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  • Do Mormons Celebrate Christmas? Yes and No

    Do Mormons Celebrate Christmas? Yes and No

    Mormons celebrate Christmas as a significant religious occasion, emphasizing the birth of Jesus rather than a New Year celebration. In doing so, they acknowledge the significance of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem in terms of his sacrifice and alleged resurrection. For Mormons, Easter is the reason why Christmas has any significance at all, and the two festivals are inextricably linked. Like the vast majority of Christians, they celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December. Many Mormon churches have free annual Messiah sing-alongs or nativity festivals each December to celebrate the holiday.

    What Do Mormons Think About Christmas?

    Many Mormons are avid collectors of nativity scenes, which they proudly display every year during the Christmas season. To keep the true spirit of Christmas alive all year long, some Mormon families even have one or several nativity scenes out on display for the whole year (they basically never remove them).

    To create more space for the religious aspects of the holiday, these families reduce the emphasis on secular Christmas activities such as decorating the house, getting in costumes, building snowmen, becoming Santa Claus, or creating a Christmas tree. Some Mormons don’t celebrate Christmas on the proper date since they have learned that April 6 is the correct date of Jesus’ birth by revelation.

    During the Christmas season, they often keep their attention fixed on Jesus rather than the festival. The Christmas Devotional is a global celebration hosted by the Mormon Church (LDS) and aired by satellite and internet in early December. Music and sermons from leaders highlight Jesus and some qualities, like giving and religious optimism.

    Christmas Trees, Santa Claus, and Snowmen

    Even though the Mormon Church does not frown upon the custom of decorating a tree during the holiday season, Mormons do not have a distinct custom of making Christmas trees as much as other American communities. Christmas is more of a religious event for Mormons than a secular one.

    This also includes Santa Claus not being the focal point of Mormon Christmas. He is not actively opposed but some families do not want their children to believe in Santa Claus. The biggest secular symbol of Christmas, the snowmen, is also not as central in their Christmas festivities as in other parts of the world.

    Then, How Do Mormons Celebrate Christmas?

    Mormon Temple Christmas Lights.
    Mormon Temple Christmas Lights. (V Smoothe, cc by 2.0, cropped)

    Mormons follow some relatively unique traditions while celebrating Christmas, such as the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square, as well as some community service projects (like hospital visits), large community dinners and ward parties, or video calling with a missionary and tuning in to the “First Presidency Christmas Devotional” broadcast.

    1. Ward Party: Mormon families frequently have their own unique Christmas customs in addition to celebrating with members of their ward at a party and supper. They make a Christmas present for Jesus by writing messages to him and putting them in envelopes beneath the tree. They give out copies of the Book of Mormon as presents, with personal testimony written within.
    2. Nativity Activities: In certain areas, residents bring their own nativities to show during a community-wide “Christmas nativity” event. Members of Relief Societies gather together over the holidays to do things like decorate, bake cookies, and study scripture.
    3. Assisting the Disadvantaged: Helping people who can’t afford Christmas is a typical Mormon custom. This involves presents for children and nourishment for the family.
    4. Christmas Devotional: It is a global Christmas celebration hosted by the Mormon Church, aired via satellite and the internet. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square are other regulars.
    5. Nativity Scenes: Either as a static display or a live reenactment with actual animals and members of the ward playing the parts, these scenes are a popular part of Mormon Christmas celebrations.

    Mormons Are Not the Most Conservative Community When It Comes to Christmas

    Mormons prioritize the religious significance of Christmas, which might appear conservative in contrast to some more secular Christian communities. However, diverse factors like culture, faith, and family traditions influence Christmas celebrations among Christians.

    Labeling Mormons as “most conservative” oversimplifies the differences among Christian groups. For example, Jehovah’s Witnesses, due to its pagan origins, abstain from Christmas celebrations, taking an even more conservative stance. They do not celebrate Halloween and some see it as the devil’s birthday.

