It's not Biblical!
- The Bible does not specify Jesus's birthdate, and early Christians showed little concern for commemorating it. Instead, they focused on Jesus's teachings (gnostics,) death, and resurrection (proto-orthodox.)
- The earliest recorded celebrations of Christmas on December 25th appear in Rome around 336 CE, under the influence of Emperor Constantine, who embraced Christianity and sought to unify the empire under Christian practices.
In an attempt to quell dissension in the Roman Empire, Emporer Constantine called the Bishops together to come up with a singular narrative of faith at the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. Out of this council, the Church chose December 25th to replace, repurpose and include pagan celebration.
Key festivals include:
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Sol Invictus ("The Unconquered Sun"):
- Emperor Aurelian (reigned 270–275 CE) declared December 25th as the birthday of the Sun god Sol Invictus in 274 CE. This festival celebrated the Sun’s “rebirth” after the Winter Solstice, as daylight began to lengthen.
- Early Christians saw symbolic parallels between the Sun and Jesus, often referring to Christ as the "light of the world." Aligning Jesus’s birth with the celebration of Sol Invictus emphasized this connection.
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Saturnalia (December 17–23):
- Saturnalia, dedicated to the Roman god Saturn, was a time of feasting, gift-giving, and social reversals. Adopting a major holiday near this period allowed Christianity to ease its integration into Roman culture while supplanting pagan traditions.