Christmas is celebrated to remember the birth of Jesus Christ, who Christians believe is the Son of God and Saviour of the world.
The name “Christmas” comes from the Mass of Christ (or Jesus). A Mass service (which is sometimes called Communion or Eucharist) is where Christians remember that Jesus died and then came back to life. The “Christ-Mass” service was the only one allowed to take place after sunset (and before sunrise the next day), so people held it at midnight. So we get the name Christ-Mass, shortened to Christmas. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the word Christmas was first recorded in Old English in 1038 as “Crīstesmæsse” and as “Cristes-messe” in 1131.
Christmas is now celebrated by people around the world, whether they are Christians or not. It’s a time when family and friends come together and remember the good things they have. People, especially children, also like Christmas because it’s a time when you give and receive presents.
The Date of Christmas
No one knows the real birthday of Jesus. No date is given in the Bible, so why do we celebrate it on the 25th of December? Early Christians had many arguments about when it should be celebrated. Also, the birth of Jesus probably didn’t happen in the year 1, but slightly earlier—somewhere between 2 BCE/BC and 7 BCE/BC, possibly in 4 BCE/BC. (There is no year 0—the years go from 1 BC/BCE to 1 AD/CE.)
The first official recorded date of Christmas being celebrated on December 25 was in 336, during the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine, who was the first Christian Roman Emperor. However, it was not an official Roman state festival at that time.
There are many different traditions and theories as to why Christmas is celebrated on December 25.
A very early Christian tradition said that the day Mary was told she would have a very special baby, Jesus (called the Annunciation), was on March 25—and it is still celebrated on that date today. Nine months after March 25 is December 25.
March 25 was also the day some early Christians believed the world was created, and the day they believed Jesus died as an adult. They thought Jesus was conceived and died on the same day of the year. Jesus died on Nisan 14 in the Jewish calendar, which is the date of the Jewish festival of Passover. The Jewish calendar is lunar (based on the moon rather than fixed dates), so it moves around compared with fixed calendars like the Gregorian or earlier Julian calendar.
The main source for the dating of Jesus’ conception being March 25 was an early church historian called Sextus Julius Africanus (c.160–c.240), who is quoted as suggesting this in the year 221. However, much of his work survives only in later documents. Saint Ephrem the Syrian (306–373) taught that Jesus was conceived on Nisan 10. So March 25 became a fixed date to mark these movable dates on the Jewish calendar.
The Solstice, Yalda, and Saturnalia
The Winter Solstice is the day with the shortest period of daylight, occurring on December 21 or 22 in the Northern Hemisphere. (In the Southern Hemisphere, this is the Summer Solstice, and the Winter Solstice happens in late June.)
To pre-Christian pagans, this marked the point when days would start getting longer and nights shorter, signalling a change in the seasons. People celebrated with mid-winter festivals marking the sun’s “victory” over darkness. Animals kept for food were often slaughtered at this time to avoid feeding them through winter, and drinks brewed since the harvest were ready. It was a good time for feasting before the rest of winter set in.
In Scandinavia and other parts of Northern Europe, the period around the Winter Solstice is known as Yule. The word Yule was first recorded around the year 300, but it may have been used earlier. In Eastern Europe, the mid-winter festival is called Koleda.
In Iranian and Persian culture, the Winter Solstice is known as Yalda Night or Shab-e Chelleh. It is a time when families gather to eat, drink, and recite poetry. Shab-e Chelleh means “night of forty,” as it occurs forty nights into winter. The word Yalda means “birth” and comes from early Christians in Persia celebrating the birth of Jesus around this time. Foods such as fruits, nuts, pomegranates, and watermelons are important at Yalda. Although Yule and Yalda sound similar, there is no connection between them.
The Roman festival of Saturnalia took place between December 17 and 23 and honoured the god Saturn. Romans also believed the solstice occurred on December 24 or 25. In 274, Emperor Aurelian established Dies Natalis Solis Invicti (“Birthday of the Unconquered Sun”) on December 25.
Some claim Christians adopted December 25 from these pagan festivals. However, records from Sextus Julius Africanus around 221 already link Nisan 14 to March 25, making December 25 a Christian date long before Sol Invictus. More recent studies suggest the Sol Invictus link only appeared in the 12th century and that many such celebrations occurred in October.
More Dates
Christmas was also celebrated on January 6 by the early Church, alongside Epiphany and the Baptism of Jesus. Epiphany now mainly celebrates the visit of the Wise Men, but originally included Jesus’ baptism. Jesus’ baptism was once considered more important than his birth.
The Jewish festival of Hanukkah begins on Kislev 25, which falls around December. Jesus was Jewish, and this may have influenced the choice of December 25.
Most of the world uses the Gregorian calendar, introduced in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII. Before that, the Julian calendar was used. The Gregorian calendar corrected inaccuracies in the Julian calendar, resulting in the loss of 10 days. Some Orthodox and Coptic churches still use the Julian calendar and celebrate Christmas on January 7. The Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates it on January 6.
Christians believe Jesus is the light of the world, so early Christians felt this was an appropriate time to celebrate his birth. They adapted some winter solstice customs and gave them Christian meanings, such as holly, mistletoe, and carols.
When Was Jesus Born?
There are strong reasons to believe Jesus was not born in winter. Shepherds were unlikely to be in the fields during cold months. Many scholars believe Jesus may have been born in spring or autumn, possibly during Passover or Sukkot.
The Gospel of John uses imagery that links Jesus’ birth to “dwelling” or “pitching a tent,” possibly referencing the Feast of Tabernacles.
The year of Jesus’ birth is also unknown. The calendar system placing Jesus’ birth in year 1 was created in the 6th century by Dionysius Exiguus, who made a calculation error. Most scholars now believe Jesus was born between 2 and 7 BCE, likely around 3 or 4 BCE.
So whenever you celebrate Christmas, remember you are celebrating a real event from about 2,000 years ago—when Christians believe God sent His Son into the world as a gift for everyone.
By: James Cooper
