12/13/2025
I am sharing this for two main reasons:
1 for those who have stepped away from Christmas but have seen the agreements that it's OK to do it and
2 for those who know me and have wondered why I chose to not follow certain Holidays.
Hopefully this will help give you a clear picture of my "why"
For clarity YHWH =God (The English letters that match the Hebrew letters the closest)
Yeshua=Jesus (Yeshua is the Hebrew name)
Copied and reposted from Jon Sherman link to the original post in the comments.
"I want to share something that has been on my heart for a while, especially as I see more Torah-observant people being talked into going back to Christmas and other compromises.
This is not about attacking people. It is about carefully looking at the logic and the Scriptures behind what we do.
All Scripture quoted here is from the World English Bible (WEB).
1. Why I Care About This
I am talking mainly to people who already:
-Believe YHWH’s Torah still matters.
-Believe YHWH’s moedim in Leviticus 23 are still for today.
-Have either left Christmas already or are wrestling with it.
What I keep hearing now is a new line of reasoning:
-“You cannot prove Christmas is pagan.”
-“We are just celebrating Jesus’ birth.”
-“As long as my heart is right, it is fine.”
I am not questioning anyone’s sincerity. I am questioning the soundness of this way of thinking and whether it lines up with Scripture, especially Deuteronomy 12.
2. Deuteronomy 12: The Command We Cannot Ignore
For me, Deuteronomy 12 is not a side verse. It is central to this entire discussion.
Deuteronomy 12:29–31 (WEB)
“When Yahweh your God cuts off the nations from before you, where you go in to dispossess them, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, be careful that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you; and that you not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How do these nations serve their gods? I will do likewise.’ You shall not do so to Yahweh your God; for every abomination to Yahweh, which he hates, they have done to their gods; for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods.”
YHWH does not just say, “Do not worship other gods.” He says:
-Do not be ensnared to follow the nations.
-Do not ask how they serve their gods in order to do the same thing “to YHWH.”
-“You shall not do so to Yahweh your God.”
In plain language:
If a way of worship comes from how the nations serve their gods,
I am not allowed to take that way and say it is now “for YHWH” or “for Yeshua/Jesus.”
Whatever I decide about Christmas, Easter, Halloween, or similar things, it has to go through this filter first.
3. Israel’s History: This Pattern Is Not New
When I look at Scripture, I see that Israel struggled with this same basic issue from the very beginning.
3.1 The Golden Calf: A Feast “to YHWH” in a Wrong Way
At Sinai, Israel did not say, “We are done with YHWH.” They tried to worship him in a way he never commanded.
Exodus 32:4–5 (WEB)
“He received what they handed him, and fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made it a molded calf; and they said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.’ When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation, and said, ‘Tomorrow shall be a feast to Yahweh.’”
They:
-Used the image of a calf, something common in idol worship around them.
-Claimed that image represented the God who brought them out of Egypt.
-Proclaimed “a feast to Yahweh.”
So in their minds, they were still talking about the same God. The problem was that they were using the nations’ forms and inventing their own feast.
3.2 Jeroboam: Repeating the Same Error and Building It Into the Calendar
Generations later, Jeroboam replays this error and makes it part of Israel’s ongoing worship system.
1 Kings 12:28 (WEB)
“Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold; and he said to them, ‘It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Behold your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.’”
Compare that to Exodus 32:4 and you see he is basically quoting the golden calf story.
Then:
1 Kings 12:33 (WEB)
“He went up to the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and went up to the altar, to burn incense.”
Jeroboam:
Revives the golden calf image and wording from the exodus story.
-Changes the place of worship (Bethel and Dan instead of Jerusalem).
-Changes the priests.
-Invents a feast “in the month which he had devised of his own heart.”
He does not switch to a new god in name. He builds a new system in the name of the same God, using retired sins and self-made dates.
That is exactly the kind of thing Deuteronomy 12 warns about.
4. The “1% Principle”: Why “You Cannot Prove It Is Pagan” Misses the Point
This is where I really had to step back and think.
People say:
“You cannot prove Christmas is pagan, therefore it is okay.”
At first, that sounds smart. But if I take that logic and apply it to other serious sins, it falls apart.
4.1 How Torah teaches me to think about risk and sin
We all know murder is sin. We also know that negligence that causes death is sin.
If there were even a 1% chance that a certain action would kill someone, would I say?:
“You cannot prove for sure that I will kill someone, so it is okay to do it.”
No way.
I would treat that 1% chance as deadly serious and avoid that situation completely, because life is precious and YHWH will hold me accountable.
Now, when YHWH says in Deuteronomy 12 that using the nations’ ways of worship “to YHWH” is something he hates and calls an abomination, I have to treat that category as extremely serious.
