The true origin of Christmas is filled with controversy. Some believe that December 25th marks the birth of Jesus Christ and for others, it marks the celebration of the Pagan festival, the winter solstice (the time of year when the days were the shortest and the nights the longest). However, in today’s time, Christmas is celebrated over the world religiously by a majority of Christians, as well as culturally by many non-Christians.
1. When was Jesus born?
According to popular myths, it is said that Jesus was born on December 25th in the year CE (Common Era). However, in the Holy Bible, no date or year is mentioned for the birth of Jesus Christ. The earliest gospel –St. Marks, written about 65 CE begins with the baptism with the adult Jesus. This suggests that the earliest Christians lacked interest in or knowledge of Jesus’s birth date.
Joseph A. Fitzmyer- Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at the Catholic University of America member of the Pontifical Biblical Commission, and former president of the Catholic Biblical Association rights about the date of Jesus’s birth, “Though the year of Jesus birth is not reckoned with certainty, the birth did not occur in AD 1. The Christian Era, supposed to have its starting point in the year of Jesus birth, is based on a miscalculation introduced CA. 533 by Dionysius Exiguus”.In fact, in the early years of Christianity, Easter was the main holiday and the birth of Jesus was not celebrated. It was only in the 4th century that the church officials decided to institute the birth of Jesus as a holiday.
2. How did Christmas come to be celebrated
on December 25?
The Chronograph of 354, which is a compilation of chronological texts produced in 354 AD for a wealthy Roman-Christian named Valentinus, records that a Christmas celebration took place in Rome in 336 AD. In fact, this is the first recorded Christmas celebration that took place in Rome on December 25, AD 336.
At that time, long before Christianity had come to the Nordic regions, the end of December was a perfect time for celebration in most areas of Europe. In Germany, people honoured the pagan god Oden during the mid-winter holiday. In Rome, people celebrated the festival of Saturnalia, in honour of Saturn. Also, around the time of winter solstice, Romans observed juvenilia, a feast honouring the children of Rome. In addition, some Romans often celebrated the birthday of Mythra, the god of the sun on December 25.
3. Conclusion.
It is commonly believed that as Christianity swept across Europe, centuries ago, the church chose this date in an effort to adopt and absorb the traditions of the Pagan festivals. Christmas spread to Egypt by 432 AD and to England by the end of the 6th Century. At that time, Christmas was called the Feast of the Nativity and the Eastern Orthodox churches in Europe still today celebrate their Christmas on January 7 because they follow the Julian calendar, whilst the Western churches follow the Gregorian calendar.
By holding Christmas at the same time as the Traditional Winter Solstice Festival, church leaders increased the chances that Christmas would be popularly embraced.
By the middle ages, Christianity had, for the most part, replaced the Pagan religion and Christmas became wildly accepted as marking the birth of Jesus Christ.
Writer: Tanvi Ramful
Editors: Krishta Soobanah, Khisha Callicharrun