Everybody knows Christmas is on December 25th. That’s when we celebrate the birth of Jesus. Come to think of it, was Jesus born on December 25th?
While the Bible doesn’t give us an exact date for when Jesus was born, we do have a couple of clues from the Scriptures that indicates it probably was not December 25th.
The Census
(Luke 2:1-5) In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) and everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.
It would have been highly unlikely for a census to be taken at this time of year. Decembers in this area typically had poor weather conditions. This would have made the traveling required for a census very difficult. The distance Joseph and Mary traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem for the census was 70 miles. Due to Mary being pregnant, it is hard to imagine her making that trip at this time of the year.
The Shepherds
(Luke 2:6-8) While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.
It would not have been normal for the shepherds to have been living out in the fields with their flocks in December. The shepherds would have needed better shelter for themselves and their flocks due to the weather. The usual time to find shepherds in the fields was from spring until sometime in the fall. Fall is when the rains started.
Why December 25th For Jesus’ Birthday?
So how did December 25th come to be recognized by most of the world as the day to celebrate the birth of Christ? The first clear mention of December 25th in relation to celebrating Jesus’ birthday was not until 336 AD. The most popular theory for why this date was chosen is that it was a Christian substitute to counter pagan festivals of the Roman world that were already happening at that time of the year. This included the celebration of the sun-god and winter solstice.
Not knowing the exact date of Jesus’ birthday doesn’t dampen the spirit of Christmas in any way. He is the reason for the season. The fact that he was born, whatever day it was, should be celebrated every day of the year!
