This time of the year is a torture for me to be in any store. Within a few days from now there will be an old man with a red suite running around and dropping gifts off through houses chimneys. I always wondered how would he fit in them with his fat big tummy? Christmas is a hugely popular holiday celebrated by some 2 billion people worldwide. It’s become such an ingrained part of modern culture that even people in nations with little or no Christian history or tradition are celebrating it in increasing numbers. Let’s face it, Christmas is big— very big. Schools and colleges commonly take a week or longer break at this time, some businesses shut down to give their employees time off, many families plan trips and get-togethers, and some people darken the door of a church for perhaps the first time all year. So it’s not surprising that I get some pretty shocked looks when I tell people I don’t celebrate Christmas, because that’s pretty unusual for anyone. So, what’s up with this? Why would anyone not want to celebrate Christmas like nearly everybody else? Are there valid reasons for not participating in all the holiday hoopla? Here are some of my reasons for not celebrating Christmas. Christmas is nowhere mentioned in the Bible. Yahuah is an Eloah of detail. There are many Scriptures I can mention where He gave specific detailed instructions about a lot of things. The nature is also created in the finest detail and so are we. So, if He is an Eloah of detail, why didn’t He give us clear, specific details to celebrate His Son’s birthday, when we need to celebrate it and how? This is rather obvious, but most people never give it a second thought. The books of the New Testament cover 30+ years of Yahushua Mashiach’s life, then another 30+ years of the early Congregation following His death and resurrection, but nowhere do we find any hint of a Christmas celebration or anything remotely like it and not one of the disciples wrote one word of them celebrating it either? Yes, the Bible does give us quite a few details of His birth—the angelic appearance to Mariam and then Joseph, the conditions surrounding His birth in Bethlehem, the heavenly choir’s performance for the shepherds in the fields outside the town and Mariam visiting Elizabeth when she was pregnant with John the Babtist. But nowhere in the Bible is there any record of anyone observing Christmas or any hint that Yahuah the Father or Yahushua Mashiach expects us to do so. If we are believers of Yahuah and stand in covenant with Him and obeying His Word, why are we celebrating a feast that is not mentioned in His Word? Yahushua wasn’t born on or near December 25. Surprising but true! Remember those shepherds who were “living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night”? (Luke 2:8). December weather around Bethlehem is often miserably cold, wet and rainy. No shepherd in his right mind would have kept his flocks outside at night at that time of year! Also, Luke 2:1-4 tells us that Yahushua was born in Bethlehem because his parents came to that town to register in a Roman census. The Romans were well known as highly efficient administrators. It would have made no sense to have conducted a census in the dead of winter, when temperatures often dropped below freezing and traveling was difficult due to poor road conditions. Taking a census under such conditions would have been self-defeating! Last year I wrote a blog post on this subject about how we can find out with Biblical clues Yahuah left us to discover when Yahushua was born: http://mattaniahministries.co.za/2024/10/16/the-salvation-plan-of-yahweh/ The following YouTube video also points out the pagan traditions about Christmas and why we must not follow in these pagan ways. A MUST READ is Dr Laura Singer’s very compelling teaching regarding the Roots of Christmas – through her ministry: “No Longer enslaved”  https://share.google/BxPMII3xAhB5fPa3t I also wrote a blog post called: “Christmas without YOU”, that reveals so many pagan traditions that we need to step out of, renounce and get back to what YAH is instructing us to do and not follow man-made rules, customs and their pagan feasts. https://mattaniahministries.co.za/2024/11/25/christmas-without-you/ If we truly desire to worship ABBA YAHUAH in Spirit and in TRUTH, we must take a stand—without compromise and without fear. We are a set-apart people, not of this world, called out from darkness to walk in obedience to Him alone. The time for mixture has passed. We are commanded to obey every word that proceeds from His mouth and to utterly reject the man-made traditions and customs rooted in pagan religions. Beloved, hear the sound of the shofar—awake! The hour is late, and the line of separation is being drawn. As watchmen on the wall, we cannot remain silent. Each of us will stand before YAH with no excuses, no coverings, and no borrowed righteousness—only clean hands and a pure heart. As it is written: “Who may ascend the mountain of YAHUAH? And who may stand in His set-apart place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to what is false, nor sworn deceitfully.” (Psalm 24:3–4) This is Heaven’s standard. This is the plumb line being lowered in this generation. Therefore, let us repent, turn away from every false way, every compromise, and every tradition that exalts itself above the Truth of His Word. Let us consecrate ourselves anew, for we are called to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth—and when we stand before His Presence, nothing else will matter. Declaration & Prayer ABBA YAHUAH, we answer Your call. We choose obedience over comfort, Truth over tradition, and holiness over compromise. Search us and cleanse us. Wash our hands, purify our hearts, and set us firmly on Your ancient paths. Make us faithful watchmen, bold yet humble, uncompromising yet full of love. Let our lives be a living altar of worship before You.We declare that we will stand in this hour—awake, set apart, and aligned with Heaven. May our worship rise as a pure offering before Your throne, in Spirit and in Truth, until the day we stand face to face with You. HalleluYAH Shalom,