Christmas Vs Christ Birth - Which is more significant?

Yesterday, we had a debate competition in my church on the topic Christmas is more significant than the birth of Christ. I happened to be on the opposing side, disagreeing with the statement. Honestly, I was not properly prepared for the debate because I was informed on that same day to represent, as the person originally assigned was not around. Even with that short notice, I was still able to share my thoughts clearly. One thing that stood out to me is that Christmas can never be more significant than the birth of Christ, because without His birth, there would be no Christmas at all.

For a start, there would be no celebration of Christmas today if Christ was not born. The foundation of Christmas is the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas did not come first before Christ, Christ came first before Christmas. The day we call Christmas only exists because Jesus was born. If He was never born, there would be no reason to celebrate anything. It is like celebrating a birthday without a person being born. That alone shows that the birth of Christ is far more important than the celebration itself. Christmas is simply a reminder, while the birth of Christ is the actual event that gave meaning to everything.

Secondly, Christmas has gradually become more of a tradition or custom rather than what it was originally meant to be. Many people now celebrate Christmas just because it is something they grew up seeing others do. It has become a yearly routine, new clothes, food, visits, music, flexing and rest from work. While these things are not bad on their own, the problem is that many people no longer understand or remember why Christmas exists in the first place. The original purpose was to remember the birth of Jesus Christ, but today, that meaning is slowly being lost. When something becomes just a tradition without meaning, it loses its true value.

Another important point is that the main significance of Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Christ, which brought love, hope, peace, and salvation to humanity. Jesus came into the world to change lives, to bring light where there was darkness, and to give people hope for eternal life. That is the heart of Christmas. However, when we look at what is happening today during Christmas, the value has greatly depreciated. Many people no longer see Christmas as a sacred or meaningful period. Instead, it has become a time to flex, drink excessively, eat without control, chase after girls or guys, and engage in different forms of immoral behavior. For some people, Christmas is just an opportunity to party and show off. This lifestyle is far from what Christ represents and far from the reason He was born.

When people focus more on these activities and forget the reason for the season, it shows that Christmas itself has been misplaced above Christ. This is wrong, because Christmas was meant to point us back to Him, not replace Him. The celebration should reflect His values of love, kindness, sacrifice, and selflessness, not immorality and excess.

I asked them this ques, was Christ truly born on the 25th of December or if the date was just set aside. The truth is that the Bible did not clearly state the exact date of Jesus’ birth. December 25th was chosen later as a symbolic date to remember His birth. This further proves that the date itself is not the most important thing. What truly matters is that Christ was born and what His birth means to humanity. Even if the date is symbolic, the event is real and powerful.

So Christmas can never be more significant than the birth of Christ. Christmas only exists because Christ was born. When we place the celebration above the reason for the celebration, we miss the point. Christ’s birth is the foundation, and Christmas is just a reminder. Therefore, the birth of Christ remains more significant than Christmas itself.

The debate ended and my team actually won't the debate. It was really an interesting and fun day as many other activities were carried out. I thank God for everything and I wish you a merry Christmas and prosperous new year.