Do you believe that the actual birthday for Jesus is December 25th.?

Question

Why? Why not? The reason that I ask is because one of my neighbors have a big sign nailed to a tree inside their yard that says, "Jesus was born in September!"

Answer 1

i dont think it was on DECEMBER 25 exactly. because for one it was during harvest season which is oct-nov months. but neither was he born A.D.0 because calender on goes 1 B.C. to A.D.1
Not until the year 336 do we find the first mention of a celebration of His birth.
In Rome December 25 was made popular by Pope Liberius in 354 and became the rule in the West in 435 when the first "Christ mass" was officiated by Pope Sixtus III.
the Church of Rome found it convenient to institute the 25th of December as the feast of the birth of Christ to divert them from the pagan feast, celebrated on the same day in honor of the 'Invincible Sun' Mithras, the conqueror of darkness"

Answer 2

No, Jesus' actual birthday was definitely not Dec. 25. Back in the days of Jesus, nobody really cared about stuff like birthdays except in the case of like the emperor, so nobody really cared what day Jesus was born. We can use common sense to say Jesus wasn't born in December because the chances of shepards being out with their flock in the middle of winter is very low.

With that said, we celebrate Jesus' birthday on Dec 25 for 2 main reasons...
1. Dec 22 is the winter solstice (the shortest day of the year) so after that day, the days begin getting longer and we get more sunlight. This is symbolic because Jesus is the light of the world.
2. Christmas was not celebrated until many years after Christ's death. When Christians began celebrating Christmas, Christianity was an illegal religion in Rome. Christians were persecuted, etc. If you are members of an illegal religion you want to try to keep a low profile so that you don't get in trouble. Therefore, they decided to celebrate Christmas when the rest of the Romans were celebrating their paganistic holiday because if everyone else was celebrating something they would not attract attention by celebrating Christmas.

Answer 3

no Jesus was not born in winter.

Your neighbour sounds like they have read Barbara Thiering's books. She has studied Jewish rituals and cermonies. 2000 years ago, the upperclass of jews married only at certain times of the year, most commonly in the winter, so that a child would be born in summer (9 months later). So yes, she advocates for Jesus probably being born in September.

However there is NO official proof. Noone REALLY knows when Jesus was born. It certainly was NOT December 25th.

This is what I remember from memory, from what I remember when I read Barbara's books over 15 years ago when I was searching for answers.

Just a comment - its not required to celebrate anyone's birthday on the actual anniversary. Take Queen Elizabeth 2 for example. Her real birthday is in April, but in New Zealand, they have a statutory holiday to celebrate her birthday - in June (which is winter time down there).

Answer 4

No I do not think he was really born on December 25th. That is just the day that Christians celebrate his birthday on. Wow that is a good question, I mean why? Why is it December 25 and not like May 7th or August 18? interesting?? =)

Answer 5

Your neighbor may be correct, but I believe he was born in the spring; late March or early April. just a pet theory of mine. The Bible is silent on when Jesus was born, but is very specific as to when he died. Logic says that if he died, then he must have been born. Christ haters make much of the fact that the early Christians chose saturnalia to mark Jesus' birth, but when you think of the martyrdom in the Colosseum, and the tortures they suffered, are you really surprised that they tried to keep their celebration on the down low? In colonial times, the Protestant churches didn't celebrate Christmas at all. The actual date of his birth isn't nearly important as the fact that he was (italic) born. However, I'm certain that that question and many others like it will be answered in heaven.

Answer 6

The time around twenty 5th of December has frequently been an somewhat festive time for trip journeys. some partying and celebrating smash up the drudgery of iciness. i think of it could have been the romans who all started the Christmas ingredient. i believe there would have been a pagan holiday then that they only form of worked over right into a Christian holiday. Sorry each and every of the small print I even have. significant ingredient is that Christmas time became into usually celebrated interior the previous the two as a Christian holiday or pagan holiday.

Answer 7

A lot of people know that Jesus, if he really ever existed, was not born on the 25th of December. The Catholic Church established Christmas on the 25th of December to counter the pagans winter solstice celebrations.

The Catholic Church has a long history of over taking pagan hoildays.

Answer 8

Because shepherds wouldn't be tending their flocks at night in the open in the winter. Odds are, if Jesus existed, he was born in either fall or spring.

The date of Dec 25th was chosen to draw pagans into the new religion because they were already celebrating the birth of several savior sun gods on that date.

Answer 9

I think everything about Jesus and his life would have to be on the faith of what the bible says, as i don't think anyone nowadays truly knows for absolute certainty of what really happened back then. I believe in Jesus but will never know his true birthday.

Answer 10

Jesus was born sometime in the summer. but there was a pagan celebration on dec. 25, in honour of the Sun. the church decided to keep that date to celebrate Christ's birth.