Christmas or Passover?

Christmas is perhaps the most popular holiday in the world. People from a variety of cultures and perspectives—from the devoutly religious who cry, “put Christ back in Christmas,” to famous atheists like Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris—participate in some form of Christmas celebration. With Christmas rapidly approaching, let’s make what some may consider a strange comparison: Christmas versus Passover.

What does Passover have to do with Christmas? A brief look shows that these two observances oppose each other and yield a telling perspective on what constitutes true Christianity. Should a Christian keep Christmas, Passover, both, or neither? Using the Bible, we’ll answer this important question.

What does the Bible say about Christmas? While it gives a relatively brief account of Jesus’ birth, it contains no instruction for Christians to celebrate Christmas at any time or in any way. And, with the information it does give, we can determine that Christ was born in the autumn—not on December 25. So, why is Christmas celebrated on December 25? According to History.com, “Pope Julius I [ca. AD 350] chose December 25. It is commonly believed that the church chose this date in an effort to adopt and absorb the traditions of the pagan Saturnalia festival” (“History of Christmas,” March 2, 2025).

To reiterate, Christmas is never mentioned in the Bible; the date of Jesus’ birth is never celebrated, nor are instructions given to celebrate it; He and His followers didn’t celebrate it; and He was not born on December 25. The Bible doesn’t mention Christmas trees directly, but Jeremiah 10:2–5 describes a pagan practice of decorating trees—which God condemns (Deuteronomy 12:29–32).

The Biblical Conclusion

Now, consider Passover. The Bible mentions Passover dozens of times, first in Exodus 12, where God instructs Moses to command the Israelites to kill a lamb, put its blood on the doorposts of their homes, and stay in their homes all night while Egypt’s firstborn are killed in the last of ten plagues. From that point onward, Passover was one of God’s Feast days (Leviticus 23:4–5), which were observed by generations of God’s people, as recounted in the days of Joshua (Joshua 5:10), Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 30:1), Josiah (2 Chronicles 35:1), and Ezra (Ezra 6:19–20). Christians recognize that Passover foreshadowed an enormously significant event: the death of the Son of God, often called “the Lamb” (John 1:29; Revelation 5:6; 7:14; 22:1–3) and even “our Passover” (1 Corinthians 5:7).

The New Testament shows many examples of Jesus Christ and His followers celebrating the Passover. Jesus said that He greatly desired to eat the Passover with His disciples. He explained before His sacrifice that the broken unleavened bread represented His broken body and that the wine symbolized His shed blood—core aspects of the New Covenant (Luke 22:14–20).

Passover was a vital commemoration for the first-century Church, as the Apostle Paul showed—he taught the Gentile believers in Corinth when, how, and why to keep the Christian Passover, explaining that Christians, celebrating Passover by eating the bread and drinking the wine, remember and proclaim the death of their Savior until He returns (1 Corinthians 11:23–26).

The contrast between Christmas and Passover is fascinating. One is extremely popular and seeks to celebrate Jesus’ birth. The other, not nearly as popular, remembers and proclaims His death. One has roots in pagan customs and traditions, while the other comes straight from the Bible. One was never kept by Jesus or by any He taught. The other was kept by Jesus and His followers—and has been kept by God’s people for thousands of years.

So, which day should Christians celebrate? If we use the Bible as our guide—turning to the Old Testament or the New—we only find one of these two holidays, and it is described in Scripture many times. We don’t find the other holiday in the Bible even once. Therefore, an objective and biblical conclusion must emerge: There is no comparison between Christmas and Passover.