Joshua Bennett
The exact date of Jesus' birth is not known, and there is no magisterial documentation of it being on December 25th. However, this date has been widely accepted by Christians since the fourth century, and it is celebrated as Christmas, derived from Cristes Maesse, meaning The Mass of Christ. Some biblical scholars and saints have claimed that Jesus was born on December 25th, while others argue for a different date, with evidence suggesting a birthday between December and February, or possibly in the summer. The choice of December 25th may be linked to the winter solstice and pagan festivals, but this is not certain.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Jesus' birth | 25th of December, though some sources claim between December and February, or summer |
| Evidence | The New Testament does not name a specific date, but some Church Fathers do |
| Reason for December 25 | The Church chose this date due to its ancient origin and widespread acceptance |
| Alternative dates | Some groups of Christians celebrated the feast of Christ's birth on March 28, April 19/20, or May 20 |
| Reason for alternative dates | The Orthodox and some Eastern Catholics use the Julian Calendar instead of the Gregorian Calendar |
| Celebration by early Christians | Early Christians were not concerned with the date of Christ's birth or with celebrating it |
| Reason for celebration by early Christians | They saw the coincidence of the date with pagan festivals as a providential sign of God's choice of Jesus over false pagan gods |
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What You'll Learn
- The Church Fathers who celebrated December 25 believed it was when Jesus was born
- The Gospels do not provide Jesus's birth date
- Some Christians believe Jesus was born on May 20, March 28, or April 19/20
- The date of December 25 was chosen due to its ancient origin and widespread acceptance
- The date is not a formal teaching of the Church
The Church Fathers who celebrated December 25 believed it was when Jesus was born
While the exact date of Jesus' birth is not known, some Church Fathers did believe that he was born on December 25. The earliest evidence of this belief can be traced back to the early third century, with Clement of Alexandria stating in AD 194 that Jesus was born 194 years, one month, and thirteen days before the death of Emperor Commodus, which would place Jesus' birth in December.
Other early Christian writers, such as Theophilus and Hippolytus, also mention December 25 as the date of Jesus' birth. By the fourth and fifth centuries, this date had become widely accepted and celebrated as the feast of Christ's birth. However, it is important to note that this date was chosen due to its ancient origin and widespread acceptance, not as a declaration of the literal date of Jesus' birth.
The choice of December 25 may have been influenced by the desire to provide a Christian alternative to pagan festivities celebrating the winter solstice and the birthday of the sun. However, there is no direct evidence that the Church Fathers explicitly intended to replace pagan celebrations. Instead, they sincerely believed that December 25 was the date of Jesus' birth, and their choice was based on calculations and interpretations of cosmic symbolism.
While some scholars argue that Jesus may have been born in a different season, such as the fall or summer, the mild winters in Judea and rabbinic rules about sheep near Bethlehem suggest that a winter birth is not implausible. Ultimately, the exact date of Jesus' birth is not a matter of doctrine, and Christians can take comfort in the significance of his birth and its celebration, regardless of the specific day.
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The Gospels do not provide Jesus's birth date
The Gospels of Matthew and Luke are the only two that offer narratives regarding the birth of Jesus. Both agree that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, that his mother was Mary, and that Joseph was not his biological father. However, they disagree on details of Joseph's lineage. Importantly, neither of these Gospels, nor any other secular text, states the date of Jesus's birth.
The date of Jesus's birth has been estimated by working backward from historical events mentioned in the Nativity accounts, such as the death of Herod, which would place the date between 6 BC and 4 BC. Other methods include associating the claimed astrological portents with historical astronomical alignments. Jack Finegan, for instance, calculates that Jesus was born somewhere between December and February, based on a guess about which of the two priestly services Zechariah was performing when he received the message about his own son's birth. However, guessing the opposite about Zechariah’s service would point to a birth in the summer.
The first Christians were not concerned with the date of Christ's birth or with celebrating it. However, Church documents from the 4th and 5th centuries mention December 25 as an ancient and widespread feast of Christ's birth. The Church chose this date due to its ancient origin and widespread acceptance, not as a declaration of the literal date of Jesus's birth. Pope Benedict XVI, for instance, stated that December 25 may have developed in opposition to the Mithras myth or as a response to the cult of the unconquered sun promoted by Roman emperors. Some Christians may have chosen this date to provide an alternative to a popular pagan celebration.
While some have claimed that Jesus was not born on December 25 to disparage or undermine Christianity, sincere Christians have also argued that Jesus was born on another day. Ultimately, the particular day of Jesus's birth is a matter of history rather than doctrine, and Christians need not be disturbed by the idea that he was born on another day.
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Some Christians believe Jesus was born on May 20, March 28, or April 19/20
The exact date of Jesus' birth is not mentioned in the gospels or in any historical sources, and the evidence is too incomplete to allow for consistent dating. The date of Jesus' birth has been a subject of great interest, with early Christian writers suggesting various dates.
Some Christians in Egypt, circa 200, believed that Jesus was born on May 20, according to Clement of Alexandria. De paschæ computus, written in 243, notes that some Christian groups celebrated Christ's birth on March 28, while others celebrated on April 19/20. These dates in March, April, and May were also suggested by early Christian writers in the third century.
The Church chose to celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25 due to its ancient origin and widespread acceptance. The writings of Theophilus and Hippolytus mention that Christ was born on December 25, and fourth- and fifth-century writings mention this date as an ancient and widespread feast of Christ's birth.