So even if there were only a 1% chance that Christmas or any other practice was breaking Deuteronomy 12, that would still be enough for me to say, “I cannot touch this.”
But with Christmas, I would be honest and say:
-There is far more than a 1% chance that the date and many traditions have suspect origins and mixed motives.
-The history is messy enough and uncertain enough that the risk is clearly much higher than “tiny.”
So what is true at just 1% risk is even more true when the risk is higher:
-The greater the chance that something might be in the Deut 12 category, the more foolish it is to play with it.
4.2 “Test all things” means I do not see how close I can get
1 Thessalonians 5:21–22 (WEB)
“Test all things, and hold firmly that which is good. Abstain from every form of evil.”
My job is to:
-Test all things – including holidays, traditions, and church customs.
-Hold firmly to what is good.
-Abstain from every form (appearance) of evil.
That means I should not ask, “How close can I get without it technically being sin?” but “How far can I stay from something that might be an abomination to YHWH?”
4.3 Putting the burden of proof back where it belongs
The popular line is:
“You cannot prove Christmas is pagan, therefore it is allowed.”
But Deuteronomy 12 changes the question. The real issue is:
-Can I prove that Christmas is not borrowing the ways the nations served their gods?
-Can I prove that its date and core customs definitely do not fall into that category?
-If I cannot, then I am dealing with serious risk in an area YHWH says he “hates.”
I do not have to prove Christmas is pagan in order to avoid it. I only have to recognize that it is:
-Not commanded by YHWH.
-Surrounded by questionable history.
-Easily capable of being the kind of mixture he warns about.
That is enough for me to say, “No, thank you.”
5. Christmas: A Case Study in Compromise
Let me talk specifically about Christmas, not to nitpick every detail, but to show why I personally see it as too risky, in light of Deuteronomy 12.
5.1 The date: December 25 and the calculation theory
-The Bible never tells me the date of Yeshua’s birth. It never commands me to celebrate it.
-December 25 appears in church history long after the apostles.
It shows up in a world where:
-Late December already had Roman festivals related to false god worship land to the winter season.
-There were already strong cultural reasons to have a big festival around that time.
Later theologians tried to defend December 25 with what is called the calculation theory. The simplified idea goes something like this (with some variations):
They assumed that Yeshua was conceived on a symbolic date, often around March 25, tied either to Passover or to the spring equinox or to the supposed date of his death.
Then they added nine months and arrived at December 25 for his birth.
There are two huge problems with leaning on this:
-Scripture never gives these dates.
-All of this is built on human assumptions and symbolism, not explicit revelation.
We cannot prove the motives behind the calculations.
We do not know if those who used this method:
-Were honestly trying to back-calculate a birth date.
-Were trying to “baptize” an already-popular pagan festival.
-Were trying to land Messiah’s birth on a day that already had cultural or religious meaning in Rome.
We see in modern times how often people invent clever calculation methods to justify doctrines or practices that clearly conflict with Scripture. That did not suddenly start in the last 50 years. Human nature was the same hundreds and thousands of years ago.
People have always tried to create mathematical or symbolic “proofs” that land where they want them to land. I cannot treat a later symbolic calculation—guided by unknown motives—as a solid foundation for worship, especially when it might be colliding with Deuteronomy 12.
So for me, calculation theory is not a sound enough basis to build a major worship day on. At best, it is interesting speculation. It is certainly not strong enough to override the clear and serious warning in Deuteronomy 12.
In the end, the motives behind the original December 25 defenders may never be fully known, and in one sense, it does not even matter. The bottom line is:
-The date is not commanded.
-The reasoning is speculative.
-The risk of mixture and being sinful is real.
That is not a safe place to plant a feast “to YHWH.”
5.2 The traditions: customs I did not receive from Torah
Christmas today is a blend of many elements that grew up over centuries:
-Decorated evergreen trees and greenery, which connect to a long tradition of winter symbolism in multiple cultures.
-Gift-giving, special meals, and cultural rituals.
-Various legends and modern inventions layered on top.
Even if I say, “It is just decoration for me,” I still have to ask:
-Did YHWH command any of this as part of honoring Yeshua?
-Or did humans create it, mix it, and then decide to attach Yeshua’s name to it?
-Deuteronomy 12 does not let me say, “If I like a custom and feel sincere, I can use it for YHWH.” It says:
Do not learn how the nations serve their gods and then do that to YHWH.
5.3 I do not need Christmas: YHWH already gave me Messiah-centered days
This is another huge part of my thinking: YHWH already gave us appointed times that are all about Messiah.
Leviticus 23:1–2 (WEB)
“Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, “The set feasts of Yahweh, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my set feasts.”’”
