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How December 25 Became Christmas
Grace Centered Magazine ^ | 12-6-2017 | Dr. Andrew McGowan

Posted on 12/07/2017 8:36:38 AM PST by rhett october

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Interesting read for this time of year on how December 25th became the day that many celebrate the birth of Christ. It's important to remember with liberalism around the world fighting against Christmas and Christ in general. Merry Christmas everyone! Blessings on the new year!
1 posted on 12/07/2017 8:36:38 AM PST by rhett october
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To: rhett october

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


2 posted on 12/07/2017 8:46:21 AM PST by Archytekt
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To: rhett october

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 !


3 posted on 12/07/2017 8:51:06 AM PST by Truthoverpower (The guvmint you get is the Trump winning express !)
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To: rhett october
Celebrations of Jesus’ Nativity are not mentioned in the Gospels or Acts; the date is not given, not even the time of year.

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.

4 posted on 12/07/2017 9:02:25 AM PST by Ezekiel (All who mourn(ed!) the destruction of America merit the celebration of her rebirth.)
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To: rhett october

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


5 posted on 12/07/2017 9:12:46 AM PST by Hostage (Article V)
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To: rhett october

Ultimately it doesn’t matter what day it was. The celebration itself is enough.


6 posted on 12/07/2017 9:13:07 AM PST by Seruzawa (TANSTAAFL!)
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To: rhett october

The Winter Solstice Festival of Lights sounds as good as any time... After all, God is Light </ s>


7 posted on 12/07/2017 9:18:40 AM PST by tired&retired (Blessings)
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To: rhett october

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.


8 posted on 12/07/2017 9:20:12 AM PST by Westbrook (Children do not divide your love, they multiply it)
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To: Truthoverpower

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.


9 posted on 12/07/2017 9:42:22 AM PST by chuckles
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To: rhett october

December 25th was chosen because Jewish converts did not want to give up their Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.


10 posted on 12/07/2017 9:49:33 AM PST by Terry Mross (Liver spots And blood thinners..)
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To: Westbrook

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.


11 posted on 12/07/2017 9:50:18 AM PST by chuckles
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To: Ezekiel

Roman festival of Saturnalia and Sol Invictus were pagan winter solstice celebrations

Christmas was timed to coincide with these festivals


12 posted on 12/07/2017 10:01:09 AM PST by njslim
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To: chuckles

> 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.


13 posted on 12/07/2017 10:59:27 AM PST by Westbrook (Children do not divide your love, they multiply it)
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To: rhett october
I don't know how Dec 25th got selected but my gut feeling is it is a date the wise men saw the star that lead to where Jesus was, Dec 25th 2 B.C.

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.

14 posted on 12/07/2017 11:05:03 AM PST by ReformedBeckite (1 of 3 I'm only allowing my self each day)
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To: Truthoverpower
December 25th is the ‘Conception’ of Christ. Luke, the physician, gave us the ‘conception’ of John the Baptist... as per Zacharias Levitical priest serving the course of Abijah.. John the Baptist would have been conceived around our June 24... John was 6 months in the womb when Mary came to visit her cousin Elizabeth...
15 posted on 12/07/2017 11:09:29 AM PST by Just mythoughts
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To: ReformedBeckite
It kind of baffles me that the author of this web site didn't bring up the work of the main advertisement on it's site which is right after the article.

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.

16 posted on 12/07/2017 11:14:41 AM PST by ReformedBeckite (1 of 3 I'm only allowing my self each day)
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To: chuckles

Thanks for the info !


17 posted on 12/07/2017 11:24:50 AM PST by WildHighlander57 ((WildHighlander57, returning after lurking since 2000)
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To: rhett october

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


18 posted on 12/07/2017 11:26:17 AM PST by RichardMoore (Without the protection of life all other right are void, dump TV and follow a plant based diet)
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To: Hostage
No, that's not right. Christmas is December 25th on both calendars, but December 25th on the Julian calendar is (currently) January 7 on the Gregorian calendar. The Gregorian calendar reform didn't "set the nativity at December 25," but it removed 10 days (at the time) from the calendar to put the calendar's relationship to the seasons back where it was at the time of the Council of Nicaea.

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.

19 posted on 12/07/2017 11:43:12 AM PST by Campion (Halten Sie sich unbedingt an die Lehre!)
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To: rhett october
On December 25, Christians around the world will gather to celebrate Jesus’ birth

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 Luther’s theses celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25th.

The original Christian Church, The Eastern Orthodox Church remains unchanged since Pentecost.

20 posted on 12/07/2017 11:53:41 AM PST by MosesKnows (Love Many, Trust Few, and Always Paddle Your Own Canoe)
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