Christmas is approaching, but it is very likely that the day Christians celebrate as Christ’s birth was not the date of his actual birth at all. Christmas is an integral celebration of Christianity, but it seems that it occurs during December for reasons that many people aren’t aware of. So why is Christmas celebrated in December? You might be surprised when you learn the answer.
Such a Profound Day, Yet We Don’t Know The Date
During Christ’s life on Earth, it was unclear when his actual birthday was. No one at the time gave it much thought because birthdays were not that significant during that time period. Because Christ was believed to be divine, his natural birth was viewed as unimportant and not given much attention. Christmas as a celebration was a long way off in the future.
The True Reason for the December Celebration
It wasn’t until four hundred or so years later that Church leaders considered celebrating Christ’s birth. At that time, paganism was very popular, and paganism had a major celebration during the time that is now known as Christmas. Church leaders wished to overshadow this pagan tradition and decided to celebrate Jesus’ birth during the same time.
There is evidence to indicate that Jesus’ birth occurred in the spring and not in December during what is now Christmas. There are some similarities between the pagan beliefs that preceded Christianity and the modern celebration of Christmas. The fact that Christian priests are addressed as father is one similarity, and the timing of Christmas and the pagan celebration that preceded it is perhaps the greatest similarity.
During the fourth century Christianity became a more permanent part of life and began to grow in popularity and gain many followers. Christmas is still widely celebrated on December 25 which occurs during the Winter Solstice, or shortest day of the year.
It is interesting to see the roots of Christianity and the history that preceded it and our modern-day celebration of Christmas. It provides interesting insight into our annual Christmas celebration.