The moedim in Leviticus 23 are YHWH’s, not mine and not the church’s:
-Passover and Unleavened Bread point to Yeshua’s death and burial.
-Firstfruits points to his resurrection.
-Shavuot points to the giving of the Spirit and Torah written on our hearts.
-The fall moedim point to his return and kingdom.
Many see strong reasons to believe that Yeshua may have been born during Sukkot (Feast of Booths), very possibly at the beginning of that festival. I personally subscribe to that theory.
However, I do not have to be dogmatic about the exact day, but I can say this:
If I want to remember Yeshua’s coming in the flesh, the right place to do that is within the moedim YHWH already gave, which all center on the works of Messiah Yeshua, not by inventing a new birthday feast outside of Leviticus 23.
If YHWH wanted me to have a commanded feast for Messiah’s birth, he could have put it in Leviticus 23. He did not, at least not as direct prophecy or explicitly (it does appear to hint at it).
So Christmas is not only historically shaky and possibly mixed; it is also unnecessary. YHWH has already given us everything we need in his appointed times.
When I put all this together, Christmas looks to me like:
-A man-made day, chosen long after the apostles.
-Surrounded by traditions and history that are at least “suspect.”
-Not commanded by YHWH.
Exactly the kind of thing that could fall under the Deuteronomy 12 warning.
That is why, for me, the safest and most obedient choice is to stay away from it.
6. The Same Spirit of Compromise in Other Areas
I do not believe this issue is only about Christmas. Once I saw the pattern, I started to notice it in other compromises too.
6.1 Sabbath compromise: having others work for me
Most of us would never consciously “go to work” on Sabbath. But many still think nothing of:
-Buying and selling (that directly involves work),
-Eating out,
-Or doing things that make others work for us on that day.
YHWH’s command is clear:
Exodus 20:8–10 (WEB)
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. You shall labor six days, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God. You shall not do any work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates.”
Nehemiah rebuked Israel for buying and selling on Sabbath:
Nehemiah 13:15–18 (WEB)
“In those days I saw in Judah some men treading wine presses on the Sabbath, bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys; as also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. I testified against them in the day in which they sold food. Some men of Tyre also lived there, who brought in fish and all kinds of wares, and sold on the Sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, ‘What evil thing is this that you do, and profane the Sabbath day? Did not your fathers do the same, so that our God brought all this evil on us, and on this city? Yet you bring more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.’”
Buying and selling on Sabbath is called an “evil thing” and “profaning the Sabbath.”
If I go to restaurants, stores, or services on Sabbath, I am effectively saying:
“I will rest while you work for me.”
That is another form of compromise. It may feel normal, but it does not match the heart of the command.
6.2 Halloween compromise: repainting darkness
Halloween has a long connection to themes of death, fear, spirits, and the occult. Even when people say, “It is just candy and costumes,” the imagery and atmosphere remain the same.
YHWH has already said:
Deuteronomy 18:9–12 (WEB)
“When you have come into the land which Yahweh your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found with you anyone who makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who tells fortunes, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer, or a charmer, or someone who consults with a familiar spirit, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For whoever does these things is an abomination to Yahweh. Because of these abominations, Yahweh your God drives them out from before you.”
Instead of asking, “How can I participate in this and call it harmless?” I want to ask, “Why am I even trying to stay close to something built on themes YHWH hates?”
Rebranding Halloween as “harvest parties” and “trunk or treat” while keeping much of the same timing and atmosphere sure looks to me like another example of ignoring Deuteronomy 12 and Deuteronomy 18.
6.3 Easter compromise: replacing Firstfruits and confusing Passover
Easter is another example. It is not just a harmless “resurrection celebration” that happens to exist alongside the moedim. In practice, it usually replaces them.
YHWH already gave a way to honor Messiah’s death and resurrection:
-Passover points to his death as the Lamb.
-Unleavened Bread points to his sinless life and burial.
-Firstfruits points specifically to his resurrection as the first of those raised.
Easter, as commonly practiced, more specifically replaces Firstfruits (the day that actually pictures the resurrection), while also confusing or overshadowing Passover. Instead of celebrating Firstfruits on the timing YHWH set, people move to a man-made “Easter Sunday” with added customs like eggs and bunnies that clearly did not come from Scripture.
The same logic used to defend Christmas often shows up here:
-“We are celebrating the resurrection, not the pagan stuff.”
-“You cannot prove every detail is pagan.”
-“It is about Jesus now.”
But again, Deuteronomy 12 does not allow me to take the nations’ ways and say, “Now this is for YHWH.” And it certainly does not allow me to replace a commanded moed (Firstfruits) with a different, invented day.
