Was the 'forbidden fruit' in the Garden of Eden really an apple? The date is also significant because it has always marked the winter solstice; the shortest day of the year. Many Jews believed that the prophets of Isreal had an integral age. The integral age theorized that the day a prophet was born or conceived was also the day the prophet died. However, there are some who believe that Christmas should be celebrated on a different day. However, the problem goes deeper than that. While these explanations of how December 25 came to be the date of Christmas are all plausible, we know one thing for sure: The evidence that this day held a special significance to Christians predates the proof of a supposed celebration of Sol Invictus or other pagan deities on that day. She was a martyr in fourth-century Rome who brought food to Christians hiding in catacombs due to the emperor Diocletians persecution. The supposed connection to Christmas is based on the proximity of the two festivals to each other. The other theory, the computation hypothesis, is based on the idea that early Christians calculated Jesus' birthday by adding nine months to a day they regarded as Jesus' conception. Man holding penis and flanked by leopards is world's oldest narrative carving, 'Jousting ankylosaurs' whacked their peers with their 'sledgehammer-like tails'. Churches light the Joy Candle (pink or purple) on the third Sunday of Advent. Christmas is often called the most wonderful time of the year. Christians placed Christmas on Dec. 25th to co-opt Saturnalia, the mid-winter festival, or possibly the Festival of the . Many Christmas symbols (the yule log, the tree) have some diluted pagan origin. Within 100 years, Christmas was on the calendar record. It commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ and is usually celebrated on December 25th. Two theories It's unclear exactly when and why some Christians started celebrating Jesus' birth on Dec. 25. The Christmas story provides conflicting clues. Three Kings Day or Epiphany on January 6. He points out that the first evidence for a feast of Annunciation comes >300 years after Christmas. The church in Rome began formally celebrating Christmas on December 25 in 336, during the reign of the emperor Constantine. Schmidt goes on to explain why December 25 was selected for Christmasif not to appropriate pagan festivities. As Constantine had made Christianity the effective religion of the empire, some have speculated that choosing this date had the political motive of weakening the established pagan celebrations. Drinking was closely connected with these pagan feasts. However, there are many different traditions and theories as to why Christmas is celebrated on December 25th. "The two hypotheses are not mutually exclusive," Carl Nothaft (opens in new tab), a fellow at the University of Oxford's All Souls College, whose research looks at the history of astronomy and chronology, told Live Science in an email. It was proposed by several of . In his article Saturnalia: The Reason We Celebrate Christmas in December, columnist Mark Whittington explains: It has been suggested that Christians in the 4th Century assigned December 25th as Christs birthday (and hence Christmas) because pagans already observed this day as a holiday. In addition, early Christian leaders considered the celebration of birthdays a pagan ritual. In this article, we will explore the Christmashistory and why it is celebrated on December 27th in 2022. At the very least, it negates the claim that it can be proved from the historical record that any December 25 pagan festival predates the Christian tradition. It is the feast of the birth of the Son of God. The early church believed that Jesus was killed either on March 26 or April 6. December 25th was always a Pagan Holiday Called, "Saturnalia" For literally thousands of years before Christians claimed ownership of December 25th, it was a Pagan holiday celebrating the birth of the Sun God, Sol Invictus which concluded their annual winter festival of Saturnalia. He examines patristic manuscripts and an inscribed statue, which suggest an entirely different reason: The early church fathers' calendrical calculations of Jesus's conception resulted in the date. At 66 it makes me feel lucky to be alive. The Roman Christian historian Sextus Julius Africanus dated Jesus' conception to 25 March. The standard explanation is that the early church conflated its celebration of the Nativity with pre-existing pagan festivals . 2. All Rights Reserved. All rights reserved. This candle is lit after reading the story of Mary and Josephs journey to Bethlehem, which calls for us to prepare the way of the Lord. