Origin of Christmas


In the year AD 274, the emperor Aurelian introduced the festival of the Invincible Sun, on December 25th.  Sometime after this the church established the commemoration of the incarnation.  It is first recognized about AD 336.

It should also be noted that there is a relationship with the winter solstice.  In Egypt around 1996 BC the solstice was recorded on January 6th.  Later in 331 BC when Alexandria was founded the solstice was recorded on December 25th.  These two dates are the bookends for the season of Christmas.

But these do not explain anything important.

Tertullian identified the date of Christ's crucifixion on March 25th.  In the Ancient world great or important people were died about the same time they were born.  Birth-dates and Death-dates were very important.  In Christ's case it was not birth date but conception date that was important.

Christ being crucified on March 25th would lead many to believe he was conceived on March 25th, and thus, born on December 25th.

I have liked to think he was born on or around March 25th and died on or around March 25th.  Thus, Christmas is really just chosen because you can't have these two great feast days at the same time.

It is still not wrong to say Christians just assimilated pagan feasts, but it also should be pointed out the connection between Christ's conception, birth, death, and resurrection.  Thank you.

Comments

  1. Rev. Adam MolineDecember 12, 2012 at 10:17 AM

    About the Sol Invictus - an interesting article. http://steadfastlutherans.org/?p=24981

    ReplyDelete

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