What the celebration means and what it should mean

What you need to know:

  • This coincides with the winter solstice when the sun is farthest from the equator and seems to pause before returning— suggesting that the sun cannot be trounced by the powerful forces of winter. The first theory has it that the Christian Church chose December 25 to counter the “pagan” festival.
  • Christianity borrowed and appropriated the German custom of worship around trees in the dead of winter to become the Christmas tree next to the crib of the new-born babe Jesus.

When was Jesus Christ born? And why does the question arise in the first place?

In popular belief, Jesus Christ was born on Christmas Day, December 25. This is a date in local and global culture that signals the beginning of a festive season, ushering the end of the calendar year and the start of another.

Popular music such as that of Jim Reeves and Christmas carols celebrate the birth of Jesus as a matter of fact on this day. In terms of Church services, praise and worship during Christmas is rivalled only by Easter festivities and liturgies. But the question remains: why is the birth of Jesus celebrated on December 25? Where is the evidence? Of what significance is the event?

If truth be told, not a single scholar has produced conclusive evidence proving the exact date of birth. The fixing of December 25 is the product of a process involving the confluence of several factors over the centuries. Nobody knows the precise year or month or day of Jesus’ birth. There are several theories regarding how the birthday was determined.

One version is that as Christianity made efforts to spread in Europe in the 3rd century, it was in competition with various indigenous “pagan” religions. The Roman Emperor Aurelian, for example, had promoted the celebration of the birth of the invincible or unconquerable sun-god, dies natalis Solis Invicti”, a festival that fell on December 22.

COUNTER PAGAN FESTIVAL

This coincides with the winter solstice when the sun is farthest from the equator and seems to pause before returning— suggesting that the sun cannot be trounced by the powerful forces of winter. The first theory has it that the Christian Church chose December 25 to counter the “pagan” festival.

Several 3rd century theologians who were schooled in astronomy used equinoxes and solstices to support December 25 as Jesus’s birthday. The equinox, literally equal night and day, is the time or date when the sun crosses the equator.

The two equinoxes in the year are 20/21 March (spring equinox) and 21/22 September (autumn) equinox. There was a belief common among these theologians and sages that important people were conceived or born during an equinox.

These scholars calculated that John the Baptist, forerunner of Jesus Christ, was conceived during the autumn equinox, September 22 in order to be born around the summer solstice on June 24.

Knowing from Luke 1:26 that Jesus was conceived six months after the Baptist, they calculated this event to have occurred during the spring equinox around March 25 in order for the Saviour to be born, voila, on Christmas Day, December 25!

Even though these men of letters had proposed a birthday of Jesus that was gaining in acceptance, there were still several challenges arising from Christian and secular calendars.

As Europe became increasingly Christian, several aspects of secular culture were borrowed and merged with practices of the new faith.

Christianity borrowed and appropriated the German custom of worship around trees in the dead of winter to become the Christmas tree next to the crib of the new-born babe Jesus.

Anglo-Saxons later provided Christmas carols, much popularised by the famous writer Charles Dickens. Always seeking opportunity for profit, capitalism commercialised Christmas.

Have a blessed Christmas.

Prof (Fr). Lawrence Njoroge is Catholic Chaplain in Jkuat.