Author Topic: Question about Christmas (Read 754 times)

DeMaistre · « **on:** June 26, 2009, 08:12:45 PM »

I was asked on another forum:

1. Christmas. Why do Christians celebrate Christmas on the 25th December? That date is also from a Pagan celebration, 'Sol Invictus'. Jesus' birthday isn't really known so why use a Pagan holiday and pass it off as a 'Christian' celebration?

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I don't know the answer. Help?

DeMaistre · « **Reply #1 on:** June 27, 2009, 07:10:47 AM »

No one knows?

clare · « **Reply #2 on:** June 27, 2009, 07:45:52 AM »

Quote from: DeMaistre

I was asked on another forum:

1. Christmas. Why do Christians celebrate Christmas on the 25th December? That date is also from a Pagan celebration, 'Sol Invictus'. Jesus' birthday isn't really known so why use a Pagan holiday and pass it off as a 'Christian' celebration?

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I don't know the answer. Help?

So, the Church usurped/hijacked a date previously observed by Pagans. Good!

gladius_veritatis · « **Reply #3 on:** June 27, 2009, 07:49:51 AM »

Grace builds upon nature. It is actually rather fitting that the dates upon which pagans celebrated/observed certain pivotal days/seasons in nature have been purified and elevated. This is exactly what happens in our souls when we are regenerated in the waters of Baptism. Btw, I believe there is very good evidence that Jesus Christ was born on the 25th of December.

Raoul76 · « **Reply #4 on:** June 27, 2009, 03:50:25 PM »

The usual answer is that the Catholic calendar replaced pagan feast days with Christian ones so that the pagan order of life would not be too drastically disrupted. It was a way of easing them into the true faith.

But was this the work of men or of God? God Himself could have designed for His Son to be born on the day of a pagan festival, knowing that this new celebration would replace the old. It sounds cynical to say that it was a bunch of priests that arranged new holidays to overlap old holidays. It is more likely it was Divine Providence.

spouse of Jesus · « **Reply #5 on:** June 27, 2009, 10:27:55 PM »

25 December has biblical foundation.
Luke speaks about the time of conception of St. John the baptist, it was the time of the year when priests would do what Zacharia did. And if you consider that Jesus was conceived 6 months later, the date of christmass will be 25 december.

spouse of Jesus · « **Reply #6 on:** June 27, 2009, 10:39:23 PM »

Read here:

http://www.fisheaters.com/customschristmasnotes.html

St Jude Thaddeus · « **Reply #7 on:** June 28, 2009, 01:51:10 AM »

In addition, I remember reading an article about how sheep in those times were normally bred in the early autumn, and since a ewe's gestation period is about five months, lambing would typically begin in January, which is why the shepherds would be in the fields by late December to be ready for the birthing season.