    Origins of Christmas

    Nativity of the Virgin Mary and Jesus
    A Nativity scene.

    Christmas festivities have their roots in ancient rituals commemorating the winter solstice. The celebration has changed throughout time, taking cues from a wide range of civilizations along the way. Many ancient nations had festivals in honor of their gods around the time of the winter solstice. The Romans celebrated Saturnalia, a two-week festival celebrating their god of agriculture Saturn, while the Egyptians honored the birth of their sun deity Mithra on December 25.

    The early Christian church did not celebrate Christmas as a holiday until the 4th century, when Pope Julius I established December 25th as the canonical date of Christ’s birth. To correspond with the widespread pagan rituals of the winter solstice already taking place throughout the Roman Empire, the date of December 25 was selected.

    The Christmas tree was introduced to the United States by German immigrants in the 18th century. Gift-giving at Christmas is often credited to Clement Clarke Moore’s 1822 poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” which popularized the practice. St. Nicholas, a bishop in the early Christian church, was known for his kindness to the needy, which is where the idea of Santa Claus originated. Due to its pagan roots and the rowdy character of the festivities, Christmas was outlawed by the Puritans in the 17th century.

    Authors like Charles Dickens, who penned “A Christmas Carol,” were instrumental in reviving the holiday and the “spirit” of the season in the 19th century. Christmas has now become a cultural touchstone that has influenced how we see the winter solstice and Christmas Day.

    Understanding the Mormon Religion

    Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are recognized by the word “Mormonism,” which describes their religious beliefs. Some of the fundamental tenets of this religion are:

    Beliefs

    • Mormons share the Christian belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
    • The two primary texts for Mormons are the Bible and the Book of Mormon.
    • Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints leaders have described the Book of Mormon as “a collection of writings from ancient Christians who traveled from Jerusalem to the Americas during biblical times,” with Joseph Smith, the church’s founder and a self-proclaimed prophet, serving as the primary scribe.
    • God the Father, according to Mormon doctrine, has a “body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s.” Mormons believe that Jesus is divine, but that each person has the potential to achieve the same status.
    • Mormons have faith that their families may be united for all time via temple ceremonies.

    Practices

    • Mormons celebrate Christmas on December 25, like other Christians.
    • Many Mormons are avid collectors of nativity scenes, which they display every Christmas season.
    • To keep the true spirit of Christmas alive, some families even have one or several nativity scenes out on display even when Christmas ends.
    • Early in December, members of the LDS Church get together for a global Christmas celebration known as the Christmas Devotional.
    • Each man in the Mormon faith serves a two-year mission after undergoing training.
    • Mormonism portrays a picture of huge, happy families, which, according to their beliefs, are absent in today’s culture.
    • One of the things that draws many people to Mormonism is the religion’s emphasis on morality.

    How Christmas Became a Widely Celebrated Holiday in the Western World

    The winter solstice has ancient roots as a time of celebration all throughout the globe. During the winter solstice, various cultures celebrated the beginning of longer days and more sunshine. The Norse celebrated Yule from the winter solstice on December 21 to January. During the midwinter festival, Germans paid homage to the pagan deity Oden.

    The date of December 25, when Christians throughout the world commemorate Jesus of Nazareth’s birth as the founder of their faith, can be traced back to the year 273 AD. In 336 AD, during the reign of Roman Emperor Constantine, the first public Christmas celebration on December 25 was documented.

    Since the early church had previously prioritized Epiphany on January 6 and Easter, this signified a fundamental change in religious observances. The earliest known Christmas celebration occurred on December 25, 336 AD. Christmas trees with decorations have been around since the Middle Ages in Germany.

    Since 1870, the United States government has officially recognized December 25 as Christmas Day. Countries and cultures, including those where Christianity is a minority faith, celebrate Christmas Day and the days leading up to and after it.

