Posted on 12/07/2017 8:36:38 AM PST by rhett october
On December 25, Christians around the world will gather to celebrate Jesus birth. Joyful carols, special liturgies, brightly wrapped gifts, festive foodsthese all characterize the feast today, at least in the northern hemisphere. But just how did the Christmas festival originate? How did December 25 come to be associated with Jesus birthday?
The Bible offers few clues: Celebrations of Jesus Nativity are not mentioned in the Gospels or Acts; the date is not given, not even the time of year. The biblical reference to shepherds tending their flocks at night when they hear the news of Jesus birth (Luke 2:8) might suggest the spring lambing season; in the cold month of December, on the other hand, sheep might well have been corralled. Yet most scholars would urge caution about extracting such a precise but incidental detail from a narrative whose focus is theological rather than calendrical.
The extrabiblical evidence from the first and second century is equally spare: There is no mention of birth celebrations in the writings of early Christian writers such as Irenaeus (c. 130200) or Tertullian (c. 160225). Origen of Alexandria (c. 165264) goes so far as to mock Roman celebrations of birth anniversaries, dismissing them as pagan practicesa strong indication that Jesus birth was not marked with similar festivities at that place and time.1 As far as we can tell, Christmas was not celebrated at all at this point.
(Excerpt) Read more at gracecentered.com ...
in the northern hemisphere Dec 25th is about the time you can notice the days lengthening, that the sun is coming back, seems like a cause for celebration way before the Christ was born. No science here, just a thought
Jesus was clearly born in the springtime if you’re a scholar
Shepherds in the fields etc
That being said clebrating the birth of Jesus Christ at the winter solstice makes a lot of sense
Festival of Lights. He is the way the truth and the light
Now Santa Claus ? That’s just silliness
Merry Christmas freepers !
People will pronounce theories as if they are facts though. Even to beat people over the head with whatever intellectual 'proofs'.
This was a very good article. It didn't do that at all, but rather provided the sources or potential origins for the numerous ideas and traditions.
Refreshing. Thanks.
The Old Calendar (Julian Calendar) has his birth on January 7.
The Julian Calendar predates the Gregorian Calendar (from the 16th century, when Pope Gregory XIII instituted the New Calendar). The Gregorian Calendar set the Nativity at December 25. The thirteen-day change was to align the Old Calendar with the civil calendar; purely administrative and scientific purposes.
There was a battle over the calendar between Roman and Eastern Catholic. The Gregorian calendar became a frontline of battle to make the Orthodox submit to the RCC.
Here is a very good background to understand the history and the science behind the change:
http://www.copticchurch.net/topics/coptic_calendar/nativitydate.html
Ultimately it doesn’t matter what day it was. The celebration itself is enough.
The Winter Solstice Festival of Lights sounds as good as any time... After all, God is Light </ s>
Chuck Missler explained it this way.
Historical and Biblical evidence makes Jesus approximately 33 1/2 years old when He was crucified on the eve of the Passover in March-April.
That would put his birthday somewhere between mid August to mid-October.
Given this timing, it is entirely possible that his mother conceived Him in late December or early January, which is roughly congruent to the Advent celebrations of both Western and Eastern churches.
He was born on Tabernacles. That is in the fall. He died in the Spring. John the baptist was born on Passover and Jesus 6 mo later. That is Tabernacles.
December 25th was chosen because Jewish converts did not want to give up their Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.
If you are inclined to do the work, Go back to 1 chron 24:10 to find the course of Abijah for the course Zacharias was working to see when Elizabeth got pregnant. add 9 months for John the Baptist to be born. Add 6 more for Jesus to be born. That puts Jesus right in the middle of Tabernacles. Keep in mind priests had to work their assigned course AND every priest worked 3 times a year on Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. Going to a Jewish website like Chabad.org these things can be figured out.
Roman festival of Saturnalia and Sol Invictus were pagan winter solstice celebrations
Christmas was timed to coincide with these festivals
> That puts Jesus right in the middle of Tabernacles.
Tabernacles is in the late Summer or Autumn, right?
Depending on whether there was an interstitial month that year.
The thing about the celebration of Christmas is that there is several events in the Christmas Story that are wrapped up into a one day event for convenience when in reality they are events that happen over several months before the Dec 25th 2 B.C. The birth of Christ didn't happen on Dec 25, I don't think any one really knows when he was born, but historical we do know when the wise men saw the star that lead them to Jesus. Again I'm not up on the details, one needs to do a internet search for the details. There was an advertisement for a Video or book on the web site and I think the advertisement was for Rick Larson DVD called "The Star of Bethlehem: Unlock the Mystery of the World's Most Famous Star" In that DVD he deals with the wise men and the star and a few other things and when they all happened historically. Do a search on him and his work on the Internet.
And that advertisement is for Rick Larson DVD, "The Star of Bethlehem: Unlock the Mystery of the World's Most Famous Star." in which he talks about where the Dec 25th date comes from. In fact it is the only advertisement I see on the site.
Thanks for the info !
because we know when Zachariah went into the temple, around the end of September. We also know that Elizabeth was 6 months pregnant when Mary conceived of the Holy Spirit. So that would have been the end of march, making the end of December the time of Jesus’ birth. My source? Fr Mitch Pakwa SJ from EWTN
Since then, the two calendars have continued to diverge. The difference is now up to 13 days, and will go to 14 days in 2100.
On December 25, SOME Christians around the world will gather to celebrate Jesus birth.
The original Christian Church, The One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, celebrates the birth of Jesus on January 7th.
The Roman Catholic church, which broke away from the Orthodox Church and later the Church of England that broke from the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant Churches resulting from Martin Luthers theses celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25th.
The original Christian Church, The Eastern Orthodox Church remains unchanged since Pentecost.
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