By Swift Reporter
Why December 25 became Christmas Day has less to do with a confirmed birthday and far more to do with belief, symbolism, and centuries of calendar debates. According to Why Christmas, the date Christians now associate with the birth of Jesus Christ was shaped by early theology, Roman calendars, and older solar festivals that already marked this moment of the year.
The Bible never gives a date for Jesus’s birth. Early Christians argued about when to mark it, and for several centuries, different communities celebrated it on different days. According to Britannica, the first recorded celebration of Christmas on December 25 appears in the year 336, during the reign of Emperor Constantine. It was not yet a state festival, but the date stuck.
One early Christian tradition placed the Annunciation, when Mary was told she would give birth to Jesus, on March 25. Count forward nine months, and you land on December 25. That same March date was also believed by some early Christians to be the day the world was created and the day Jesus later died. The idea was simple and symbolic. A perfect life begins and ends on the same day.
Solstice, Saturnalia and older winter festivals
December 25 also sat close to the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. Long before Christianity, cultures across Europe and the Middle East marked this turning point. Why Christmas explains that people celebrated the return of longer days with food, drink, and festivals tied to the sun overcoming darkness.
In Rome, Saturnalia ran from December 17 to 23. By the third century, another celebration emerged: Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, the birthday of the “unconquered sun,” held on December 25. Similar midwinter traditions existed elsewhere. In Scandinavia, Yule marked the season. In Persian culture, Yalda Night celebrated light’s return. While these festivals differed, they shared the same idea: renewal.
Some later writers claimed Christians copied these pagan holidays. But Why Christmas points out that Christian calculations linking March 25 to December 25 appear earlier than many records of Sol Invictus, suggesting parallel traditions rather than outright borrowing.
So when was Jesus actually born?
As per the Biblical Archaeology Society, Many scholars believe Jesus was likely born in spring or autumn, not winter. Shepherds would not usually watch sheep outdoors during cold Judean winters. Why Christmas highlights Passover in spring and Sukkot in autumn as more practical possibilities, especially since both involve large gatherings that could explain Roman censuses and crowded towns.
The year is also uncertain. Most scholars place Jesus’s birth between 2 BCE and 7 BCE, likely around 3 or 4 BCE, based on historical records tied to King Herod’s death.
A date shaped by meaning
December 25 endures because it fits a powerful message. Early Christians believed Jesus was the “light of the world,” making the darkest days of the year symbolically perfect. Over time, Christmas absorbed local customs, calendars changed, and traditions spread globally. As Why Christmas explains, the date may not mark a birthday, but it marks an idea that has lasted for nearly two millennia.
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