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. This day, December 25, 336, is the first recorded celebration of Christmas. On December 25, Christians around the world will gather to celebrate Jesus birth. His solution, therefore, was that the date of Christs birth was decided by using as a starting point the same day on which he was believed to have died. It was also the birthday of the Indo-European deity Mithra, a god of light and loyalty whose cult was at the time growing popular among Roman soldiers. The feast of Sol Invictus was the attempt by the Roman emperor Aurelian to reform the cult of Sol, the Roman sun god, and and reintroduce itto his people, inaugurating Sols temple and holding games for the first time in A.D. 274. The first official mention of December 25 as a holiday honoring Jesus birthday appears in an early Roman calendar from AD 336. Although the date of the Christmas celebration is not found in the Bible, it is not wrong for us to remember Christ's birth during the Christmas season. The longer a Many eastern orthodox Christians still use the Julian calendar's date for Christmas and that is why they celebrate Christmas on the 7th of January. The problem for the skeptic is that no evidence exists to suggest that Aurelian was a Mithraist, or that he even had Mithraism in mind when he instituted the feast of Sol Invictus. Instead, Christmas was chosen as a convenient celebratory day on the same day of a pagan holiday that celebrated the winter solstice, according to The History Channel. Are carrots orange because of a Dutch revolutionary? The celebration of the birth of Christ by Christians is also mentioned on the calendar as having been celebrated on that day, which diminishes the likelihood that the pagan feast came first. You can read more about why Jesus had to come as a baby in this BibleStudyTools.com article. Monstrous 'gorgons' survived a mass extinction, but they were a 'dead clade walking', Ancient Egyptian mummification was never intended to preserve bodies, new exhibit reveals, 'Quantum time flip' makes light move simultaneously forward and backward in time, The ultimate action-packed science and technology magazine bursting with exciting information about the universe, Subscribe today for our Black Frida offer - Save up to 50%, Engaging articles, amazing illustrations & exclusive interviews, Issues delivered straight to your door or device. Why does Christianity have so many denominations? When a consensus arose in the church to celebrate Christ's conception on March 25, it was reasonable to celebrate His birth nine months later. Adapted fromChristianHistoryTimeline.com. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, As noted by The Sun , the word Christmas is rooted in the old English "Cristes Measse" ("Christ's Mass"), and its date of December 25 has been used as the day to celebrate the birth of Christ. Saturnalia was held on December 17 of the Julian calendar and later expanded with festivities to December 23. It serves as a reminder of Christ being the light of the world and that those who claim Jesus as their savior are to be Christs light in the world (Matthew 5:14). 336 A.D. (Image credit: 10'000 Hours via Getty Images). December 25 became recognized as Christmas day because it provided a Christian alternative to pagan festivals related to the Roman god Saturn and the winter solstice. A very early Christian tradition said that the day when Mary was told that she would have a very special baby, Jesus (called the Annunciation) was on March 25th - and it's still celebrated today on the 25th March. In some church traditions, candles are lit in the advent wreath, remindng us of the story and preparing our hearts as we head toward Christmas. In one view of why December 25 was chosen as the official date for Christmas, historians believe the early church wanted to link the Son of God's birth with the "rebirth of the sun," which arrives after the winter equinox. New York, Today, many (but not all) Christians celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25. FAITH Why is Christmas celebrated on December 25? Its that time of year again when many Christians encounter claims that pagan deities predating Jesus Christ were born on December 25. Listen to our FREE Christmas Podcast: The Characters of Christmas - The Surprising People in Jesus' Family: Christianity.com is a member of the Salem Web Network of sites including: Copyright 2022, Christianity.com. If the suggestion were correct, one would expect to find at least a single reference by early Christians to support it. God's Birthday: Why Christ Was Born on December 25 and Why it Matters. This day is celebrated in Scandinavia and Italy in remembrance of Lucia of Syracuse. Live Science is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. December 25 is a conventional date, chosen by Christians as the birth of Jesus Christ to counter the pagan festival of the Sol Invictus, and also to superimpose other celebrations as the Jewish Hanukkah and Celtic cults linked to the astronomical calendar, or. Julius Caesar established the Julian Calendar in the Roman empire in 45 B.C. "We know too little about this feast to make confident pronouncements," Nothaft said. From Luke 2:1: In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. Caesar Augustus (also known as Octavian) was the first Roman Emperor, and he reigned from 27 B.C. But subsequent historians havent always agreed with these estimations. 