During the life of Christ and for more than 30 years after He rose into heaven, His birthday was not celebrated. Why did Christians begin to celebrate His birthday, and why the date that they choose?
2006-11-25 07:45:11 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Christmas
They chose the date to overshadow the Pagan holiday on the same day. In order to kill Paganism with Christianity, Christianity just took over everything Pagan with their own holidays, observances and rituals.
2006-11-25 07:46:47 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
As I understand it, the early Christians (though not the earliest Christians) chose to celebrate Jesus' birthday in December to counteract the Roman pagan Saturnalia, a winter solstice celebration that was considered the sun's birthday, December 21.
You might say we replaced the Birthday of the Sun with the Birthday of the Son (though that pun might not work in Latin).
I found an article which offers a Biblically-associated explanation:
"Luke 1 says Zechariah was performing priestly duty in the Temple when an angel told his wife Elizabeth she would bear John the Baptist. During the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, Mary learned about her conception of Jesus and visited Elizabeth "with haste."
"The 24 classes of Jewish priests served one week in the Temple, and Zechariah was in the eighth class. Rabbinical tradition fixed the class on duty when the Temple was destroyed in A.D. 70 and, calculating backward from that, Zechariah's class would have been serving Oct. 2-9 in 5 B.C. So Mary's conception visit six months later might have occurred the following March and Jesus' birth nine months afterward."
Why is Dec. 25 the date to celebrate Christmas? Two explanations compete.
By: RICHARD OSTLING - Associated Press
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2004/12/23/special_reports/religion/21_50_1412_22_04.txt
2006-11-25 07:53:45 · answer #2 · answered by MNL_1221 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
sure i'm saved and stick to Jesus and rejoice birthdays. I do it to instruct love and encouragement to others. i recognize Jehovah's Witnesses do no longer rejoice birthdays yet they do rejoice a marriage anniversary. isn't that honoring guy? Jesus became by no ability married and additionally you do no longer study the disciples who have been married celebrating a marriage anniversary. sounds such as you're determining on and determining on what to have self assurance whilst God would not condemn any of it. So why do you?
2016-10-17 13:02:47 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
To celebrate the birth of salavation.
But such is not at Christmas time.
Nor is salvaiton via sacrifice (law).
Rather salvation is only via grace.
The GRACE of our Lord Jesus Christ with you all. Amen.
2006-11-25 08:21:47 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
they stole Christmas from the pagans....because they were beginning to spread the word of Christ and wanted the world and all regions surrounding them to celebrate Christs birth.....and look how its evolved ?Christians technically are thieves...this isnt the first holiday they stole from the pagans....
2006-11-25 07:48:38 · answer #5 · answered by @ubreY 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Greed, gluttony., pride...
2006-11-25 07:51:37 · answer #6 · answered by shermynewstart 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