Why Dec. 25th? Church settled on ‘Christ’s birth day’ centuries later

Catholic News Service ^ | December 13, 2006 | Joseph Kelly

[NYer]

CLEVELAND, Ohio (CNS) – The gospel accounts of the Nativity (Matthew 1-2, Luke 1-2) do not say what day Jesus was born. There were attempts to calculate the day, but by the third century Christians realized this was impossible.

So they tried other ways to determine a date for Jesus' birth:

- Many people believed the world was re-created on the first day of spring (March 25 of the Julian calendar followed in ancient Rome). How appropriate, then, for the world's redeemer to become incarnate that day!

- Other scholars argued that Jesus became incarnate not at his birth but at his conception. If Jesus was conceived March 25, he would be born nine months later, Dec. 25.

This date didn't catch on immediately, especially in the Eastern Mediterranean region where people believed Jesus was born Jan. 6. But in the West Dec. 25 had much appeal. Why?

Many Romans venerated the sun, whose birthday was Dec. 25, or a virility god named Mithra with the same birthday. Also, the Romans observed a raucous celebration called Saturnalia Dec. 17-23. Thus, Dec. 25 offered a date with a good theological basis that also would counter several pagan holidays.

Although we don't know the final steps, in 336 the church at Rome officially observed the "birth day of Christ" Dec. 25. This tradition spread. But what about Jan. 6? The church decided to use that day for Jesus' manifestation to the whole world, symbolized by the Magi.

The Magi were three kings, Melchior, Caspar and Balthasar, right? Not really. Matthew's Gospel speaks only of Magi; it doesn't call them kings, or say they rode camels or give their names.

The early Christians looked to the Old Testament for prophecies relating to Jesus. One prophecy in Isaiah said that foreigners traveling on camels would bring gold and frankincense to the Messiah, while a psalm spoke of kings coming.

Naturally the Christians interpreted the Messiah as Jesus, and the only foreigners who brought him gifts were the Magi. So by the third century we find Christians speaking of the Magi as kings riding camels.

How many Magi were there?

A great Egyptian scholar, Origen, found a Genesis passage in which three pagans honored the Hebrew patriarch Isaac. Origen said the three symbolized the Magi, but didn't say why.

Names for the Magi do not appear until the sixth century; all are fictional. "Balthasar" may be a corruption of Belteshazzar, a Babylonian king in the Book of Daniel. "Melchior" may be a combination of two Hebrew words for "king" and "light." And "Caspar" may derive from the name of an Indian king converted by early Christians.

These names first appear in the West in a sixth-century mosaic in the church of St. Apollinaris Nuovo in Ravenna, Italy.

The date for Christmas may have been settled by the fourth century, but legends of the Magi grew throughout the Middle Ages.

[Vicomte13]

Flocks are out year round in the Middle East. It's a land of palm trees, not killing cold.

[Uncle Chip]

Jesus was conceived circa Channukah 6 BC [the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy], born circa Feast of Trumpets 5 BC, and returned from Egypt after Herod died April 1, 4 BC. If someone went back and checked, they might find that December 25 and the date of Channukah, Chislev 25, more than likely overlapped that year of 6 BC.

[Diego1618]

I don't know enough of priestly calendars of service to be able to decipher any dates.

[I Chronicles 24:10]"the seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah,"

[I Chronicles 24:19]"This was their appointed order of ministering when they entered the temple of the LORD, according to the regulations prescribed for them by their forefather Aaron, as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded him."

[Luke 1:5-7] In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.

Zechariah would have been serving as a Temple priest in the tenth week from the first of the Hebrew month of Nisan. His course was the eighth but two additional weeks where everyone served would be counted for Passover(Pesach) and Pentecost(Shavuot). This would put him into the temple service around mid June for one week.

[Luke 1:23-25] "When his time of service was completed, he returned home. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. "The Lord has done this for me," she said. "In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people."

