Why Do We Celebrate Christmas On 25 Dec
For most christians however december 25 would prevail while january 6 eventually came to be known as the feast of the epiphany commemorating the arrival of the magi in bethlehem.
Why do we celebrate christmas on 25 dec. This can be found repeatedly on the internet. Most christians today probably can t imagine christmas on any other day than december 25 but it wasn t always that way. Only x shopping days until christmas december 25 is so ingrained into our conception of christmas that it s hard to think of the date without mental images of santa claus and decorated trees. On december five and twenty fum fum fum runs the old christmas carol.
In his article saturnalia. The early christians certainly had many arguments as to when it should be celebrated. Luke 2 8 states that when jesus was born shepherds were keeping watch over their flocks in the fields. December 25 falls in the winter solstice which means that winter was over and a new season is about to come.
The ancient pagan roman already celebrates important events and festivals. The term christmas comes from the old english cristes maesse which means christ s mass. There are reasons why christmas was held on december 25. The christmas story jesus s birth happened during the fall.
We celebrate his birth on dec 25 because it was the birth date of many pagan deities. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of jesus christ. December 25 is the traditional anniversary of the birth of christ but most scholars are unsure about the true date for christ s birth. In fact for the first three centuries of christianity s existence.
No date is given in the bible so why do we celebrate it on the 25th december. They had a specific reason for doing so. 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 isn t a 0 the years go. The reason we celebrate christmas in december columnist mark whittington explains.
The period between became the holiday season later known as the 12 days of christmas. It has been suggested that christians in the 4th century assigned december 25th as christ s birthday and hence christmas because pagans already observed this day as a holiday. Because of that recorded date pope julius i proclaimed december 25 as the birth of jesus. In the first century the church did not celebrate the birth of christ.
The modern armenian church continues to celebrate christmas on january 6. Why do we celebrate christmas on 25 december. When was jesus actually born.