Every December, Christians are told, often loudly and confidently, that Christmas is a late invention, a pagan compromise, or an unbiblical tradition baptized for convenience. December 25, we are assured, belongs to Saturnalia or Sol Invictus, and any attempt to defend it is either naïve or dishonest. But history tells a far more interesting, and […]
One of the most common questions about Christmas is why it is celebrated on December 25. Historical evidence shows that early Church Fathers recognized and supported this date as the day to commemorate Christ’s birth. Clement of Alexandria (c. 150–215 AD) wrote that Christians honored Christ’s nativity with joy and devotion, demonstrating early awareness of […]
A frequent objection to celebrating Christmas on December 25 is that it was supposedly “hijacked” from Roman pagan festivals. Critics often point to Saturnalia, celebrated December 17–23, or the festival of Sol Invictus, instituted in AD 274, as evidence that December 25 was chosen to replace these pagan holidays. The implication is that Christmas is […]
Every year, some skeptics claim that December 25 as Jesus’ birth date is arbitrary or borrowed from pagan festivals. But the historical evidence tells a different story. Early Christians cared deeply about Jesus’ life, from His humble birth in Bethlehem to the angels, shepherds, and magi, and it is reasonable to think they would mark […]
Some argue that early Christians didn’t care about or even know the date of Jesus’ birth. Historical evidence shows this claim does not hold up. From the beginning, Christians showed deep interest in Jesus’ life—from His humble birth in Bethlehem to the angels, shepherds, and magi. These details were not incidental. Early believers clearly took […]
A frequent objection raised by skeptics of December 25 as Jesus’ birth date concerns the shepherds in the fields. Many argue that winter in Bethlehem would be too cold for shepherds to watch their flocks overnight. Historical climate data and traditional shepherding practices, however, show that this objection is based on misconceptions. Bethlehem’s Winter Climate: […]
For many years people have repeated the claim that Christmas was placed on December 25 because Christians copied pagan festivals like Saturnalia or the feast of Sol Invictus. While these festivals did occur around the same time, the earliest Christian writings that refer to Christ’s birth do not mention paganism as the reason for choosing […]