If Elizabeth became pregnant after the temple service ended she would have been in her six month (when Mary visited) [Luke 1:34-37] about the end of December to the first part of January. The Baptist would then have been born around the time of the Passover (March/April) and the Saviour would have been born around the time of Tabernacles (September/October.

[Diego1618]

Flocks are out year round in the Middle East. It's a land of palm trees, not killing cold.

[Ezra 10:9-11] Within the three days, all the men of Judah and Benjamin had gathered in Jerusalem. And on the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the people were sitting in the square before the house of God, greatly distressed by the occasion and because of the rain. Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, "You have been unfaithful; you have married foreign women, adding to Israel's guilt. Now make confession to the LORD, the God of your fathers, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples around you and from your foreign wives.

The ninth Hebrew month was "Kislev" and corresponds to November/December on the Gregorian calendar. In the above verse the rainy season would just be beginning.

[Ezra 10:12-15] The whole assembly responded with a loud voice: "You are right! We must do as you say. But there are many people here and it is the rainy season; so we cannot stand outside. Besides, this matter cannot be taken care of in a day or two, because we have sinned greatly in this thing. Let our officials act for the whole assembly. Then let everyone in our towns who has married a foreign woman come at a set time, along with the elders and judges of each town, until the fierce anger of our God in this matter is turned away from us." Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite, opposed this.

[Song of Solomon 2:11] See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone.

Even to this day animals are not left out to pasture much past October in the Holy Land.

[PRO 1]

As one would attempt to estimate the time of Christ's birth there are a few immovable facts that must be recognized.

First, if one believes that the Gospels would contradict each other, they will never be able to arrive at an answer. They do not contradict each other, they compliment each other.

The great error many make as they read records of the birth of Christ is they make the mistake that the records of Christ's birth in Matthew are IDENTICAL to the ones in Luke. They are not. Matthew deals with a time frame shortly following Christ's birth. The key to accurately understanding this lies in the words used (greek)for "child" in Matthew.

The words used are not referring to an infant or new born. There are other words for that. Analyze Matthew 2:vs 7, and 16 carefuller and ask yourself the question, why would Herod kill children up to 2 years old if the child was a new born.

The star was not a comet or some thing glowing like a super nova. It was obvious to the "trained" or "knowledgeable" and easily missed by the ignorant. It had appeared earlier which motivated the wise men to journey to Bethlehem as Mt. 2:2&7 indicate and then appeared again as verses 9&10 indicate.

Luke deals with an entirely different time frame. He deals with the events immediately surrounding Christ's birth.

An important thing to note is that an event which just happened to be occurring at the time was that shepherds were watching their flocks by night. This activity does not occur during the month of December or any where near it. It's too cold. Flocks are kept inside during this time frame. In the east if you owned flocks, you hired out your flocks to graze and fertilize fields in the late fall after the harvest and sometimes in early spring.

In Luke the events written of occur in a manger because there was no room in the inn and the urgency of the birth necessitated the accommodating. In Matthew the wise men visit Joseph, Mary, and Jesus IN A HOUSE (different word used).

Christ was not born in December by any stretch of the imagination. When one understands the political climate by the 3rd century and that the establishment of the date was a compromise between the pagan Roman cherish and the less than stellar "true" church leadership at the time, Dec 25 begins to make sense.

By the way. It is interesting to note that one of the gods that was worshiped by the pagan Roman church was the sun god. As the days got shorter in the winter there is a point where that reverses. Guess when that is? The end of December is when the days began getting longer. So it was a pagan celebration of the "rebirth" of the sun god every year.

[PRO 1]

Your target of September biblically serves to be the most correct.

To be precise, the event occurred in 3 BC between the hours of 6:18 and 7:39 PM Palestine time.

The date has been bastardized by a horrific event that ought not be a part of ones observation of the facts, but most are unable to overcome it. It occurred on September 11th.

