Christmas is widely known as the season when Christians around the world mark the birth of Jesus Christ on December 25. For many people, it is a joyful time filled with worship, family gatherings, music, and gift-giving.
However, not all Christian churches observe Christmas. Some denominations choose not to celebrate it because of their beliefs, biblical interpretations, or historical concerns.
Below are 5 Christian churches that do not celebrate Christmas and the reasons behind their decisions.
Jehovah’s Witnesses
Jehovah’s Witnesses are one of the most well-known Christian groups that do not celebrate Christmas. They believe that Christmas did not originate from true Christian worship but from practices linked to ancient pagan religions.
According to their teachings, the Bible does not mention celebrating Jesus’ birth, nor does it provide a specific date for it. Because of this, they feel that observing Christmas is not pleasing to God. They stopped celebrating the holiday officially in the late 1920s after deeper study of its origins.
Seventh-day Adventist Church
Members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church believe that Jesus Christ was not born on December 25 and that the Bible does not command Christians to celebrate His birth. They also view Christmas as highly commercialized and influenced by non-Christian traditions.
While the church as an organization does not emphasize Christmas as a holy day, it allows individual members to decide for themselves whether or not to observe it. Their main focus is on living a Christ-centered life rather than following popular customs.
Deeper Life Bible Church
The Deeper Life Bible Church teaches that Christmas celebrations, including songs and traditions, are not found in the Bible or in the practices of the early Christian church.
The church believes that Christmas has pagan roots, especially connections to ancient sun worship. Its General Overseer, Pastor W.F. Kumuyi, has explained that the church avoids Christmas because of its idolatrous origins. Instead of Christmas, the church observes a program called Freedom Day in October to remember the birth of Jesus Christ.
God’s Kingdom Society (GKS)
God’s Kingdom Society also rejects Christmas celebrations because it believes they are linked to Roman pagan festivals such as Saturnalia, which honored the sun god. According to the church, these traditions do not align with true Christian worship.
Like Deeper Life, GKS celebrates Freedom Day in October, which they believe better matches biblical and historical understanding of when Jesus was born.
Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM)
Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries teaches that Christmas has no clear biblical foundation and is rooted in pagan customs rather than Christian doctrine.
The church’s leadership has openly stated that Christmas traditions came from ancient Roman practices and sun worship. Because of this belief, MFM does not place importance on celebrating December 25 as the birth of Jesus Christ.