It is one of the most widely-celebrated holidays in the world, Christmas. The meaning of Christmas differs across cultures. It can be all about family, presents, food, giving back, or the deeper reason, the birth of Jesus Christ. Whatever form it takes on in your life, big or small, it did start with the birth of a baby boy, who I believe is the savior of the world.
Traditions surround the holiday season. Everyone seems to be wearing red and green, singing about angels, and taking the time to look at a bunch of lights on various strangers' houses. Scholars who are much smarter than I am debate what the meaning of these traditions and customs are all the time. One that continues to stun me and leave me wondering is the idea of when Jesus was actually born. If it was not on the 25th of December, then why do we celebrate it then. That day holds significance to a variety of people all over the world, and according to research, it probably is not even the true day.
When was Jesus born and why did we decide to celebrate in late December?
After a little research, I happened upon https://www.ucg.org/the-good-news/biblical-evidence-shows-jesus-christ-wasnt-born-on-dec-25 and I learned a lot.
There are two major reasons why scholars do not believe Jesus was born in December. 1. The Bible explicitly states that the flocks were grazing and the shepherds were watching them (Luke 2:7-8). Animals are not typically out wandering the fields during the winter, even in Judea. 2. It is very unlikely that a census would be called in December when the weather was so awful. Jesus's parents were in Bethlehem for that census, and that is why he was born there.
The facts we do have show that Jesus probably was not born in the winter time, so when was he really born? Well, Jesus's cousin John (the Baptist) gives us some hints. John was born about 9 months after Abijah (Luke 1:5) which was around June 13th-19th. That means John was born around mid-March. Jesus was about 6 months younger than John, this brings us to late September.
We have an estimate of Jesus's birth, and it is not in December. We celebrate in December, because there were already quite a few pagan holidays being celebrated in the early years. To make things a little easier and convenient for everyone, Christmas was added into the mix, and the date stuck.
There you have it. Maybe the birth of Christ did not happen in December, but that does not mean Christmas and that unlikely savior have not changed lives for centuries.