2. The decision to celebrate Christmas on December 25 was made sometime during the fourth century by church bishops in Rome. Holding with the integral age theory, this would put Jesus date of conception, the day that Gabriel told Mary that she would bear the Christ child, on March 25 or April 6. Article Images Copyright 2022 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. I have heard many Christians claim that the date of Christmas was intended to provide an alternative to pagan celebrations. There are two major theories as to why Christmas is celebrated on Dec. 25. One of the most popular theories and commonly taught explanations for why Christmas is on Dec. 25th is because the early church placed Christian holidays at times of Roman celebration to co-opt the local pagan festivals. Typically, it doesn't happen on the 25 th, but closer to December 21 st and December 22 nd. Herod or Herod the Great ruled as the Roman-appointed king of Judea by Caesar Augustus from 37 BC to 4 B.C. Before the adaptation of the Gregorian Calendar, the Julian Calendar was used. Furthermore, Saturnalia could be seen as a pagan holiday foreshadowing ideas that Jesus fulfilled. Another popular belief holds that Protestant Christian reformer Martin Luther was the first to place candles in an evergreen tree. The summer solsticeafter . Why is Christmas celebrated on December 25th? Another reason is that some people believe that Jesus was born on December 24th. They had a specific reason for doing so. A problem with the computation hypothesis is that it's unclear why early Christians would associate March 25 as the date of both Jesus' crucifixion and conception, Bradshaw wrote. What Does it Mean That Jesus Is the Reason for the Season? The medium answer is there is no trustworthy evidence for pointing to the precise date. It is not believed Jesus was born on the day Christmas is globally celebrated. This candle is lit at the midpoint of the Advent season, so the Joy of Christ coming is highlighted. In fact, Christmas Day is the least likely day of the year to be born, ranking at 366th with just over 6,500 births on average. Crosswalk.com writer Rachel Dawson states that Saturnalia celebrated emancipation, gift-giving, and the triumph of light after the longest night. What Is the Hopeful Message in the Hymn In the Bleak Midwinter? But why is Christmas celebrated on Dec. 25? The day on which a saint died was considered more significant than his or her birth, as it ushered him or her into the kingdom of heaven. In the Western church tradition, this day celebrates the visitation of the Magi from Matthew 2. This day, December 25, 336, is the first recorded celebration of Christmas. Historian William J. Tighe offers a different view, however. In an old list of Roman bishops, compiled in A. D. 354 these words appear for A.D. 336: 25 Dec.: natus Christus in Betleem Judeae. December 25, Christ born in Bethlehem, Judea. The answer to that question is not to be found in Bethlehem but in ancient Rome. But given that the birth date of Jesus Christ is not known with certainty, why was this day selected? Each Sunday before Christmas focuses on one part of the Christmas story. In others they appear to be two gods united as one. Christmas, the holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, is celebrated by a majority of Christians on December 25 in the Gregorian calendar. The date of the birth of Jesus Christ is unknown but there are some possible reasons why Christmas is celebrated on 25 December. That doesnt prove that one borrowed the idea or theme from another. Christmas 2021: Why Xmas is celebrated on December 25: Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. The Gregorian Calendar was established in 1582, long after the birth of Jesus. Christmas is on Dec. 25, but it wasn't always. In AD 274, the Roman emperor Aurelian established the feast of the birth of Sol Invictus (the Unconquered Sun) on Dec. 25, coinciding with the winter solstice. Christmas is a time to celebrate the nativity of Jesus. This is a convenient explanation, but the exact date of December 25th is for another reason entirely. It might be a celebratory distraction to be born on a big holiday, like Christmas, but the truth is it's very rare to be born on Dec. 25, which makes those birthdays pretty special. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Other traditions gave dates as early as mid-November or as late as March. The biggest argument against calculation is that the knowledge at the time derived from Hippocrates who declared that pregnancy lasted 8 months. The most well-known of these celebrations were Saturnalia and the birthday of the Sun God, Mithra. Instead we find scores of quotations from Church Fathers indicating a desire to distance themselves from pagan religions. But without a birth certificateor any other official record of his actual. This reason, however, leaves unexplained the choice of the 6th of January (ibid., p. 261). "If this is so, some version of the calculation hypothesis, together with Christian solar symbolism, offers the best explanation as to why this tradition originated.". This holiday not only marked the return of longer days after the winter solstice but also followed the popular Roman festival called the Saturnalia (during which people feasted and exchanged gifts). Nine months ahead of 25 March is 25 December. Why is Christmas on December 25th? Rather, it was an implication of setting the date of conception to March 25. December 25 is the traditional anniversary of the birth of Christ, but most scholars are unsure about the true date for Christ's birth. The detection of this movement may explain why the festival was held on this date, Allen noted. The answer to that question is. Was the 'forbidden fruit' in the Garden of Eden really an apple? Nothaft has researched and written about the date of Christmas. Christmas, the argument goes, is really a spin-off from these pagan solar festivals. Nineteenth-century liturgical scholar Louis Duchesne explains that towards the end of the third century the custom of celebrating the birthday of Christ had spread throughout the whole Church, but that it was not observed everywhere on the same day (Christian Worship, Its Origin and Evolution: a study of the Latin liturgy up to the time of Charlemagne, p. 260). People spend the day listening to Christmas carols, eating delicious food and exchanging gifts with friends and family. But just how did the Christmas festival originate? How Can I Simplify Christmas to Focus on Jesus? Nativity scenes and media reflecting the event commonly center around the winter season to this end. The holiday season of Merry Christmas 2022 is just around the corner, and its preparation is in full swing. Why Is Christmas on December 25? [Ideler (Chron., II, 397, n.) thought they did this believing that the ninth . As the Julian Calendar slowly drifted and was eventually replaced by the Gregorian Calendar, the date of December 25 stuck, even though it wasn't . In the Eastern Church tradition, this day celebrates the baptism of Jesus and the beginning of his ministry. The date was not widely accepted in the Eastern Empire, where January 6 had been favored, for another half-century, and Christmas did not become a major Christian festival until the 9th century. Christmas is now celebrated by people around the world on December 25 to remember the . Dan Lee Dec 5, 2021 Updated Dec 6, 2021 Dan Lee Ever wonder why Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus on Dec. 25? The following ChristianHistoryTimeline.com article summarizes the popular theories regarding this question: When Did Christians Start Celebrating Christmas on December 25? Ever wonder why Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus on Dec. 25? On the other hand, some Fundamentalist denominations refuse to celebrate Christmas for this reason. Celtic legends connected the solstice with Balder, the Scandinavian sun god who was struck down by a mistletoe arrow. "There is uncertainty around both theories, but I do think the computation hypothesis has a slight edge," Bradshaw told Live Science in an email. This idea is not limited to unbelievers. It has been suggested that Christians in the 4th Century assigned December 25th as Christ's birthday (and hence Christmas) because pagans already observed this day as a holiday. When was Christmas first celebrated? Not only was this festival not annual, it also cannot be historically documented as having been established on December 25 by Aurelian (cf. Due to these references, scholars suggest that Jesus was born between 6 B.C. Before calendar reforms, Saint Lucy Day was the start of the Advent season, pointing to the coming light of Christ. Christmas is celebrated to remember the birth of Jesus Christ, who Christians believe is the Son of God. Instead, Christmas was chosen as a convenient celebratory day on the same day of a pagan holiday that celebrated the winter solstice, according to The History Channel. Christmas is on Dec. 25, but it wasn't always. Some, including the Puritans of colonial New England, even banned its observance because they viewed its traditionsthe offering of gifts and decorating trees, for exampleas linked to paganism. One reason is that some people believe that the Christmas story is based on historical events that took place on December 24th. Steven HijMans, Sol Invictus, The Winter Solstice, and the Origins of Christmas, Mouseion, Series III, vol. The short answer is No. Why is Christmas, the birth of Jesus the Christ, on the morning of December 25th? There was also a pagan festival called Saturnalia in mid-December that occurred over several days. According to his calculations, the world was created on the vernal equinox, March 25, which would mean Jesus was born nine months later, on December 25. 4. The day on which a saint died was considered more significant than his or her birth, as it ushered him or her into the kingdom of heaven. There are many parallels of Mithras' life and Jesus' which made this decision appropriate. But the December 25th date could have come from Roman Catholic historian, Sextus Julius Africanus. The first official mention of December 25 as a holiday honoring Jesus' birthday appears in an early Roman calendar from AD 336. 