We celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on December 25. The Gospels do not reference a birth date, so how was this date discerned by early Christians? The link below is to an excellent article that provides a summary:
https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/new-testament/how-december-25-became-christmas/comment-page-78/#comment-1328441
According to written records, Pope Benedict the 16th indicated Christmas (birth of Christ feast) was recognized by Saint Hippolytus of Rome in 204 or 205 AD to be December 25. Saint Hippolytus wrote "for the 1st advent of our Lord in the flesh, when he was born in Bethlehem, was December 25th, a Wednesday, while Augustus was in his 42nd year, but from Adam, 5500 years." Hippolytus made no mention of a Roman feast, indicating the Christian use of December 25th was independent of any pagan feast association usurped by Emperor Constantine in the 4th century AD.
In Hippolytus' work, "Canon" (235 AD?), the jewish Passover is identified as the conception of Jesus, which would place the birth of Jesus in late fall or early winter in the middle east. In his work "Chronicon" he places Jesus' birth 9 months after the anniversary of the world's creation. The date of the creation of the world was recognized as March 25. Simple math indicates this puts the birth date at December 25.
Sextus Julius Africanus, born 160 AD and passed 240 AD, who was a Christian historian, in writings in 221 AD noted December 25 as the date of Jesus' birth. He traveled extensively in Asia, Egypt, and Italy, and was a prefect in Palestine. His 5 volume history book, Chronographiai (221 AD) calculated a creation date of 5499 BC. He syncronized history from Egyptian, Chaldaenan, Greek, and Judaic history.
Sextus Julius Africanus, born 160 AD and passed 240 AD, who was a Christian historian, in writings in 221 AD noted December 25 as the date of Jesus' birth. He traveled extensively in Asia, Egypt, and Italy, and was a prefect in Palestine. His 5 volume history book, Chronographiai (221 AD) calculated a creation date of 5499 BC. He syncronized history from Egyptian, Chaldaenan, Greek, and Judaic history.
Father Irenaeus (130 AD to 202 AD) connected Mary's conception of Jesus with the jewish Passion week staring with Palm Sunday. Using March 25 as the Passion Week date, 9 months later would be December 25.
The Catholic / Christian church and Pope Julius the First formalized the birth of Christ to be celebrated on December 25 in 350 AD. Correspondence between Pope Julius 1 and Jerusalem provides evidence of this decree. Saint Cyril of Jerusalem did not want to separate the birth and baptism of Jesus into 2 feasts (birth and epiphany). The Roman Philocalian calendar of 354 AD showed December 25 as the birth feast date.
The historical written record provides evidence that Cyprus and Armenian and Mesopotamian Christians (Orthodox Church in the eastern Byantine empire) used January 6 at the birth of Christ feast date at the end of the 4th century AD, and Christians in modern day Turkey (now a muslim country) recognized December 25 as the feast for the birth of Christ in 380 or 383 AD in Cappadocia, Turkey.
In the 1st to 3rd centuries AD Christians mostly celebrated the Easter feast and the Pentecost feast. In the 4th century, however, the birth and the epiphany were added as feast days. Feasts for apostles and martyrs also developed in certain regions. The Virgin Mary was added in the 6th and 7th centuries AD.
It was common belief or understanding that Jesus Christ was crucified the same calendar day as he was conceived in his mother's womb. Historical records (e.g. Tertullian) recognized the crucifixion as March 25. Saint Augustine for example recognized: "for He [Jesus] is believed to have been conceived on the 25th of March, upon which day also he suffered; so the womb of the Virgin, in which he was conceived, where no one of mortals was begotten, corresponds to the new grave in which he was buried, wherein was never man laid, neither before him nor since." If Jesus was conceived on March 25, then 9 months later corresponds to December 25 ! Saint Ephraim records indicate that the conception of Jesus Christ was on 10 Nisan on the Hebrew calendar, the day in which the passover lamb was selected in the jewish culture. 10 Nisan falls on March 25, the traditional date of the feast of the annunciation (an official holiday in Lebanon by the way). Sexto Julio Africano wrote in approxmiatley 221 AD that the Annunciation was on March 25.
The actual term "Christmas" did not develop until 1038 AD, in lieu of the feast of the birth of Christ.
Roman culture celebrated Saturnalia as a 2-day to 7-day affair on December 17th until changes to the Roman calendar pushed it to Dec. 25. The festival of Dies Natalis Solis Invicti (birthday of the unconquered sun) was also on Dec 25, a cultish belief that validated "divine" roman emperors to be leaders and that was monetheistic (one creation entity, not many). While some roman pagans eventually observed December 25 as the birth of their false deity (Saturn, the Roman God of Agriculture) when the great light was at its lowest point of the year (the winter solstice), or the Sun King (sol invicta) it is obvious that the celebration of the birth of Christ around the same time in December by 1st to 3rd century Christians was likely independent of the pagan feast/festival celebrations. Even if Emperor Constantine intended to replace a pagan festival with Christmas, it would have been to replace the sun God feast, not the winter solstice and Saturn God feast. After Roman Emperor Constantine ended persecution of Christians and himself became Christian, the Saturnalia feast was still celebrated by pagans independent of Christians well into the 5th century AD. The Christian calendar of Polemius Silvus written in approximately 449 AD still shows "Saturnalia", separate from the feast of the birth of Christ. Saturnalia was a popular carnival and feast and was considered fun among the citizens of Rome.
What evidence is in the gospels? In the gospel of Luke from the Dead Sea scrolls we learn that Zachariah served as Temple priest in September. Saint John was therefore conceived in September and born in June. The Virgin Mary leans of her immaculate conception 6 months after John, e.g. March. 9 months from March is December.
Dr. David Gwynn, a lecturer in ancient and late antiquity history at Royal Holloway of the University of London indicated after a career researching the topic:
"The majority of modern scholars would be reluctant to accept any close connection between the Saturnalia and the emergence of the Christian Christmas".
The Apostles and disciples and mother Mary in the 1st century AD would know when Jesus was born. The fathers and mothers of the Christian Church, one would imagine, would communicate the conception (March 25) or birth (Dec 25) dates to everyone.
Early Christians chose December 25 as the date to celebrate the birth of Jesus because he was both killed and conceived on March 25, and 9 months later would be December 25. This was done more than 70 years before Romans used that date for their Sun festival or Sol Invictus. Even if the date is inaccurate, it was the best estimate based on the historical information available to mankind.
The importance of Christmas is not what day of the year we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, the importance is that we acknowledge His birth as fact and acknowledge that our creation entity sent Jesus to redeem mankind for their sins.
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