Since Judean shepherds wouldn't pasture their sheep in mid winter, why is Christmas celebrated in December?

Question

There's nary a word in the Bible about what time of year Jesus was born.

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Father K:
If you don't know, just say so.

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Answer 1

Early christianity wasn't as syncretic as some people think,but they were practical cats. Since they were initially confronted by an incredible range of religious diversity,they had to take traditions into account,which after all doesn't affect the teachings. All prior pagan religions celebrated the winter soltice as their Big Day and since nobody knew when jesus was born they picked that day,figuring they had to celebrate his birth on some day and one was ideal. I guess it didn't hurt anything. Eusebius,the first major christian historian openly acknowledged that it had nothing to do with the actual date,which was unknown.

Answer 2

If they were going to tax people and do a census, it would have been around September or the first week of October because that would have been after the harvest and the shepherds would have still been in the pasture but that would have been the latest time of the year for His birth. Any later would have been too great a hardship for both Romans and their subjects.

It's celebrated in December because the early church wanted to include as many pagans as possible in their religion and the only way to convert them to Christianity was to incorporate a number pagan celebrations into the church services. The Winter Solstice was one of these celebrations and so the Church decided that Winter Solstice would be used to celebrate the birth of Christ.

Answer 3

I get you. As the granddaughter of a sheepherder I'd say you are right. Centuries ago the powers in charge were just trying to make everyone happy and combining this awesome date with another happy date. I believe Jesus' birthday ought to be celebrated two times a year, once at our traditional Christmas because we need a major break in the winter snow, and again around the first week of April or end of March. Some evidence exists to say April 6 or near to that date would have been more precise.

Answer 4

The earliest recorded dates in church history do not occur before the 4th century.

However, it is widely accepted that the original season being reported in the gospels was around the spring equinox, when shepherds were in the hills keeping watch over lambing season.

Cultural anthropologists generally agree that the cult of Mithras, popular among the soldiers of the Roman legions in that region, led the young church's leaders to adopt the winter solstice date of Mithras' birth as part of their efforts to convert people.

Answer 5

christmas is celebrated in December because it was originally a pagan holiday. But the pagan holiday Yule is celebrated on or around the 22nd, when the Winter Solstice takes place. The longest night of the year.

Answer 6

as a results of fact we Pagans don't get our trip journeys off of paintings, we many times rejoice them the 1st day closest to the trip in question that we don't might desire to paintings. If it fairly is December twenty 5th, so be it. It basically in some situations is nonetheless. traditionally, on December twenty 5th, my relatives is going out for Arabic nutrition and a action picture. We do rejoice on the fairly solstice as many times as achievable, inspite of the undeniable fact that. it fairly is not any longer constantly the twenty first, you already know. inspite of the undeniable fact that, regardless of day it falls on, we many times do a small observance, whether we do might desire to paintings. I do have Christian relatives too. on the twenty fourth, I constantly spend it with my mom's relatives. we've dinner and open presents. The weekend in the previous, I spend with my Grandmother's relatives (it is, the full mess human beings) and we've a huge dinner then too. If any of those fall on the Solstice, it gets pre-empted. The Gods desire to be venerated, yet they want us to honor our relatives extra. And, for the record- in some traditions, it fairly is not any longer the twenty first, or the Solstice, it fairly is the twenty 5th. The birthday of the solar.

Answer 7

He was born in April/May according to the gospel of Luke.

Christmas is celebrated on Dec 25th because to the majority of the people Dec 25th was the greatest day of fertility. The pagans worshiped the sun on the 25th and to them it was a day of fertility, of life, because the days started getting longer and winter started creeping away. The Evergreen tree and the wreath are both symbols of fertility. You ever see Evergreen trees in the winter compared to other trees? Other trees die but Evergreen trees thrive.

Answer 8

The first part of this movie is an interesting take on the timing of Christmas. They quote some sources, but I cannot vouch for the veracity of all they say.

http://zeitgeistmovie.com/

Answer 9

Because Jesus Christ, the Word Made Flesh (Who dwelt among us) sanctifies the whole world. Time, too. His Body, the Church, a type of continuation of the Incarnation, continues to sanctify the world and all that is in it. This includes the calendar and all the formerly "pagan: holidays - and makes THEM holy as well.