what is origin of Christ mass?

Answer 1

The celebration of births was a pagan custom... the bible places no emphasis on a person's birth " The day of death is better than the day of one being born" (Ecc 7:1).... Thats y Jesus instructed his disciples to commemorate his death, never even mentioned a celebration of his birth.
If Christians are Christ's followers, aren't they supposed to be doing what Christ did and not what they want to?
PS .. Pagans where not Christians, they worshiped false Gods eg. Apollo (their sun god), who's birthday is Dec 25.

Answer 2

The Origins of Christmas

The origins of Christmas go back to before the time of Christ when many ancient cultures celebrated the changing of the seasons. In the northern hemisphere in Europe, for example, the winter solstice, which was the shortest day of the year, occurs around Dec. 25th. These celebrations were based on the decline of winter. Since during winter animals were penned, people stayed in doors, crops didn't grow, etc., to know that winter was half over and on its way out was a time of celebration.
In the ancient Roman system of religion, Saturn was the god of agriculture. Each year during the summer, the god Jupiter would force Saturn out of his dominant position in the heavenly realm and the days would begin to shorten. In the temple to Saturn in Rome, the feet of Saturn were then symbolically bound with chains until the winter solstice when the length of days began to increase. It was this winter solstice that was a time of celebration and exchange of gifts as the hardness of winter began to wane and the days grew longer.
December 25th specifically coincided the day of the birth of the sun-god named Phyrgia a culture in the ancient Balkans.
In the Roman Empire, by the time of Christ the winter festival was known as saturnalia. The Roman Church was unable to get rid of saturnalia, so early in the 4th Century, they adopted the holiday and tried to convert it a Christian celebration of the Lord's birth. They called it the Feast of the Nativity. This custom has been part of western culture ever since.

Answer 3

I'm a Christian. The way it was described to me was as follows:

Many early Christians had been pagans. They celebrated a Winter holiday to brighten their spirits. Christians needed to celebrate the birth of Christ. They put the two needs together into one holiday celebration. We need more hope in Winter. No one brings more true hope than Jesus.

Jesus was likely born in Spring.

Answer 4

There are three major theories:

1. That early Christians adoped Saturnalia in a attempt to transform pagan culture. This idea was put forward in the 17th century by Paul Ernst Jablonski. The major problem with this theory is that it does not fit with other actions of the early church, who took pains to *separate* themselves from pagan culture. This theory basically plays on the simplistic correlation between the dates. However, Saturnalia falls on December 25, to five days after the Winter Solstice. The Solstice is the more important element as demonstrated by the next two theories:

2. A Festival of Jewish Origin. Since the earliest Christians were primarily Jewish, it is not surprising that they would consider celebrating the arrival of the "Lord of Light" during the "Festival of Lights" aka Hanukkah.

Hanukkah commemorates the re-dedication of the Temple after it's descration by Antiochus IV Epiphanes. He erected an altar to Zeus in the Temple. Since Antiochus was a pagan, it would not be suprising that he would have celebrated a version of Saturnalia on or near the Winter Solstice. Since, in way, Christians consider Jesus the "completion" or "re-dedication" of Judiasm, the thematic element fits. Also, John records in his gospel that Christ announced "I and the Father are One" during the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah) - John 10:22ff

Hanukkah begins on the 25th of Kislev. Before the Julian calendar, this would have coincided with the 25th of December. Now, of course, the date of Hanukkah "floats" within the Julian/Gregorian calendar, but this would not have been the case when Christmas started.

3. However, the more commonly accepted origin is combination of factors outlined well in the Wiki article on the topic:

"It is unknown exactly when or why December 25 became associated with Jesus' birth. The New Testament does not give a specific date. Sextus Julius Africanus popularized the idea that Jesus was born on December 25 in his Chronographiai, a reference book for Christians written in AD 221. This date is nine months after the traditional date of the Incarnation (March 25), now celebrated as the Feast of the Annunciation. March 25 was also considered to be the date of the vernal equinox and therefore the creation of Adam. Early Christians believed March 25 was also the date Jesus was crucified. The Christian idea that Jesus was conceived on the same date that he died on the cross is consistent with a Jewish belief that a prophet lived an integral number of years.

The identification of the birthdate of Jesus did not at first inspire feasting or celebration. Tertullian does not mention it as a major feast day in the Church of Roman Africa. In 245, the theologian Origen denounced the idea of celebrating Jesus' birthday "as if he were a king pharaoh." He contended that only sinners, not saints, celebrated their birthdays.

The earliest reference to the celebration of Christmas is in the Calendar of Filocalus, an illuminated manuscript compiled in Rome in 354. In the east, meanwhile, Christians celebrated the birth of Jesus as part of Epiphany (January 6), although this festival focused on the baptism of Jesus.

Christmas was promoted in the east as part of the revival of Catholicism following the death of the pro-Arian Emperor Valens at the Battle of Adrianople in 378. The feast was introduced to Constantinople in 379, to Antioch in about 380, and to Alexandria in about 430. Christmas was especially controversial in 4th century Constantinople, being the "fortress of Arianism," as Edward Gibbon described it. The feast disappeared after Gregory of Nazianzus resigned as bishop in 381, although it was reintroduced by John Chrysostom in about 400."

Cheers!

Answer 5

My belief: A little baby born to bring hope to the world that was lost in sin.

Answer 6

Do you really want to know, it usually hurts a lot of peoples feelings to learn the truth about their sacred traditions and beliefs.

Answer 7

interesting question but as i look into it, it's like the Christian response to pagan activities

Answer 8

a agan holiday called yule that is celebrated today

happy yule everyone
dont forget to burn you yule log and light your christmas tree at night

Answer 9

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas

Answer 10

BEGINNING OF PEACE,HOPE,AND LOVE,....