English 
Chinese 
Dutch 
Arabic 
Spanish 
Portuguese 
Russian 
French 
Italian 
German 
Japanese 
Continue reading with a subscription
Get unlimited access to all our premium content and exclusive features.
Enjoy unlimited access, cancel anytime.
Summary
- Christians began celebrating Christmas on December 25th during the 3rd and 4th centuries, with early evidence from a Roman almanac in 354 AD.
- The date was influenced by theological reasoning, cultural context, and political factors, with connections to pagan winter solstice festivals like Sol Invictus.
- The Gospels do not provide a specific date for Jesus’ birth; early Christians focused more on Easter, and later used theological calculations to determine December 25th.
- Most Western Christian denominations celebrate Christmas on December 25th, while Eastern Orthodox churches often celebrate it on January 7th due to calendar differences.
Bibliography (Click to show)
Bibliography:
Altahir, A. A., Mathur, N., Thiruchelvam, L., Abro, G. M., Radzi, S. S. M., Dass, S., Gill, B., Sebastian, P., Zulkifli, S., & Asirvadam, V. (2020). Modeling the Impact of Lock-down on COVID-19 Spread in Malaysia. bioRxiv.
Anaehobi, V. (2016). REDISCOVERING THE PASTORAL ZEAL OF OUR FATHERS IN FAITH: THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE PASTORAL STRATEGIES OF LEON ALEXANDRE LEJEUNE (1900-1905) FOR NIGERIAN CHURCH TODAY.
Bates, J. (2014). Seeking-And Finding-Leeway: Christ Hudson, New York.
Boland, J., Szkody, E., Daniel, K. E., Aggarwal, P., Selby, E., Peterman, A., & Washburn, J. J. (2022). Health service psychology doctoral training during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic: May 1st to June 25th, 2020. Training and Education in Professional Psychology.
Bradshaw, P. (2020). The Dating of Christmas.
Bullen, N. N. (1954). Hymns of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Cunanan, E. M. (2021). True Harmony Between Liturgy and Popular Piety: Expressing The Thomasian Faith in The Sabuaga Festival. Scientia.
Esteve-Faubel, J., & Esteve-Faubel, R.-P. (2015). The Festivities of the Winter Solstice: Songs and Customs of the Valencian Community. Western Folklore, 74, 343.
Kahveci, G. (2012). Traditional usage of the fir species: fir as a Christmas tree from Middle Asia to Europe. Kastamonu University Journal of Forestry Faculty, 12, 8–14.
McCann, S. (2020). Christmas, wine and Covid-19. Bone Marrow Transplantation, 56, 1227–1228.
Mendikulova, G., & Nadezhuk, E. (2019). Kazakh-Russian Roots of Alla Ilchun (yelshin) Combated Against Fascism, the Future Muse of Christian Dior (december 10, 1926 – march 6, 1989). Journal of History.
Nazianzen, G. (2021). From Theotokos to Intercessor: The Early Homiletic Witness (c. 400–600). The Virgin Mary in Byzantium, c.400-1000.
Novitskiy, I. A. (2024). From Liubech to St. George`s Day. Vestnik Slavianskikh Kul’tur Bulletin of Slavic Cultures(#)(#)(#).
Polat, E. (2023). Determining Efficiency of 15 OECD Countries Coping with Covid-19 using Data Envelopment Analysis after 2 Years of Pandemic. Cumhuriyet Science Journal.
Praja, C. B. E., Pambuko, Z. B., Setiyo, M., Yuliastuti, F., Setiawan, A., Dewi, V. S., Muliawanti, L., & Hakim, H. A. (2023). Recent patents for handling Covid-19: Snapshot from Indonesian patent database. 3RD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF BIO-BASED ECONOMY FOR APPLICATION AND UTILITY.
Ramandha, D., & Sholihah, A. B. (2023). Content Analysis on Urban Heritage Resilience in The Covid-19 Era. Journal of Architectural Research and Design Studies.
The Oxford Handbook of Christmas. (2020).
Tite, P. (2009). The spiritual seed. The Church of the Valentinians . By Einar Thomassen. (Nag Hammadi and Manichaean Studies, 60.) Pp. xv+549. Leiden–Boston: Brill, 2006. €129. 90 04 14802 7; 0929 2470. The Journal of Ecclesiastical History, 60, 755–758.
Tyson, J. R. (2007). Charles Wesley and the Church of England: A Commemorative Essay.
Worwood, J., Scharp, K. M., & Phillips, K. E. (2020). I Don’t Want to Have a Weird Relationship with You, So I’m Trying: Relational Turning Points and T.
A, M., & Dhas, G. V. (2022). The Belifes of Christians in the Early Church. International Research Journal of Tamil.
Al-Azdee, M. (2015). A case study of the online coverage of the Christmas day Bombing Attempt in the New York Times. Mass Communicator: International Journal of Communication Studies, 9, 4–16.