5 Spiritual New Years Resolutions: A Philippians Bible Study. The Christian sees the truth implicit in this pagan tradition that reflects: Christ the Light of the world, His triumph over the night of sin in Luke 1:78-79.. Nothaft agreed. In Duncan Steels book Marking Time, he states, the Polish historian Laurentius Suslyga was the first to suggest that Christ was born around 4 B.C.. The origins of the holiday and its December date lie in the ancient Greco-Roman world, as commemorations probably began sometime in the 2nd century. Given the great aversion on the part of some Christians to anything pagan, the logical conclusion here is that one celebration has nothing to do with the other. The next is that in the 3rd century, Rome, a secular community, celebrated the winter solace on the 25th. Christmas is one of the few Christian holidays that no one forgets the date for. Duchesne writes one is inclined to believe that the Roman Church made choice of the 25th of December in order to enter into rivalry with Mithraism. Cultures around the Mediterranean and across Europe observed feasts on or around December 25, marking the winter solstice. Main Points About Why is Christmas on 25th December. The Three Magi. December 25th is the central holiday to the Christian faith. For two millennia, people around the world have been. What Was the Significance of the Angels at Christmas? However, nothing in Scripture indicates the precise date when Jesus was born. There are three potential reasons why December 25th was selected. 2. But historians who have studied the bible have concluded the birth of Jesus was more likely to be in the spring . Jesus was 33 years old when crucified, always wondered about that. In AD 221, he dated Jesus's conception to March 25nine months before December 25. 'Zombie' viruses have been revived from Siberian permafrost. 3, pp. Other factors influenced the connection between Christmas and December 25. In this way the problem of eliminating an already popular holiday would be sidestepped, thus making the Christianizing of the population easier. But was Jesus really born on December 25 in the first place?. For that we need to look at the Roman deity Mithras. The Feast of the Epiphany, which commemorates the three Wise Men . Could they infect people? 2022 A&E Television Networks, LLC. Lange: Why is Christmas on December 25? The reference to Adam can be understood in light of another of Hyppolytus writings, the Chronicon, where he explains that Jesus was born nine months after the anniversary of Creation. One example can be found in the writings of Hyppolytus of Rome, who explains in his Commentary on the book of Daniel (c. A.D. 204) that the Lords birth was believed to have occurred on that day: For the first advent of our Lord in the flesh, when he was born in Bethlehem, was December 25th, Wednesday, while Augustus was in his forty-second year, but from Adam, five thousand and five hundred years. For example, like Jesus, Mithras was also born in extraordinary circumstances, and like Jesus, Mithras the Sun god was also worshipped on . In the 3rd century, the Roman Empire, which at the time had not adopted Christianity, celebrated the rebirth of the Unconquered Sun (Sol Invictus) on December 25th. In response, Christians located the birth of God's Son on that day as a way of inviting pagans to his worship. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. The time it was ever recorded that the birth of Jesus was commemorated was in Nisan 14. But by the time of Constantine, those two designations . https://www.britannica.com/story/why-is-christmas-in-december. Eventually, the early church labeled March 25 as the Feast of the Annunciation. However, no records exist in the Bible or elsewhere to suggest that Jesus was actually born on this date, which raises the important question - why is Christmas celebrated on December 25th? The final theory involves a reportedly widespread idea in Jewish culture during Jesus time. It wasnt until 1870 that Christmas became a federal holiday. The connection of Mithra to December 25 is only coincidental. "A lot hinges on when 25 December became the occasion of a Roman feast associated with [Sol Invictus]," he said in the email. Where does the date of the 25th come from? The Jews had a festival of lights. About A.D. 200, Clement of Alexandria (Strom., I, xxi in P.G., VIII, 888) says that certain Egyptian theologians "over curiously" assign, not the year alone, but the day of Christ's birth, placing it on 25 Pachon (20 May) in the twenty-eighth year of Augustus. According to recorded historians, the US state of Alabama was the first to declare Christmas a legal holiday in 1836. March 25th was also the day some early Christians thought the world had been made, and also the day that Jesus died on when he was an adult. The Church could have chosen another date on which to celebrate the birth of Christ. Owen Jarus is a regular contributor to Live Science who writes about archaeology and humans' past. By 300 A.D., many Christians were celebrating his birth around Dec. 25th. This feast may have been held earlier, he noted. Our current calendar system contributed to the struggle to identify the date Jesus was born. Column: Why is Christmas on Dec. 25? There are at least three possible reasons why Christmas is celebrated on December 25. The narratives in Luke 2 and Matthew 2 place a lot of emphasis on where Jesus was born. