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Was Jesus really born on Christmas Day?
The question of Christmas Day and when was Jesus truly born is as old as time; truly, the Son of God was not born on…
The question, of Christmas Day and when was Jesus truly born is as old as time; truly, the Son of God was not born on Christmas Day. In this article, we will discuss how Christmas became the day to celebrate the most revered person in the Christian society, Jesus Christ.
According to Christian’s legends, Mary and Joseph travelled from their home in Nazareth (in what is now Israel) to Bethlehem (in what is now the West Bank) to take part in a census.
Weeks earlier, Mary had been visited by the Angel Gabriel and told she would give birth to a boy who she would name Jesus, and who would be the son of God. The child was delivered in a stable.
Shepherds and wise men brought birthday gifts. However, the Bible does not specify the date of Jesus’s birth.
Some people have suggested it was in the spring because of the custom of sending sheep into the fields at that time of year. “And in the same region, there were some shepherds staying out in the fields, and keeping watch over their flock by night.” (Luke 2:8)
What is Christmas?
If we are to appear direct, the answer is that Christmas is a Christian festival that celebrates the birth of Jesus. Christmas wasn’t celebrated in England until the end of the sixth century, didn’t reach northern Europe until the end of the eighth century, and Christmas Day didn’t become a federal holiday in the US until 1870.
How did Jesus Birthday come to fall on Christmas Day?
As we said earlier, the question was Jesus really born on Christmas Day is as old a time. The earliest mention of December 25 as Jesus’ birthday comes from a mid-fourth-century Roman almanack that lists the death dates of various Christian bishops and martyrs.
More so, the origins of the Christmas date(s) is that it was borrowed from pagan celebrations. The holiday was celebrated as the Roman pagan solstice, or “birthday of the unconquered sun,” which began on December 17 and ended on December 25.
According to author William Walsh, as published in the 1970 book, The Story of Santa Claus, the Christian decision to use December 25 as the global holiday to celebrate the birth of Jesus came about as a way to hopefully convert pagans to Christianity.
It was seen as a compromise between opposing beliefs.
Aside from the popularity with which Jesus’ birthday and Christmas Day has today, the theory of Christmas’s origins has its problems. It is not found in any ancient Christian writings, for one thing.
Christian authors of the time do note a connection between the solstice and Jesus’ birth.
After Christmas Night what next?
In theory, the Christmas festival lasts 12 days, until 6 January, the day when the three wise men turned up in Bethlehem with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh for baby Jesus.
Traditionally, the celebrations continue and the decorations remain in place until the 12th night, also known as Epiphany.
After Christmas Day comes Boxing Day, a public holiday in the UK, also known as St Stephen’s Day. The name refers to a Christmas box traditionally given to servants and tradespeople, containing money, a gift and sometimes leftover food.
So, if somebody asks, was Jesus really born on Christmas Day? Your answer should be No! But the date was actually set to celebrate the son of God.
It used to be a big fox-hunting day and is filled with top sporting fixtures, but mainly it signals the start of the post-Christmas sales for those with any money left over.
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