It is generally believed that the birth of Christ is celebrated on December 25 because our savvy Christian forebears with a flare for marketing took over a winter solstice holiday from the surrounding pagans. Not so, apparently. Here is William J. Tighe on Calculating Christmas and Andrew McGowan on How December 25 Became Christmas. McGowan writes:
There is another way to account for the origins of Christmas on December 25: Strange as it may seem, the key to dating Jesus’ birth may lie in the dating of Jesus’ death at Passover. This view was first suggested to the modern world by French scholar Louis Duchesne in the early 20th century and fully developed by American Thomas Talley in more recent years. But they were certainly not the first to note a connection between the traditional date of Jesus’ death and his birth.
Around 200 C.E. Tertullian of Carthage reported the calculation that the 14th of Nisan (the day of the crucifixion according to the Gospel of John) in the year Jesus died was equivalent to March 25 in the Roman (solar) calendar. March 25 is, of course, nine months before December 25; it was later recognized as the Feast of the Annunciation—the commemoration of Jesus’ conception. Thus, Jesus was believed to have been conceived and crucified on the same day of the year. Exactly nine months later, Jesus was born, on December 25.
December 26th, 2012 | 11:22 am
When you think about it, the “stole the holiday from the pagans” explanation never was very plausible. That is completely incongruous with how the Christians of the first two or three centuries related to the dominant pagan culture.
December 26th, 2012 | 11:28 am
Additionally, it’s been argued that the December 25 date comports with dating the conception of John and Jesus from the normal schedule of priestly service — when Zechariah would have returned home to Judah to beget John, followed six months later by the Annunciation.
December 26th, 2012 | 11:59 am
Interesting. My main concern about this theory is that the ‘normal’ time from conception to birth is 40 weeks (9 1/3 months), not nine months. This may have been different in 1st century Palestine, but suggests to me that the date of Jesus birth would have been *around* 9 months after 14 Nisan.
December 26th, 2012 | 9:33 pm
40 weeks is time from last menustral period, not conception — normally the gap is two weeks before conception.
Anyway, nine months is the usual calculation.
December 26th, 2012 | 10:12 pm
I read this argument before in Mark Shea’s “Mary, Mother of the Son” books. My only difficulty is that Tighe doesn’t actually leave any decent references.
I am quite pleased with the second article, as he actually uses quotes, so it seems more plausible. I may discuss this with my more historically minded friends.
December 27th, 2012 | 1:14 pm
McGowan: “…; in the cold month of December, on the other hand, sheep might well have been corralled.”
Today, in Romania, I saw several shepherds keeping watch over there flocks in the fields, over one thousand miles north of Bethlehem.
And Christ was born during the Roman Warm Period.
December 27th, 2012 | 2:11 pm
“March 25 [the day of crucifiction] is, of course, nine months before December 25; it was later recognized as the Feast of the Annunciation—the commemoration of Jesus’ conception. Thus, Jesus was believed to have been conceived and crucified on the same day of the year.”
Why was it assumed that Jesus was crucified and conceived on the same day? Or put another way, on what basis was this recognized to be the Feast of the Annunciation? Thanks.
December 28th, 2012 | 10:42 pm
Andrew,
Well, start with this:
http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=talley&bi=0&bx=off&ds=30&recentlyadded=all&sortby=17&sts=t&tn=origins+of+the+liturgical+year&x=66&y=11
(*The Origins of the Liturgical Year* by Thomas J. Talley [1986])
EEC,
“Why was it assumed that Jesus was crucified and conceived on the same day?”
Because of a common inter-Testamental (ald later rabbinic) Jewish notion that all of the great prophets had died on the same date as their birth (or conception).
December 29th, 2012 | 2:43 am
The members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints celebrate Christmas with their fellow Christians, meaning December 25 in nations with Catholic or Protestant heritage. Nevertheless, there are passages in the Book of Mormon that suggest that Christ’s birth took place at the Passover season.
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