In this article, Fr Ron Bowles gives a different view to our item in the last issue, which speculated on the actual date of Christ's birth....[to go to last month's article, "But when was Christmas Day?" click here]
There is a strong case for believing that December 25th was really the birthday of Jesus Christ. From the 4th century, this is the only day on which the church celebrated the Nativity. No other date was ever suggested, and it seems impossible to believe that the day of his birth was not known.
St Luke is the historian of the birth narratives. The Holy Family went up to Bethlehem for the census. There was no room for them at the inn. Such a large census would most likely have been held during a public holiday. The Roman feast of mid-winter (Saturnalia) would seem a possible day. When you have a large crowd, it is probable that the inn-keeper turned out the sheep for the period. Hence, Shepherds were watching their sheep, when they heard the Angels sing "Glory to God in the Highest!"
The mid-winter feast is a very fitting time for Christ's birth. December 21st—24th are the shortest days. The sun is at its lowest point. Indeed, people were worried that the sun might disappear altogether. Prayers were told, fires lit. And, indeed on the 25th, the sun rose earlier and the days grew longer. The sun had been "re-born".
Records tell us that the church always celebrated December 25th as Christ's birthday, although it was dangerous to do so. There was also a fear that they might be celebrating the pagan festival. The church was persecuted in the early years. Nero massacred many Christians. Under Diocletian, among his many acts of cruelty, he set light to a church as they met on December 25th to celebrate the festival.
Tertullian, a church leader, said in a sermon on December 25th, "let the pagans kindle lamp who have no light!" Gregory told his people to bring Christian meaning to Pagan ways. We ourselves see, e.g. the Christmas Tree, as a sign of everlasting life (evergreen) and the wood of the tree as Calvary.
In the 6th month says Luke, the Angel Gabriel came to Mary, and she conceived Our Lord. The 6th month in Jewish terms is March. Nine months later Christ was born. God, through the Virgin Birth, could choose the date of His Son's birth. Surely the end of the Winter Solstice, and the return of light, is a day of great significance. Not like some odd day between November and March. The 25th December must be the day.
written by Fr Ron Bowles
Return to the February 1998 Features page
return to Home page and main index
page last updated 1 FEBRUARY 1998