2007-02-24 05:22:09 · 20 answers · asked by Jason J 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Christmas
Bojangles guessed right.
Saturnalia
In Roman times, the best-known winter festival was Saturnalia, which was popular throughout Italy. Saturnalia was a time of general relaxation, feasting, merry-making, and a cessation of formal rules. Holly was also considered the key symbolic plant of the god Saturn and festival. It included the making and giving of small presents (Saturnalia et Sigillaricia), including small dolls for children and candles for adults.[7] During Saturnalia, business was postponed and even slaves feasted. There was drinking, gambling, and singing, and even public nudity. It was the "best of days," according to the poet Catullus.[8] Saturnalia honored the god Saturn and began on December 17. The festival gradually lengthened until the late Republican period, when it was seven days (December 17-23). In imperial times, Saturnalia was shortened to five days.[9
2007-02-26 11:38:26 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
After reading the prior answers, I just need to say that DECEMBER 25 is not the birthdate of Jesus Christ. Simply, it was incorporated into the pagan festivities of sun worship which occurred during that time of year so that Christians could be appeased into supporting the government of the day and for the government to appear that they were accepting the Christian doctrine when they really weren't. So basically, celebrating Jesus birthday on Dec. 25 is really following a pagan belief. Most of the customs relating to what Christians do Christmas season stem from pagan customs, not from the early Christians who actually followed Christ.
2007-02-27 14:43:12 · answer #2 · answered by drdrdr 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Romans held a festival on December 25 called Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, "the birthday of the unconquered sun." The use of the title Sol Invictus allowed several solar deities to be worshipped collectively, including Elah-Gabal, a Syrian sun god; Sol, the god of Emperor Aurelian (AD 270-274); and Mithras, a soldiers' god of Persian origin. Emperor Elagabalus (218-222) introduced the festival, and it reached the height of its popularity under Aurelian, who promoted it as an empire-wide holiday.
December 25 was also considered to be the date of the winter solstice, which the Romans called bruma. It was therefore the day the Sun proved itself to be "unconquered" despite the shortening of daylight hours. (When Julius Caesar introduced the Julian Calendar in 45 BC, December 25 was approximately the date of the solstice. In modern times, the solstice falls on December 21 or 22.) The Sol Invictus festival has a "strong claim on the responsibility" for the date of Christmas, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia. Solar symbolism was popular with early Christian writers as Jesus was considered to be the "sun of righteousness."
2007-02-25 12:31:12 · answer #3 · answered by Marmylade 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Expedient Roman Church policy dictated the traditions of Christmas and Easter including Sunday, which traditions were continued by the would be reform Protestants.
See " Rome's Challenge to the Protestants" - on line.
See the Quartodeciman Controversy
Look into the Autumn of 5 BC for the birth.
2007-02-28 13:21:50 · answer #4 · answered by Bomba 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because of the Winter Solstice. The date of December 25th probably originated with the ancient "birthday" of the son-god, Mithra, a pagan deity whose religious influence became widespread in the Roman Empire during the first few centuries A.D. Mithra was related to the Semitic sun-god, Shamash, and his worship spread throughout Asia to Europe where he was called Deus Sol Invictus Mithras. Rome was well-known for absorbing the pagan religions and rituals of its widespread empire. As such, Rome converted this pagan legacy to a celebration of the god, Saturn, and the rebirth of the sun god during the winter solstice period. The winter holiday became known as Saturnalia and began the week prior to December 25th. The festival was characterized by gift-giving, feasting, singing and downright debauchery, as the priests of Saturn carried wreaths of evergreen boughs in procession throughout the Roman temples.
Variations of this pagan holiday flourished throughout the first few centuries but it probably wasn't until 336 AD that Emperor Constantine officially converted this pagan tradition into the "Christian" holiday of Christmas.
2007-02-24 13:31:14 · answer #5 · answered by All I Hear Is Blah Blah Blah... 5 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Jeuses was born on the 25th of December and that's why Christmas is in December.
2007-02-25 20:52:38 · answer #6 · answered by Robby M 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Christmas - translated into 'the month of Christ' - is when Jesus Christ's birth took place. It's a common belief that he was born on December 25.
2007-02-25 08:32:04 · answer #7 · answered by tramps3 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Wow, I am in shock at how many people believe that Dec. 25 is Jesus' birthday. It most certainly was not. Best Guess: September 29, 6 B.C.
2007-02-27 14:51:16 · answer #8 · answered by zoogrl2001 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Christmas is in December because Jesus was born on December 25th and we celebrate the day he was born.
2007-02-24 20:55:48 · answer #9 · answered by have-fun 3 · 0⤊ 4⤋
It was the Christan belief that Jesus was born. on the 25th December. That is most probably why...
2007-02-24 17:23:25 · answer #10 · answered by cheeky_little_monkey! 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