Second and Fourth Commandment: Early Church on the Lord’s Nativity and Saturnalia The Pagan Day

The Nativity of our Lord was not celebrated in the Early Church. In fact, the Early Church actually condemned the celebration of all birthdays as something the sinners do and what the pagans did. So why would we think that if they condemned all celebrations of birthdays that they would allow the celebration of the Lord’s Nativity? But even more so was the condemnation of paganism that was so tied to Lord’s Nativity when the Lord’s Nativity was placed on the pagan day of Saturnalia with all it’s rituals and celebratory acts.

Josephus, First Century Historian confirms that families did not celebrate birthdays:

“Nay, indeed, the law does not permit us to make festivals at the birth of our children, and thereby afford occasion of drinking to excess” (Josephus. Translated by W. Whiston. Against Apion, Book II, Chapter 26. Extracted from Josephus Complete Works, Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids (MI), 14th…