worship by them and was the reason God spoke of it. He also states that you should not wear earrings in the same manner and you should not get tattoos in that manner. All pointing to the worship of a false god. That is why they were banned, it was not the earring or the tattoo but the reason people were getting them. The same goes for the tree, it was the purpose of carving it and decorating it as an idol that was wrong.

Some use this to say that Christians pick and choose which verses to follow. No, we just read the Bible in context.

Does this disprove Christ’s birth?

It is amazing how many times I was able to find people using these myths to disprove Christ’s birth. Seriously? None of the myths were created by the Bible. These myths may contradict what the Bible says but none of the facts in the Bible contradict each other. It’s the equivalent of me making up a story about a historical event and then someone saying that the event did not happen because of it.

So Christians should not celebrate Christmas?

Why on Earth would you do that? Yes, as time went on things have been added to the story. Traditions have been formed. No, he was not even born when they say he was. But the fact is that He was born and there is a day when people all over the world celebrate it! It is the one time of the year when you can hear songs about Jesus on the radio and in the stores. It is one of the biggest evangelical days in churches! Why would we boycott this over a few differences?

We should be out there fighting to keep the holiday alive! We should have the brightest decorated house (no wise men at the manger scene though). We should take every opportunity we have to tell people the true reason for Christmas. Teach your kids the true story so they know what the myths are and what the facts are.

I always tell my kids each year, we are celebrating Jesus’ birthday and we get the gifts! It gives them an amazing appreciation for the holiday. This year we started a new tradition of only giving 3 gifts per kid. To represent the 3 gifts Jesus got. It will also help keep us from spoiling them as well and keep the focus on Christ.