A teaching point about Christians and Christmas, need some more info..

[cathcat]

Is it true to state that there are Christians who do not celebrate Christmas?
I have been reading about some groups who say that Christmas is actually pagan festival. Also I remember teaching a chinese pupil years ago who went to church but did not celebrate Christmas. Any one give me more info on this?
The class are young 5-7 yrs but I will have someone watching me so want to be factually correct.

Jehovah's Witnesses don't celebrate Christmas (or birthdays). And the puritans didn't (think back to the Founding Fathers setting off for America/this country under the Commonwealth after we'd cut Charles I's head off).

But Jehovah's Witnesses arent christians

JWs are not mainstream Christians, but they still identify as Christian.

I believe there are 'Hebrew Roots' movements who don't celebrate Christmas, too. 'Plain' Christians are unlikely to celebrate it either.

Some of the stricter Scottish denominations don't approve of celebrating Christmas - eg Free Presbyterians. The link gives their reasons!

The pagan celebration of the winter solstice was known to the Romans as Saturnalia, and was held in mid to late December to mark the end of the long, dark nights of winter. It was considered to be the 'rebirth of the sun' - the sun having conquered throughout the hardships of winter.