  • Do Mormons Celebrate Halloween? Some Do, Some Don’t

    Do Mormons Celebrate Halloween? Some Do, Some Don’t

    Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) are permitted to celebrate Halloween since the holiday has a history with the Mormons. Despite the alleged legend of Halloween being the devil’s birthday, there is nothing in the teachings of the Mormon Church that would prevent a member from taking part in Halloween’s cultural traditions. It just does not approve of any celebration or promotion of bad deeds or worship. Whether or not Mormons choose to observe Halloween is entirely up to their own discretion.

    Origin of Halloween

    An old Halloween postcard with a village girl.
    Old Halloween postcard.

    Allhallowe’en, All Hallows’ Eve, and All Saints’ Eve are all the various names for Halloween which is celebrated on the 31st of October. It is the beginning of Allhallowtide, a period of remembrance for the deceased that includes saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the faithful departed, and occurs on the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints’ Day.

    The ancient Celtic celebration of Samhain, in which people lit bonfires and wore costumes to scare away spirits, is the inspiration for this custom. The Samhain festival has roots that date back to 2000–3000 years. Trick-or-treating, jack-o’-lantern carving, parties, dressing up, and eating candy in modern celebration all have ancient roots.

    The Mormon Church was officially organized in 1830 and Halloween in its modern form has been celebrated in the United States around the same time since the 19th century. Given that the LDS Church is based in the United States and has a history of participating in cultural celebrations, it’s likely that Mormons have been celebrating Halloween since the beginning.

    How Do Mormons Celebrate Halloween?

    mormons celebrating halloween

    Since pumpkins and other vegetables are often carved and put on display during Halloween, these customs are also observed by members of the Mormon religion. Mormons observe Halloween in the following ways:

    1. Going to the Pumpkin Patch: Halloween is also a time for Mormon families to come together and have fun. Family Home Evening is a weekly family activity in Mormon traditions and some families choose to spend their night together at the pumpkin farm.
    2. Pumpkin Carving: Picking pumpkins from a farm without carving them afterward would be pointless. Pumpkin carving is also practiced by Mormons.
    3. Decorating the House: Some Mormon families also go all out with their Halloween decorations to add some merriment to their houses.
    4. Baking Treats: Mormons also like to make Halloween-themed cookies and other snacks as one of the best Halloween traditions.
    5. Clothing: However, Mormons try not to wear revealing clothing since they see their bodies as sacred temples.
    6. Family Histories: Some Mormons use this time to investigate their family histories on places like FamilySearch.org, the biggest online database of freely accessible family trees, genealogical records, and related tools.

    Not All Mormons Celebrate Halloween

    Some Mormons prefer not to celebrate Halloween at all, while others do so in a fashion that emphasizes the gospel. In most Mormon communities, members celebrate Halloween by dressing up in costumes, hosting trunk-or-treat vehicle parties, and visiting neighbors’ homes to collect candy.

    The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a firm stance against Satan worship, and some members of the faith are disturbed by the alleged violence that is supposedly connected with Halloween. Other families are also discouraged by the fact that the celebration is sometimes associated with revealing costumes (she-devil, Catwoman, etc.).

    So, it’s fair to say that Mormons have their own special method of commemorating this festival while still adhering to some of the general customs associated with the occasion (such as carving and decorating pumpkins).

    What Does the Mormon Church Say for Halloween?

    The Word of Wisdom

    Mormons observe Halloween in a way that is consistent with Mormon doctrine and the Word of Wisdom. Mormons do not participate in Halloween festivities that entail excessive alcohol use because they adhere to the Word of Wisdom. Instead, they usually do things like trick-or-treating, carving pumpkins, and having parties with their kids.

    The Mormon Church provides a health code called the Word of Wisdom. In their belief, God revealed this to the Prophet Joseph Smith on February 27, 1833, and it is currently included in Section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants. The Word of Wisdom promotes well-being by forbidding harmful activities and drugs. Specifically, alcoholic beverages are not allowed.

