I used to think that Christmas was originally a pagan celebration of the birth of a Roman “god” Saturnalia that was “Christianized” when the Roman Empire became “Christian” via the conversion of Constantine in early 4th century. Thus they kept all the pagan accruements, but swapped out Saturnalia for Jesus. This meant that Jesus was not likely born on Dec 25. But I now doubt all this and think there is plausibility Jesus was born around this time, and the roots of Christmas came from the church not the pagan world.

Here’s what changed me:

In very brief, White argues

  • A bad trend has taken place in the world to portray Jesus as not unique and just an echo of myths from the past. A similar thing may have cursed Christmas and this pagan-origin story.
  • Instead, the church early on espoused 2 dates for the birth of Jesus: Dec 25 or Jan 6.
  • Part of their reasoning was that in the ancient world they believed great men died the day they were conceived. So they thought Jesus was conceived Mar 25, and thus born Dec 25.
  • 1996 conservative, biblical scholarship dates Jesus’ birth in mid to late Dec based on archaeological discoveries of the timing that John the Baptist’s father tended the temple (and thus marks John’s birth which marks Jesus’ birth): https://brill.com/display/title/1916
  • Despite contrary claims, Bethlehem would not be too cold for shepherds to tend flocks in December. The climate is similar to Phoenix, AZ and even if very cold sacrificial sheep were tended all year round.
  • Despite contrary claims, when Constantine became a Christian, paganism was on the decline and Christianity growing. Christians were heavily persecuted immediately before Constantine’s conversion for rejecting pagan practices of their day. Thus it’s fairly inconceivable that the church would wholesale want to adopt the dying rituals of paganism and “christen” it.

    I’d LOVE to hear others present other arguments / counter-arguments if you have any. Comment below.