So whether I am looking at Christmas, Sabbath shopping, Halloween, or Easter, I see the same root issue:
Will I follow YHWH’s appointed ways, or will I blend his ways with the nations’ ways and use clever arguments to feel okay about it?
Some people say, “Well if Christmas is a problem, then Purim and Hanukkah must be just as bad,” and I understand why this comes up in the discussion. The difference, as I see it, is that Purim and Hanukkah are not days where we borrow the nations’ worship and try to do it “to YHWH,” but days that mark specific events in Israel’s history that Scripture itself records. Purim is established in the book of Esther as a memorial of YHWH’s deliverance (see Esther 9), and Hanukkah is at least acknowledged in the New Testament as “the Feast of the Dedication” when Yeshua was in the temple (John 10:22, WEB: “It was the Feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter…”). That does not mean every modern tradition attached to those days is automatically good; we still have to filter things like games, gift customs, and extra rituals through Deuteronomy 12 just like anything else. But the days themselves function as historical markers of YHWH’s work with Israel, not as invented “Christianized” versions of pagan worship days, so they belong in a different category, and I am happy to talk about them separately if someone wants to dig into that.
7. A Few Common Objections I Hear (And How I Think About Them)
Objection 1: “My heart is in the right place.”
My heart does not turn disobedience into obedience.
Jeremiah 17:9 (WEB)
“The heart is deceitful above all things and it is exceedingly corrupt. Who can know it?”
If Aaron or Jeroboam had said, “Our hearts are in the right place,” that would not have made their golden calves acceptable.
Objection 2: “You cannot prove Christmas is pagan.”
That is the wrong burden of proof. I do not have to prove it is pagan. I ask:
-Can I prove it does not violate Deuteronomy 12?
-Can I prove that it is not borrowing the ways the nations served their gods?
With the messy history, the speculative calculation theory, and the cultural layering, I cannot honestly say that. So I treat it at least as dangerous. And again, what would be true at just 1% risk is even more true when the risk is clearly higher.
Objection 3: “We are redeeming Christmas for Jesus.”
YHWH never told me to redeem the ways nations worship their gods. He told me not to copy them and not to do them “to YHWH.”
Deuteronomy 12:31 (WEB)
“You shall not do so to Yahweh your God; for every abomination to Yahweh, which he hates, they have done to their gods…”
I do not redeem what YHWH calls abomination. I come out of it.
Objection 4: “You are judging everyone who still celebrates.”
I am not judging hearts. I am evaluating practices by Scripture. I know that I myself will stand before YHWH for what I choose to do with what I know.
2 Corinthians 5:10 (WEB)
“For we must all be revealed before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”
Because of that, when I see serious risks of disobedience, I cannot be silent about them, even if others disagree.
Objection 5: “I am only celebrating his birth, not the date.”
If that is really true, then I do not need December 25 at all. I can rejoice in Yeshua’s coming during Sukkot, during the moedim, or at other times without tying myself to a suspect date with a complicated history.
I do not have to connect it to a day that might be in conflict with Deuteronomy 12. And if there is even a serious chance that it does, I would rather not go near it.
8. Summary: Why I Choose to Stay Away From These Compromises
In the end, here is where I land:
YHWH has clearly warned me in Deuteronomy 12 not to borrow the nations’ ways of worship and use them “to YHWH.”
He has shown me, through the golden calf and Jeroboam, how easy it is to revive old sins and build them into worship, even while using his name.
He has already given me his moedim in Leviticus 23—appointments that are all about Messiah—so I do not need to invent new holy days.
When I look at Christmas, Sabbath commerce, Halloween, and Easter, I see the same pattern:
-Man-made dates and customs,
-Often with histories that mix with the nations’ ways,
-Then repackaged as if they now honor YHWH or Yeshua.
For me, that is too close to what he calls an abomination. If a 1% chance of killing someone would make me avoid a situation, then a much greater chance of violating Deuteronomy 12 should absolutely make me avoid these things.
So I choose to:
-Hold to the moedim YHWH actually commanded.
-Guard the Sabbath by not having others work for me.
-Stay away from holidays rooted in darkness or man-made replacement of his appointments.
-Refuse to let clever arguments talk me into what my Bible warns me against.
1 Thessalonians 5:21–22 (WEB)
“Test all things, and hold firmly that which is good. Abstain from every form of evil.”
That is what I am trying to do. If you are wrestling with these things too, I would just encourage you: test everything honestly before YHWH, take Deuteronomy 12 very seriously, and do not let anyone flip the debate so that the burden of proof moves away from obedience. Sadly, it is embarrassing to see other Torah teachers not understand this and be part of the problem instead of the solution. If one does not understand these basics, then one should not be a Torah teacher."
