Why Is Christmas Celebrated On December 25

Most christians today probably can t imagine christmas on any other day than december 25 but it wasn t always that way.

Why is christmas celebrated on december 25. In fact for the first three centuries of christianity s existence. The first time the date was celebrated as jesus birthday was apparently in the year 336 in rome. The first date listed december 25 is marked. A feast central to the christian liturgical year it is preceded by the season of advent or the nativity fast and initiates the season of christmastide which historically in the.

Everybody knows december 25 for one big reason the birth of jesus though the precise day it occurred more than 2 000 years ago is a factoid that we don t know. Christ was born in bethlehem of judea 3 in about 400 c e augustine of hippo mentions a local dissident christian group the donatists who apparently kept christmas festivals on december 25 but refused to celebrate the epiphany on january 6 regarding it. However there are many different traditions and theories as to why christmas is celebrated on december 25th. The first recorded date of christmas being celebrated on december 25th was in 336 ad during the time of the roman emperor constantine he was the first christian roman emperor.

This reason however leaves unexplained the choice of the 6th of january ibid p. But it was not an official roman state festival at this time. There are two primary reasons suggested as to why december 25th was chosen as christmas. Duchesne writes one is inclined to believe that the roman church made choice of the 25th of december in order to enter into rivalry with mithraism.

A few years later pope julius i officially declared that the birth of jesus would be celebrated on the 25th. The first recorded date of christmas being celebrated on december 25th was in 336 during the time of the roman emperor constantine he was the first christian roman emperor. Why do we celebrate the 25th. This is why christmas is on december 25.

Natus christus in betleem judeae. The history behind how christmas came to be celebrated at the end of december may have little to do with the actual date of jesus s birth. Christmas or feast of the nativity is an annual festival commemorating the birth of jesus christ observed primarily on december 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. The earliest record of december 25 as the birthday of jesus appears in the roman calendar from 336 a d.

In the west the birth of christ was celebrated on december 25 and in the east on january 6.