Christians celebrate Christmas Day or the Nativity on December 25. But no one really knows the actual time and date of Christ’s birth. From the early third century, his birth was an object of speculation. The word “Christmas" came from a Middle English term, Christmasse, which means “Christ mass” or Christ’s service of worship.
Ancient scholars attempted to solve this puzzle. Although history books indicate that Jesus was born sometime around 4 BC (surprisingly, it means “before Christ,” the fact is that when the present calendar was organized, some discrepancies were made.) Here are interesting theories that point to the birth of Jesus on December 25.
The Shepherds and the Nativity
The Biblical information from the apostles Matthew and Luke provide information about the birth of Jesus but not the actual date.
The shepherds were keeping watch over their flocks by night, as the apostle Luke recalls. This suggests a springtime date. The early Christian leaders, who lived only a century or two after Jesus, honored the date of March 25, which was set as the vernal equinox, an important day for the farming-based people.
Christian Churches Traditions
Official “holy days” or what is now referred to as “holidays” tend to evolve as dictated by traditions. Not all the early Christian favored institutionalizing their faith. An early theologian and teacher whose name is Origen, spoke against celebrating the birthday of Jesus in AD 245. He said it was no big deal since anyone can celebrate birthday.
As years passed, March 25 remained a focal point of the calendar. During the Middle Ages, this date emerged as the time for the Feast of Annunciation, a commemoration of angel Gabriel’s visit to Mary, in which he tells her of Christ’s birth.
Eventually, believers wanted to celebrate the Nativity as church traditions throughout medieval times continued to be established. Counting nine months after Gabriel’s annunciation of Christ’s coming on March 25, they came up with December 25, a winter solstice. December 25 became the traditional date for celebrating “Christ Mass” or Christmas.
The Roman Feasting
Another theory that influenced a connection between Christmas and December 25 was the date of the Roman feasting. Since the festivities were founded on pagan practices, December 25 was not accepted by the church that time, but may have been chosen to coincide with the winter solstice which the ancient Romans celebrated.
Romans and Christians had little in common, but by the time of Constantine’s rule three centuries after Christ’s birth, changes have taken place. Constantine converted to Christianity and played an important part in deciding when the birth of Jesus would be celebrated.
The first mention of December 25 as the date of Jesus birth is found in the early Roman calendar from A.D. 336, in which Christmas was celebrated in Rome itself, and the old Roman and pagan festivals passed out. As years rolled on, the birth of Christ is inculcated upon the holiday, and so it is “Christmas.”
Christmas in Recent Times
December 25 has become a Christmas holiday of what it is today: a blend of the sacred and the secular, believers and non-believers. To Christians, December 25 means a whole lot more.
On the secular, Christmas is a “get-together day” among family and friends observed with joy and merriment, Christmas carols, Christmas presents, sumptuous Christmas meals, Christmas trimmings and decorations – Christmas tree, Christmas cards, Christmas wreath, and more Christmas gift ideas.
You may want to check out these related articles: History of Christmas Celebration and Christmas Carols in the Victorian Era.
Happy Christmas one and all!
Sources:
Bowker, John. The Complete Bible Handbook. Oxford: DK, 1998.
Ehret, Walter and George K. Evans. The International Book of Christmas Carols. The Stephen Greene Press, 1980.
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