Why do Christians celebrate Christmas on December 25?
It’s one thing to make up a story about Santa and lie to kids about a Jolly ol white guy come down the chimney with presents, but why are most adults taught to believe that Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Christ on December 25?
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Because it’s commemorative and it is a celebration of the birth of Christ.
Who cares if it’s not the actual date? No one knows the date, so does that mean we just shouldn’t celebrate it at all?
Tradition.
Some religious king decided to take the celebration of the Winter Solstace from the Pagans.
People have celebrated it ever since.
It falls at Yule, which was a Pagan holiday in the early days of Christianity, just as Ostara (celebrating the Vernal Equinox and fertility) became Easter, a holiday whose date is based around the Vernal Equinox celebrates the rebirth of Christ.
In order to convert followers, early Christians basically marketed themselves (partly) by saying, “Hey, we have holidays at the same time, so come on over!”
December 25 was probably used as the supposed date of Christ’s birth because it has been used as the birthday for many other important deities. Horus (Egyptian god), Buddha, Chrishna (Hindu) and many others were also born on the same day and under similar situations as Jesus. This choice in date is probably also related to making it easier for Christians to convert others, as @jerv said. Source
Actually, St. Nick was a real Christian saint, and the story of Santa Claus has been derived from that, which was originally related to the religious purpose of Christmas. Of course, it has mutated and engulfed the holiday since then…Christmas is barely religious anymore, but like @DominicX said, Christmas is technically a commemorative day for the birth of Christ.
@DominicX Actually, it is now known that Jesus Christ was born in spring, probably around May, in the year 4 C.E.
It was basically so that pagans didn’t have to stop celebrating their holidays in order to convert. All of our tradition, trees and yule logs and so on, are pagan traditions that didn’t get changed. For the most part only the name of the god being celebrated changed.
@Fly My understanding is the birth of Christ was about Sept.29, 4 BC. It really doesn’t matter.
Dec. 25 is the day we celebrate, and I am fine with that.
@Sarcasm Quoting here, from your source:
It was during this time of temple service that Zacharias learned that he and his wife Elizabeth would have a child (Luke 1:8–13). After he completed his service and traveled home, Elizabeth conceived (verses 23–24). Assuming John’s conception took place near the end of June, adding nine months brings us to the end of March as the most likely time for John’s birth. Adding another six months (the difference in ages between John and Jesus) brings us to the end of September as the likely time of Jesus’ birth. GN
Thanks!
The actual date of birth of Jesus of Nazareth is not known, In the fourth century CE, the Roman Catholic Church (the state religion of the Roman Empire) set the holiday date to coincide with the winter solstice celebrations of the pre-Christian faiths, sometimes known as Saturnalia. The purpose was to aid in surpressing the earlier faiths and to provide an alternate holiday to make the new converts more comfortable.
Because they had to fit it in at the end of the year somehow, and Dec 25 was the only thing left after Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, the Eid, and New Year’s. And they couldn’t make it much earlier, because that wouldn’t leave enough shopping days after Halloween and Thanksgiving.
Scheduling can be a bitch.
Kwanzaa was first celebrated in 1966. Christmas had been around quite a while before it.
Chanukah and Eid ul Fitr are based on the lunar calendar and only occaissionally coincide with Christmas.
It’s tradition. Jesus Christ was not actually born on December 25th.
to over shadow , the pagan holiday “yule” and to “steal” it , it’s rituals , and to pass them off ass their own , and sell it to you . a cola war tactic they have done with all pagan holidays .
@Fly make sure you tell your AP teacher the source is the United Church of God beforehand so that he/she can ignore you
I image because Christmas is on December 25. I mean I’m not Christian and I celebrate it on then.
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