Before Christ’s birth was celebrated on December 25 the Romans and the Iranians celebrated their gods.  For the Romans it was the Day of the Invincible Sun.  The Iranians celebrated the birthday of the idol Mithras (also a Sun god).  Both celebrations were timed to follow the shortest day of the year.  This history, however, does not mean Christmas began as a pagan festival.

In fact, it began as a rival festival—a Godly alternative to the pagan revelry surrounding December 25.  Different congregations had observed Christ’s birth at different times.  Noting the parallels between the false gods Rome worshipped and the True Son of God, Church leaders choose December 25.  In doing so they weren’t seeking to baptize a pagan holiday but to start an alternative holiday.  And we can see they were right.  1668 years after the first ‘official’ Christmas the idols of Rome are forgotten, but the Son of God is still worshipped!