    The Church’s Stance

    The Mormon Church (LDS) does not ban its members from celebrating the cultural traditions associated with Halloween. The decorations for ward parties or holiday celebrations are not permitted in the chapel or on the outside of the building unless allowed by the stake president (a volunteer), according to the Mormon Church’s handbook. But these guidelines still don’t touch on Halloween per se.

    Church officials haven’t spoken out against Satanism per se on Halloween, but they have spoken out against specific actions linked with the holiday. Elder Boyd K. Packer issued a warning to young people in 1989 to stay away from witchcraft and other forms of dark spirituality. The President of the LDS Church, James E. Faust, also emphasized this theme.

    For Halloween-related outings like trick-or-treating, costume parties, and car trunk candy giveaways, the Family: A Proclamation to the World states that “Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.”

    This would indicate that Mormons are free to participate in Halloween festivities so long as they don’t go against these values or normalize conduct that goes against the teachings of the LDS Church.

    Origin of Halloween Traditions

    Samhain festival.
    Samhain festival.

    Samhain was where Halloween customs involving skeletons and spirits also emerged some thousands of years ago. In Halloween depictions, death, evil, and fantastical beasts feature prominently, and black cats, traditionally linked to witchcraft, are also often seen around.

    Beets and turnips

    In the past, the ancient villagers used to cut and display beets and turnips in front of their homes instead of pumpkins. They were left as offerings on doorsteps and in graves in the form of carved skulls. The pumpkin became the standard once the celebration was brought to North America, where this food is more widely available. And most importantly, larger. Beets, turnips, and pumpkins helped make black, orange, and purple the traditional colors of Halloween.

    Jack-O-Lantern

    An ominous Irish tale served as inspiration for the well-known pumpkin lantern. Should Jack pass away, his mockery of Satan will deprive him of the choice between heaven and hell. Stuck in oblivion, Jack removes the flesh of a turnip and places charcoal inside to light his path. He has supposedly returned to Earth every Halloween since then.

    Trick or Treat

    Food collection by going door to door on Halloween has its origins in the Middle Ages. It is believed that trick-or-treating evolved from this custom. In return for ‘soul cakes’, the destitute would sing prayers for each family’s departed members. The children would later sing in exchange for money, fruit, or nuts.

    Other Cultures That Celebrate Halloween

    There are now many nations in the world that celebrate Halloween. Costume parties, trick-or-treating, pranks, and games are common Halloween activities in the United States, Canada, and Ireland. Different cultures commemorate the event in their own unique ways.

    • The dead are celebrated on Dia de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead) in Mexico and other Latin American nations.
    • Bonfires and fireworks are lit to celebrate Guy Fawkes Day on November 5 in England.
    • Tomb Sweeping Day is observed in early April in China. Ancestral tombs are to be visited and cleaned during this period.
    • Lighting candles and placing them on graves is a common practice in certain European nations.
    • In several African nations, the harvest is celebrated with music, dance, and food.

    The History of Halloween

    One of the world’s oldest festivals is Halloween, which is celebrated every year on October 31. It has its roots in Samhain, a celebration performed by the ancient Celts. The ancient Celts who inhabited what is now the island of Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France marked the beginning of the year on November 1. A time of year typically connected with human mortality, this day signaled the end of summer, the harvest, and the beginning of the dark, bitter winter.

    The Celts thought that on the eve of the new year, the line between life and death blurred. Samhain was celebrated on October 31 because it was the night the dead were thought to return to Earth. Huge holy bonfires were constructed by Druids to mark the occasion, and people gathered around them to burn offerings to the Celtic gods.

    Later, the early Church adopted the custom and Christianized it as All Hallow’s Day and its eve. All Hallows’ Eve, or Halloween, is the night before All Saints’ Day. Trick-or-treating, jack-o’-lantern carving, parties, dressing up, and eating candy have all become the foundations of modern Halloween celebrations.