How was the Date for Christmas Established

 Why December 25^th

 The Bible does not tell us the exact date of Jesus’ birth, so there is no way to know from scripture when Jesus was actually born. So, if the Bible is silent on the subject, how was it determined that Christmas, Jesus’ birthday, was on December 25^th? There are two competing theories for how and why this date was selected.

Some historians claim that December 25 was selected because that date was already a pagan holiday. In the Roman culture, December 25^th was the winter solstice, the date of the Sol Invictus festival. The thought goes that this would make it easier for some Pagans to convert to Christianity by absorbing the current religious festival into a new Christian festival. This seems a little far-fetched, as many in the early church wanted to distance themselves from pagan festivals and traditions. This theory is very popular with those who oppose Christianity.

The second theory proposed is based on when Jesus died and, thus, when he was conceived. It was believed that great prophets, among whom Jesus would have been included, were conceived and died on the same day. This Jewish tradition was known as the "integral age." This is mentioned in the Babylonian Talmud, mostly in relation to the life of Moses, with it stating he was born and died on the same day (the seventh of Adar). The idea of being conceived and dying on the same date was believed to represent a perfect life. Based on the Gregorian calendar, it is believed Jesus died on March 25^th. If Jesus were conceived on the same date of March 25^th, then He would have been born nine months later on December 25^th.

(The feast of the Annunciation, the day when the Angel Gabriel announced the conception of Jesus, was set as March 25^th)

(The Gregorian calendar celebrates Jesus’ birth on December 25^th. The Julian calendar celebrates it on January 6^th. The time span between these two, according to some, came to be known as the twelve days of Christmas. – The twelve days of Christmas also represent the time between the birth of Jesus and the arrival of the Magi.)