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. After that date the days start to become longer, and thus it is at the beginning of a season of light entering the world (cf. December 25 is nine months after that date, approximately when Jesus would have been born if he had been conceived on March 25. Churches light the Faith Candle (purple) on the second Sunday of Advent. system wasnt established until AD 525 by Dionysius Exiguus. The popular answer is that it is Jesus' birthday. It is not believed Jesus was born on the day Christmas is globally celebrated. For the first three hundred years of the church's existence, birthdays were not given much emphasis - not even the birth of Christ. "Most scholars would probably agree that this is unlikely to be earlier than AD 274, the year when [Emperor] Aurelian dedicated a new temple to Sol Invictus in Rome." Special Christmas Edition: Augustine Thompson OP, Professor of History at DSPT, debunks popular myths about the date of Christmas and explores the biblical a. The church only settled on a Dec. 25 Christmas in the fourth century. Ethiopian Art. Dec 24, 2021 Comments Tomorrow begins a 12-day celebration, throughout the world, of the birth of Jesus Christ. This can be found repeatedly on the Internet. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. In fact, both theories may be true. That the Christians chose a date so close to the winter solstice is also not proof that this was done to mimic pagan festivals. But, Jesus' birth wasn't celebrated for the first three centuries of Christianity. This article is part of our larger Christmas and Advent resource library centered around the events leading up to the birth of Jesus Christ. These connections are difficult to understand given our limited knowledge of the Mithraic belief system, but they are important because they help to explain why skeptics claim the birthday of Mithras was celebrated on December 25. So, unlike many historical figures, we can estimate Jesus birth within a few years. A father and daughter decorate a tree in anticipation of Christmas. The Roman Christian historian Sextus Julius Africanus dated Jesus' conception to March 25, which, after nine . It is one of the most sacred festivals in Christianity and is celebrated across the globe with a lot of joy and fervor. Hence, the birth date was decided. One possibility is that some early Christians believed that the day of Jesus' crucifixion occurred on March 25 and they added nine months to come up with Dec. 25. For others, Christmas is a time to celebrate on December 24th. But early Christians did not celebrate his birth, and no one knows on which date Jesus was actually born (some scholars believe that the actual date was in the early spring, placing it closer to Easter, the holiday commemorating his Resurrection). Why does it fall on December 27th? 1. The earliest celebration of Christmas, or the Feast of the Nativity, on December 25 was held in the year AD 336 in Rome. The calendar change created a variety of reschedulings for religious holidays (hence why Eastern Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter on a different date than other denominations). The Winter Solstice is the day where there is the shortest time between the sun rising and the sun setting. She is said to have worn a wreath of candles on her head so her hands could carry as much food as possible to those in hiding. But was Jesus really born on December 25 in the first place? However, these old theories can no longer be sustained. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). 377-398). This could indeed be the origin of gift giving that we currently participate in for Christmas. No one knows for sure on what day Christ was born. Share this post In current traditions, the advent season begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. For instance, the presence of shepherds and their sheep suggest a spring birth. Churches light the Peace Candle (pink or purple) is lit on the fourth Sunday of Advent. Jesus came down from heaven, the visible image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15), and he came to restore our relationship with the Lord and free us from the bondage of sin. The theory that early church leaders sought to end the debauchery associated with pagan festivals is equally plausible. It is possible that both theories are correct, Nothaft said. Therefore December 25 became the traditional date for celebrating the Christ Mass. 25 March is celebrated as Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The solstice was important to everyone for agricultural reasons in the same way water is important to the survival of human beings, and so we see rituals involving water showing up in various religions. December 25 is nine months after that and was, therefore, chosen as the birth date. The first recorded date of Christmas being celebrated on December 25th was in 336, during the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine (he was the first