“5 Churches That Don’t Celebrate Christmas and Their Reasons”
By Okafor Joseph Afam, December 25, 2024
Despite Christmas being one of the most popular holidays worldwide, not all churches celebrate it. While many commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ during this time, some churches choose to abstain due to historical, doctrinal, or biblical reasons.
Here is a list of five churches that don’t celebrate Christmas and why:
- Jehovah’s Witnesses
Jehovah’s Witnesses are among the most well-known Christian groups that abstain from celebrating Christmas. Historically, they observed the holiday until 1928. However, the 1993 book Jehovah’s Witnesses: Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom explains that the celebration was discontinued after the organization concluded that Christmas had roots in “false religious beliefs.”
They also argue that the Bible does not specify the date of Jesus Christ’s birth or instruct believers to celebrate it. For Jehovah’s Witnesses, if something is not clearly outlined in the Bible, it should not be practiced.
- Seventh-Day Adventist Church
The Seventh-Day Adventist Church also refrains from celebrating Christmas. The church, which observes the Jewish Sabbath on Saturdays instead of Sundays, states that Christmas is not biblically ordained.
One publication explains:
“We do not celebrate Christmas as the birth of Christ per se since Christ was not born in December. He did not want us to celebrate His birth or He would have told us when He was born.”
Members often gather with family and friends during the season but view Christmas primarily as a cultural event, not a sacred occasion.
- Deeper Life Bible Church
The Deeper Life Bible Church, led by Pastor W.F. Kumuyi, is another church that does not celebrate Christmas. At a December 2013 retreat, Pastor Kumuyi stated:
“We don’t celebrate Christmas nor sing Christmas carols because Christmas is of idolatrous background.”
The church encourages its members to focus on personal holiness and scriptural observance rather than participate in festivities with pagan origins.
- God’s Kingdom Society (GKS)
The God’s Kingdom Society, founded by St. Gideon Meriodere Urhobo in 1934, teaches that there is no biblical evidence Jesus was born on December 25. Instead, the church believes Jesus was born in October and celebrates His birth during a festival called “Freedom Day.”
According to their teachings, Christmas originated as a “noisy pagan festival in honor of the sun god.” Their headquarters is located in Warri, Nigeria, and the group continues to promote this October celebration.
- Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
The Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers, views every day as a holy day and sees no need to single out December 25 for celebration.
Chris Pifer, a spokesperson for the Friends General Conference, explains:
“There’s an effort within aspects of Quaker practice to try and explore and find primitive Christianity, the church before it became a political entity.”
This practice stems from their commitment to simplicity and their desire to avoid celebrations with questionable origins. Quakers also focus on personal spirituality rather than traditional rituals.
Honorable Mention: Mountain of Fire Ministries (MFM)
The Mountain of Fire Ministries, founded by Pastor D.K. Olukoya, also abstains from Christmas celebrations. The pastor has called the holiday “demonic” and discouraged members from participating in its observance.
Conclusion
While these churches refrain from celebrating Christmas for various reasons, billions of Christians worldwide continue to mark December 25 as the birth of Jesus Christ. For these believers, the holiday is a time for reflection, joy, and spiritual renewal. Whether celebrated or abstained from, Christmas remains a significant point of discussion within the Christian faith.