The New Testament does not name a specific day as the date of Jesus' birth, but some Church Fathers do. Based on a guess about which of the two priestly services Zechariah was performing, Jack Finegan calculates a birthday between December and February, lending plausibility to a winter birth. However, making the opposite guess would point to a summer birth.
The exact date of Jesus' birth is a matter of history rather than doctrine, and Christians need not be disturbed by the idea that he was born on another day. While some saints claim Jesus was born on December 25, it is not a formal teaching of the Church. The actual date of Jesus' birth is not a matter of doctrine, and the Church's choice of December 25 is a liturgical celebration rather than a declaration of the literal date.
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The date of December 25 was chosen due to its ancient origin and widespread acceptance
The exact date of Jesus' birth is unknown and is not a formal teaching of the Church. The Gospels do not provide information on the date of Jesus' birth, and the early Christians were not concerned with the date of Christ's birth or with celebrating it. However, some Church documents refer to the liturgical celebration of Jesus' birth on December 25. The date of December 25 was chosen by the Church due to its ancient origin and widespread acceptance.
St. Theophilus (AD 115-181), bishop of Caesarea, stated, "We ought to celebrate the birthday of Our Lord on what day soever the 25th of December shall happen." St. Hippolytus (170-240) also mentioned in his Commentary on Daniel that the birth of Christ occurred on December 25. Fourth- and fifth-century writings mention December 25 as an ancient and widespread feast of Christ's birth. Many ancient writings, especially in the East, place the celebration on January 6 but usually combine it with the Epiphany.
Some people argue that the date of December 25 was chosen to coincide with pagan festivals, such as the pagan solstice festival or the pagan Sol Invictus holiday. However, others refute this claim, stating that early Christian writers never hinted at any intentional calendrical engineering and that the coincidence was seen as a providential sign of God's selection of Jesus over false pagan gods. Additionally, if Christians were trying to subvert the pagan holiday of Sol Invictus, one would expect to find Church Fathers suggesting an alternative celebration, which is not the case.
Based on scriptural detective work and calculations related to the pregnancy of John the Baptist's mother, Elizabeth, some estimate that Jesus could have been born in December or late November. Clement of Alexandria stated that "from the Lord's birth to the death of [the emperor] Commodus comprises 194 years, one month, and thirteen days," which also lends plausibility to a winter birth. However, others argue for a summer birth, and Christians in Egypt believed Jesus was born on May 20. Ultimately, the exact date of Jesus' birth remains uncertain, and Christians need not be disturbed by the idea that he may have been born on a different day.
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The date is not a formal teaching of the Church
While there are several theories about the date of Jesus's birth, the exact day is not known. The Gospels do not provide any information about the date of Jesus's birth. The New Testament also does not name a specific day as the date of Jesus's birth.
Some Church Fathers did name a date for Jesus's birth. Around AD 194, Clement of Alexandria stated that "from the Lord's birth to the death of [the emperor] Commodus comprises 194 years one month and thirteen days", which would place Jesus's birth in December or January. Circa 200, Clement of Alexandria also noted that Christians in Egypt believed Jesus was born on May 20. De paschæ computus, written in 243, notes that some groups of Christians celebrated the feast of Christ's birth on March 28, and others on April 19 or 20. The writings of Theophilus (died 181) and Hippolytus (died 240) mention that Christ was born on December 25. Fourth- and fifth-century writings mention December 25 as an ancient and widespread feast of Christ's birth. Many ancient writings, especially in the East, place the celebration on January 6, but this is usually combined with the Epiphany.
The Church chose December 25 due to its ancient origin and widespread acceptance. However, the Church is not declaring de fide that this is the literal date Jesus was born. While there are liturgical celebrations of Jesus's birth on December 25, there are no magisterial documents establishing it as a Church teaching. The date of Jesus's birth is a matter of history rather than doctrine, and Christians need not be disturbed by the idea that he was born on another day.
There are several theories about why December 25 was chosen. One theory suggests that the date was chosen to create an alternative to a popular pagan celebration. However, there is little evidence to support this claim. Early Christian writers never hinted that the date was chosen to mimic a pagan festival, and it was not until the 12th century that this suggestion was first made. Another theory is based on the conception of John the Baptist. St. Luke recorded that the Archangel Gabriel told Mary that Elizabeth was six months pregnant with John (Lk 1:36), which means the Annunciation occurred on March 25. Nine months from March 25 or six months from June 24 (the Nativity of St. John the Baptist) would render the birth of Christ on December 25.
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Frequently asked questions
No, there is no proof that Jesus was born on December 25th. The Gospels do not provide an exact date of birth. However, some scriptural detective work and calculations based on the pregnancies of John the Baptist's mother Elizabeth and Mary, Jesus's mother, place the birth of Christ at December 25th.
Some people claim that the date of December 25th was chosen to coincide with the pagan festival of Sol Invictus. However, others argue that early Christians would have been intensely interested in the day of Jesus's birth and based the date on Mary's memory.
No, not all people who claim that Jesus was born on another day want to disparage Christianity. There are sincere Christians who argue that Jesus was born on another day, and some are trying to protect Christianity from being tainted by pagan associations.
No, the particular day Jesus was born on is a matter of history rather than doctrine. While some Church Fathers named December 25th as the date of Jesus's birth, it is not a magisterial teaching of the Church.
