Date of Christmas – December 25 – Birthday of Jesus Christ

Date of Christmas: Do you know why we celebrate Christmas on December 25th? This blog post may help you with a brief statement of why.

Date of Christmas – December 25 – Birthday of Jesus Christ

The idea to celebrate Christmas on December 25 originated in the 4th century. The Catholic Church wanted to eclipse the festivities of a rival pagan religion that threatened Christianity’s existence.

The Romans celebrated the birthday of their sun god, Mithras during this time of year. Although it was not popular, or even proper, to celebrate people’s birthdays in those times, church leaders decided that in order to compete with the pagan celebration they would themselves order a festival celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.

Just like ChristMas, the Catholic Church has set up most of our “Christian” holidays. Mostly to counter what pagans were celebrating.

In the Spring?

Although the actual season of Jesus’ birth, believed in the spring, the date of December 25, chosen as the official birthday celebration as Christ’s Mass or Christmas as we now call it. It would compete head on with the rival pagan celebration. Christmas was slow to catch on in America. The early colonists considered it a pagan ritual. Plus, Christmas was even banned by law in Massachusetts in colonial days.

Not to mention, even today people still do not believe we should celebrate the Saviors birthday or even Christmas since it does have pagan roots. But, I do believe we are celebrating our the birth of our Savior, who came to die for our sins. We worship Him and Him alone. He is the only way to Heaven. When we add to Christmas that can take away from the Saviors birth.

_{Posted in Patterson Post 07, our family Christmas Newsletter, published in 2007. Not sure where we got this from for this publication. This was first published on Courageous Christian Father on December 13, 2014. It was last Republished/Updated December 14, 2023.}

About the Author

Steve Patterson

A Christian Blogger that enjoys blogging about the Bible, Theology, God, Jesus Christ, Christian Music, Family, Cats, Odd Holidays, sewing and much more. I have been blogging since 2004, however, I have been blogging on Courageous Christian Father since 2012. I enjoy listening to Christian Music. I am married with 1 daughter, 2 step-sons and a step daughter.

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