[netmilsmom]

I really don't care at all when Christ was born. I'm just glad he was.

Last year, I got a birthday card from my ex-boss in August. My birthday is in January. Did I care that he didn't remember the actual date? Naw. I was thrilled to hear from him 10 years after working for him.

I thank God for Jesus' birth everyday, not just at Christmas.

[narses]

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See http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03724b.htm for a great discussion of the issue.

[PRO 1]

That is true. That he was born far excedes when.

It's an interesting exercise in observation to see the stupidity of man on the one hand as he attempts to be spiritual, make piece, or act like a know-it-all, and the wisdom of God on the other hand.

But consider this. Just as it has been the case that liars falsified the events of the birth of God's only begotten son, and gotten away with it. So it is that these same bastard children have falsified other issues and topics as they relate to God's truth. It's the nature of man to invent and to be less than accurate. Yet God knew this and crafted a way for anyone REALLY wanting to know truth to get to it.

You see, The Word of God is The Will of God. One cannot know the will of God without knowing His Word (His communication). You see the Word of God interprates itself. God does not need knucklehead man to tell Him what He thinks.

And when you simply allow the Word to interprate itself, subjects like the beauty and timing of the birth of his son, and the ignorance and stiffnecked stupidity of man all come to the surface for observation.

It is this way with all things pertaining to life and godliness. It's in his Word.

[Bramuce]

Thanks

[RobbyS]

Most likely to have been at the time of some great feast, such as Passover or Tabernacles. But as neither Matthew not Luke thought it imposrtant to tell us, I guess cistom is as good a way to choose when to celebate as any.

[netmilsmom]

I guess I don't get that deep into the cerebral part of it.

He was born for us, He died for us. Nuff said. I am so thankful!

[editor-surveyor]

"The gospel accounts of the Nativity (Matthew 1-2, Luke 1-2) do not say what day Jesus was born..."

That is a deceptive statement. No, the date is not spelled out, but sufficient information is in the gospels to determine the exact date.

First, we know that it had to be on Tabernacles, so all that has to be done is to determine the year. Also the linkage to the birth of John the Baptist can lead us to within about three or four days of his birthdate.

Dec. 25 was chosen to please the pagans, and nothing else.

[editor-surveyor]

" The Baptist would then have been born around the time of the Passover (March/April) and the Saviour would have been born around the time of Tabernacles (September/October."

Exactly right. Tabernacles is one of the "appointed times" and is prophetic of the Lord's birth (I.E. coming tp 'tabernacle' with us). The linkage to Governor Cyrenius puts the exact date to Sept 29, 4 BC.

[U S Army EOD]

I agree with you. Seems like everyone was coming to town. More than likely it was a combination of party time, celebration, census, and taxes.

[Ciexyz]

Bump for Advent joy.

[editor-surveyor]

"More than likely it was a combination of party time, celebration, census, and taxes"

You might be more correct than you think. It was during Ros Hashanna, and that would have been a wise time for the romans to schedule their census/taxation, since it was an 'appointed time' so there was no need to attempt to gather the people against their will.

[Buggman]

I don't know enough of priestly calendars of service to be able to decipher any dates.

Here you go.

[mckenzie7]

My feelings are that you are prejudiced.

In Canada, Victoria Day, is celebrated on either May 24th or May 25th, if the 24th falls on a Sunday. That is the day that the Queen of England’s birthday is celebrated, even though she was actually born on April 21st. The loyal subjects honor her and I am sure that she accepts the honor graciously.
The early Christians would not draw any notice to themselves if they were celebrating a different occasion while the pagans were also celebrating.
To me, I love Christmas and the knowledge that He came as a defenseless child to live among us, to show us the way and to sacrifice Himself for our sins.

[RobbyS]

A more likely time, since It would be odd for a man to take his pregnant wife on a long journey in winter. And it gets cold in the Holy Land, as one climbs from Jericho to Jerusalem.