Why do they say Dec 25 was Jesus's birthday when really, it wasn't?

Question

The best guest I know of is September 29 from what I've read before...shepherds wouldn't have been in the fields in december because snow was common.
"Note that, at the time of Christ's birth, the shepherds tended their flocks in the fields at night. "Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields," wrote one Gospel writer, "keeping watch over their flock by night" (Luke 2:8). A common practice of shepherds was keeping their flocks in the field from April to October, but in the cold and rainy winter months they took their flocks back home and sheltered them."

So with that being said, why is Dec 25 adopted?

Answer 1

In Roman times there was a festival during the winter solstice. The days became longer and it was for Saturn and ended on Dec 25. It celebrated the return of the Sun (son).

Answer 2

Very few realize that not very much has changed in the way Christmas is celebrated from the way pagans observed the day (under a different name) centuries before the birth of Jesus! Obviously they didn't call it "Christmas."

They called this mid-winter festival by its original heathen or pagan name -- the Saturnalia.

The Scriptures do not mention the celebration of Jesus' birth, and therefore it was not celebrated by Jesus' early followers.

So where did millions of modern-day "Christians" get the idea to celebrate it?

In ancient times the winter solstice was celebrated in Babylon as the birth day of Tammuz (Dumuzi), the god of vegetation This was the shortest day of the year, in the latter part of December (today it actually falls on December 21).

According to the pagans, the god Nimrod would visit the evergreen tree and leave gifts upon it. This festival became known as the Saturnalia, and friends and family would exchange gifts.

Answer 3

Many pagans were converting to Christianity and they already celebrated the winter solstice on Dec. 25. Since they were used to having a party on that day, and didn't want to celebrate pagan things anymore, they converted the holiday to celebrate Christ.

It wasn't "stolen" from the pagans, and Christians don't celebrate pagan holidays without knowing it. It's just a matter of what made sense at the time.

Answer 4

Here's some interesting trivia regarding old calendars.

Since Dec. 25th was chosen as the day to celebrate Christ's birth, nine months prior to this date, on March 25th, we celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation, i.e., the day on which the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and announced that she would conceive Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Also, prior to the 17th century, most nations celebrated New Years day on March 25th rather than January 1st. The year would actually increment on that day. So for example, March 24th 1698 was followed the next morning by March 25th 1699.

Answer 5

The Emperor Constantine changed the holiday to the date of Saturnalia, the main Roman Pagan holiday, which was December 25th, when he converted to Christianity and made it the state religion. December 25th has nothing whatsover to do with Christianity or Jesus, neither do the Easter Bunny, Christmass Trees, Hallmark Cards, or other such nonsense.

Answer 6

That was the original date that roman pagans used to celebrate Mithra's birthday. It was also the day you celebrate the rebirth of the sun, The winter solstice.It's easier to convert people if you do not change the holidays to much, In stead you incorporate new holidays with the old ones. People revolt less that way.

Answer 7

At some point, the Christian organization became corrupted, as Acts 20:29 predicted.
The corrupted christian church adopted December 25 to get more adherents.
Why would that happen?
Because December 25 was a pagan festival ....and to get these pagans to call themselves 'christian', the corrupted church switched dates.
Please search out CHRISTMAS in any reputable encyclopedia.

Answer 8

No one knows the exact date of Jesus' birth,so it doesn't really matter what day it is celebrated on.
Why was December chosen? Probably because it was a very popular month for religious celebrations.

Answer 9

we needed a day to celebrate it, no record of when it was is 100% accurate, and since early christendom likes to conquer, we made it coincide with the holidays of the region. happy now?

Answer 10

I agree with you, I also believe it was actually in September. The important thing is He came to earth to save us.