Christian Roman Emperor). and 4 B.C. There are a few reasons why some people celebrate Christmas on the 24th. Saint Lucy Day is on December 13. Eventually the feast was extended to last an entire week, ending on December 23. Originally, Saturnalia was held on December 17th, though the festival eventually was extended until December 25. The name 'Christmas' comes from the Mass of Christ (or Jesus). Column: Why is Christmas on Dec. 25? Why does Christianity have so many denominations? Here are some often-repeated theories: THEORY #1 - As the Roman Empire transitioned from paganism to Christianity, Constantine or some other Roman or Christian leaders chose to replace a pagan holiday on December 25th with a Christian holiday. One piece of evidence for this hypothesis is a third-century inscription on a statue that gives calculations for when Easter should be celebrated and has an inscription on it noting that Jesus was crucified on March 25 in the year 29, Bradshaw wrote in his article. It is also called Gaudete Sunday to represent the nearness of Christs coming. 3. When church officials settled on December 25 at the end of the third century, they likely wanted the date to coincide with existing pagan festivals honoring Saturn (the Roman god of agriculture) and Mithra (the Persian god of light). The usual answer to this question is that it was adjusted, like many Church feast days, to coincide with the pagan feast days, this one being the winter solstice. That way, it became easier to convince Romes pagan subjects to accept Christianity as the empires official religion. In popular films, Internet videos, and other media you can find long lists of gods who were supposedly born on the same day. I have already noted that there were differing traditions in the East and West about Jesus's dates of death and birth (April 6 and January 6 on the one hand and . However, the Bible provides multiple references to historical figures that help give us a tighter sense of the period when Jesus was born. Before electrification . Christmas carols, scarves, Wassel, and Christmas trees all mark a wonderful season. December 25 is actually the historical date of the birth of Jesus, a hypothesis . However, no one knows what date Jesus was born, neither was the date ever stated in the bible. The Roman Christian historian Sextus Julius Africanus dated Jesus's conception to March 25, which, after 9 months, is December 25. In the West, the birth of Christ was celebrated on December 25, and in the East on January 6. A manuscript known as the Chronography of 354 shows the birth of Sol Invictus being celebrated on December 25. However, many scholars dispute this explanation. From Luke 1:5: In the time of Herod, king of Judea we see another historical reference. 1. Related: Who is Krampus, and what does he have to do with Christmas? Most Christians today probably can't imagine Christmas on any other day than December 25. For that matter, why did it get chosen? Prophecies of Isaiah are often read as we are reminded of the hope of the coming Messiah and our continued hope in his second coming. Christians looked to December because the early church was far more interested in Jesus's death. Heres how it works. Owen has a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Toronto and a journalism degree from Ryerson University. Steelmaking doesnt need to come with CO2 emissions anymore, and SSAB has the technology. His death and resurrection is what matters to the Gospel, and that was the date the early church focused on. Twice a week we compile our most fascinating features and deliver them straight to you. He suffered in the thirty-third year, March 25th, Friday, the eighteenth year of Tiberius Caesar, while Rufus and Roubellion were Consuls. The religions most significant holidays were Epiphany on January 6, which commemorated the arrival of the Magi after Jesus birth, and Easter, which celebrated Jesus resurrection. In his book, Spirit of the Liturgy, Pope Benedict XVI explains: The claim used to be made that December 25 developed in opposition to the Mithras myth, or as a Christian response to the cult of the unconquered sun promoted by Roman emperors in the third century in their efforts to establish a new imperial religion. A Christian celebration occurring simultaneously as Saturnalia would have protected early Christians trying to protect themselves from persecution. I found this Q&A by a professor of liturgy to be useful. How did Christmas come to be celebrated on December 25? One, sometimes called the "history of religion" hypothesis, suggests that Christmas supplanted one or more pagan holidays. There are two major theories as to why Christmas is celebrated on Dec. 25. Why Is Christmas Celebrated On 25 December | Unsplash. Whatever month the early Christians might have otherwise chosen would still place Christmas near some pagan celebration, and oppositional theorists would still be making the same claims. Dec. 25 is not the date mentioned in the Bible as the day of Jesus's birth; the Bible is actually silent on the day or the time of year when. In fact, for the first three centuries of Christianitys