Is Christmas biblical?
score:5
Potential dup (or near question) Why is Christmas on December 25th?
Regardless, the information there (and in its sources) help form an answer to your question.
December has carried significant "spiritual" weight throughout humanity, probably attached to the Winter Solstice. In addition to the things that you've mentioned, the traditional date for the purification of the Temple by the Maccabean Revolt (leading to a brief period of Jewish independence just before the birth of Jesus) is Dec. 25th (V-Day for the Maccabees). Also, it was the day that Sol Invictus became the official cult religion of the Roman Empire in the 200s which gave rise to a celebratory festival in the honor of the cult god on the 25th.
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Extending this, there is the potential that early Christians walked the fine line between being good citizens of both Heaven and Earth by not completely disrupting the societal norms (and holding a festival) but explicitly dedicating it to the birth of Jesus. As Christianity became more readily-accepted (ultimately with Constantine) perhaps the festival took on the more Christian understanding.
The relationship to Sol Invictus and the solstice is reason for 15th C. Christians rejecting its celebration.
Justo Gonzales has some good stuff in The Story of Christianity vols 1 & 2 which I am drawing upon (memory, though).
Upvote:2
There are two 'holidays' celebrated on December 25 in America.
- A secular holiday celebrating good children and awarding them with gifts.
- A Christian religious holiday celebrating the incarnation of the logos.
It is NOT a birthday party. Originally Jesus' birth was not celebrated. Because of Christian assimulation, the Christians wanted a reason to have a celebration on an already popular date full of tradition. Some of which is tied to the secular holiday such as praising children. Another holiday celebrated by the Romans was something like Holloween for adults. Slaves would act as the master and the master would act as the slave for the day. Early Christians made a holiday on this day as a feast day to celebrate the incarnation of the logos. Years later it was simplified to the birth of the christ child (same event, but different... meaning).
Different groups had different holidays on this day. Some people believe it was for the solstice.. and it was... but it isn't the only reason or the origin of the holiday.
I make mention of America because this holiday (secular or not) is not celebrated the same way through the world.
Upvote:7
If Christians were left to celebrating sacred events on days where no other pagan celebration has ever occurred, there would be no days available for Christian celebrations. So, on a day where some people at a certain time celebrated the birth of a god that never existed, Christians (Catholic and Protestant) choose to celebrate the birth of Jesus the Messiah. The two celebrations have absolutely nothing to do with each other, other than that they occur on the same day. (The common days for the Orthodox Christmas are January 6 and 7).
It is certainly possible that it was originally selected because it had been the celebration of a birth of a false deity before. That would make sense. The idea of redeeming a day of worshiping the birth of a false deity by celebrating the birth of the one true Lord and Messiah and worshiping Him is a great idea.
This would be especially so for people who come out of false religions worshiping false gods. As they continue to live in a culture that has various sacred observances, why not provide an alternative to these that worship the true and living God?
So, Jesus was definitely born, and it's a great thing to remember this incredible event each year in worship. We don't know exactly what day He was born, but December 25th is certainly fine. The kids are out of school, there are a lot of sales going on, and we have a day off of work. Why not?
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