Do Mormons celebrate Christmas?

A friend asked me this question just yesterday. I was surprised - he and I have had a lot of discussions about the church, but it never occurred to me that he didn't realize this - the answer is absolutely, yes!

Jesus Christ is the central figure in our religion. He is the Savior of all mankind, and we accept the biblical account of his birth in Bethlehem to Mary. We accept the teaching of the virginal birth. And we hold Mary and Joseph in high regard (although we do not worship or pray to them).

We believe (as do many non-LDS scholars) that December 25th is probably not the correct date. It probably occured in the spring, when there were shepherds in the fields keeping watch over their flocks. But we enjoy remembering His birth with the rest of the Christian world in December.

There is a Christmas tree in my house, and we hang stockings. We don't put a lot of emphasis on Santa. We have santa decorations but my children have no misconceptions about his existence. Many LDS families do practice that tradition with their younger children and that is just fine.

At times people confuse us with those of the Jehovah's Witness faith, because they also exhibit some evangelical (proselytizing) zeal, endeavoring to share their beliefs door to door. They have chosen to reduce or eliminate celebrations for their own reasons. If you're curious why, I'd direct you to them, as I am not an expert on their faith. There is no connection between our two religions, historical or otherwise, that I am aware of.

Doctrinally, the meaning of Christmas for me is that God sent his Son in to the world. His mission was not his birth, nor did it culminate in his teacings and ministry. The final and most important part of the Christmas Story comes thirty-some years later when he suffered for our sins in Gethsemane, was crucified, and resurrected three days later with a perfect and glorified immortal body. One of my favorite parts of Christmas is reading the story of His birth and life and comparing the events with the Old Testament prophecies - proving that He was the promised Saviour, foretold from the very beginning.