existence, Jesus Christs birth wasnt celebrated at all. This celebration honored Saturn, the God of Sowing and Husbandry, and was linked to the rise of a new year and the return of light. This day, December 25, 336, is the first recorded celebration of Christmas. The first time the date was celebrated as Jesus' birthday was apparently in the year 336, in Rome. Dec 25 is also "the date on which the Northern Hemisphere observers are first able to detect the northward movement of the sun" after the winter solstice, David Allen, who was an astronomer at the Anglo-Australian Observatory, wrote in a 1992 article published in the journal Archaeoastronomy (opens in new tab). It is believed that it originated during the Renaissance in early modern Germany. We hope these articles help you understand the meaning and story behind important Christian holidays and dates and encourage you as you take time to reflect on all that God has done for us through his son Jesus Christ! What happened on that day and why does it get celebrated by so many? According to this theory, early Christians deliberately chose these dates to encourage the spread of Christmas and . For the first 300 years of Christianity, it wasn't. So around the right time, but still not the 25th. There are at least three possible origins for the December date. The tradition of Christmas trees goes on way too long. Each candle has a name and a story associated with it. Although the date of Christs birth is not given to us in Scripture, there is documented evidence that December 25 was already of some significance to Christians prior to A.D. 354. So, why do Christians celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25th? To explain why others, including Bar-Salibi, thought that the date was December 25, the scholiast claimed that "it is said" that the early Christians did this to supplant a feast day for the . Christmas is celebrated every year on the 25th of December to mark the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. This means that early Christians considered the date of Jesus's crucifixion to be the date of conception, noted Bradshaw. Despite these different theories, one thing remains constant in the Bible. (Scholars tend to think that Jesus, who died at age 33, was born around 4 B.C.). Ancient records indicate that a feast dedicated to Sol Invictus, a sun god, was. So why is Christmas celebrated on December 25th? It's unclear exactly when and why some Christians started celebrating Jesus' birth on Dec. 25. Probably not. The B.C./A.D. In the early days of the United States, celebrating Christmas was considered a British custom and fell out of style following the American Revolution. The Roman Christian historian Sextus Julius Africanus dated Jesus conception to March 25 (the same date upon which he held that the world was created), which, after nine months in his mothers womb, would result in a December 25 birth. This would explain the discrepancies between the celebrations in the East and West. Joyful carols, special liturgies, brightly wrapped gifts, festive foodsthese all characterize the feast today, at least in the northern hemisphere. This Sunday usually lands between November 27 and December 3. NY 10036. |. Christmas is celebrated on December 25 and is both a sacred religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. Each December, Christians throw a collective birthday bash to celebrate the anniversary of Jesus's arrival on Earth. So, yes, Christmas does fall on the Roman Holiday of Sol Invictus, but it wasn't selected because of Sol Invictus. Or The term "Christmas" comes from the Old English Cristes Maesse, which means Christ's mass. Given the fact that the Mithraists equated their god with Sol in one way or another, it is understandable that they may have appropriated the date as their own. But why is Christmas celebrated on December 25? The people in favour of celebrating Christmas on March 25th wanted to mix the spring equinox . Saturnalia was the feast dedicated to the Roman god Saturn. Since, in the past, the focus was on the death of saints, the Nativity is not as old as Easter. It was chosen because Romans celebrated the winter solstice on December 25 and Christians of the daytheir faith having been legalized by Emperor Constantine only 23 years beforeassociated Jesus with the Sun (the source of Light). At the pagan festival of Saturnalia, Romans feasted and gave gifts to the poor. The Christ Candle (white) is lit on Christmas Eve. One reason December 25 may have been deemed suitable is its proximity to the winter solstice. He has also written for The Independent (UK), The Canadian Press (CP) and The Associated Press (AP), among others. The Christmas Story Correlates With the Winter Solstice This is one of the most recognized reasons why Christmas Day is celebrated on December 25 th. There is also the question of whether the feast was significant enough for early Christians to place Jesus' birth on that day. The development of Christmas was a kind of affirmation of God's interest in the world and in human lifebirth as well as death." 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