Christmas
TheFeastofChristmas
Itisnoteasytopin-pointtheoriginsoftheChristmasfeast,todaythemoreimportantfeastoftheChristmasseasoninmostwesternChristianchurches.OnecanonlysayforcertainthatthebirthofJesusChristwasbeingcelebratedinRomebytheyear336A.D.;afterwardsthefeastwascelebratedinotherChristianchurchesthroughouttheworld.
WhyitwascelebratedonDecember25thisanotherquestion.NodateforthebirthofJesuscanbefoundintheNewTestament,whichisconcernedmorewiththequestion"WhoisJesus?"thanthedateofhisbirth.EarlyChristianspeculationabouthisbirthdatewasinfluencedbythesymbolismofthechangingseasons,thenpopularinreligiousthought,whichpaidcarefulattentiontotheequinoxesandsolsticesofthesun.ChristianscholarsspeculatedthatJesuswasconceivedatthespringequinox(March25th)andthereforewasbornonDecember25th,thedateofthewintersolstice.
InmanyoftheChristianchurches,March25thisstilltheFeastoftheAnnunciation,whentheAngelGabrielannouncedtoMarythatshewastobethemotherofJesus.
PossibleimpluseforthefeastofChristmasmayhavecametoofromtheestablishmentofthepaganfeastofthe"UnconqueredSun-God"bytheEmperorAurelianin274A.D.tobecelebratedonDecember25,thedayofthewintersolsticeinRomeandthroughouttheempire.Inresponse,Christianscouldcelebratethefeastofthe"Sunofrighteousness"(Malachi4,2),JesusChrist,whocalledhimself"thelightoftheworld."