Allen, R. J., Muckler, M. T., Rollefson, J., Chilton, D. L., & Yang, S. (2009). 24–25 December 2009 ¢ Christmas Eve ¢ Christmas Day. Homily Service, 43, 41–51.
Ardagh, P. (2001). The Truth About Christmas.
Baker, E., Whiting, W. E., & Burrill, C. (2019). Ellsworth American¯: December 25, 1918.
Bratcher, D. (2005). The Twelve Days of Christmas.
Calder, W. (1923). Aeschylus, Septem c. Thebas, 101–102. The Classical Review, 37, 166–166.
Cappelletti, M., Jansari, A., Kopelman, M., & Butterworth, B. (2008). A case of selective impairment of encyclopaedic numerical knowledge or ‘when December 25th is no longer Christmas day 20+5 is still 25.’ Cortex, 44, 325–336.
Clark, R. (n.d.). Clark, Russell Stuart 1905-1966¯:Samuel Marsden’s first service in New Zealand. The Gospel of Jesus Christ first proclaimed on these shores by the Rev. Samuel Marsden at Oihi, Bay of Islands, Christmas Day, 1814 Christchurch(#)(#)(#) N.Z. Church Missionary Society 1964(#)(#)(#).
Couch, A. J. (2003). The Nativity of Our Lord Christmas Day December 25, 2003. 30, 395.
Cruickshank, S. (2007). Christmas in the setting. 2007, 7–8.
Ebner, H. (n.d.). Geburts=und Tauffschein. Birth and Baptism(#)(#)(#) of Jonas Frank, dated December 25, 1815.
Esteve-Faubel, J., & Esteve-Faubel, R.-P. (2015). The Festivities of the Winter Solstice: Songs and Customs of the Valencian Community. Western Folklore, 74, 343.
Fotheringham, J. (1923). The Probable Error of a Water-clock. The Classical Review, 37, 166–167.
Gavin, D. G., Bartlein, P. J., & Mock, C. J. (2023). Historical archives reveal record rainfall and severe flooding in December 1867 resulting from an atmospheric river and snowmelt, western Washington, USA. PLOS Climate.
Hammond, P. (2006). An Australian Christmas. 2006, 34–34.
Henderson, F. (2010). The Dispositions of those who heard the first report of Jesus’ birth, applied to our own.
Kahveci, G. (2012). Traditional usage of the fir species: fir as a Christmas tree from Middle Asia to Europe. Kastamonu University Journal of Forestry Faculty, 12, 8–14.
Kajder, K. (2024). Bloody Christmas Eve in Ochotnica Dolna. Remembrance Practices of the Pacification of Ochotnica Dolna, Poland, on 23 December 1944 from an Anthropological Perspective. Anthropos?
Kennedy, I. (2011). Military Commissions, Criminal Court, and the Christmas Day Bomber. Boston College International and Comparative Law Review, 34, 413.
Lankford, R. D. (2013). Sleigh Rides, Jingle Bells, and Silent Nights: A Cultural History of American Christmas Songs.
Li. (2011). Jewish Activities on Christmas: An Online Case Study.
Maier, P. (1991). In the Fullness of Time: A Historian Looks at Christmas, Easter, and the Early Church.
Marshall, A. (2016). The Holidays Are Coming!: Consumerism and Post-Fordist Society.
Maruyama, J., Tovo-Rodrigues, L., Santos, I., Murray, J., Hoertel, A., & Matijasevich, J. M. (2023). Changes and predictors of adolescent emotion regulation, self-esteem, and locus of control during the COVID-19 pandemic: 2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort. Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria, 45, 389–396.
McCann, S. (2020). Christmas, wine and Covid-19. Bone Marrow Transplantation, 56, 1227–1228.
Nofianti, A., Suhendra, C. D., & Sanglise, M. (2024). Implementation of Predicting the Availability of Chicken Eggs on Christmas Day Using Artificial Neural Network Backpropagation. Indonesian Journal of Computer Science.
Quintal, R. O. B. (2012). Una Historia De Larga Duración: La Navidad. 2, 3.
Ribak-Rosenthal, N., & Russell, T. (1994). dealing with religious differences in december: a school counselor’s role. Elementary School Guidance and Counseling, 28, 295–301.
Schmidt, T. (2015). Calculating December 25 as the Birth of Jesus in Hippolytus’ Canon and Chronicon. Vigiliae Christianae, 69, 542–563.
Sermon. (2020). Chromatius of Aquileia, Sermon 32.1.
Simmons, C. A. (2019). Sir John Herschel and Browning’s Christmas-Eve and Easter-Day. ANQ. A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes, and Reviews, 34, 139–143.
Smoliak, O., Ovod, N., & Spolska, O. (2023). Traditional Pre-Christmas Holidays of Western Podillya. Revista de Etnografie Și Folclor / Journal of Ethnography and Folklore.
Specified, N. (n.d.). New Zealand Commander carves the turkey on Christmas Day, Chateau Segard, 1917.
Stephens, W. (1958). December 25. Friday. Christmas Day.
The Oxford Handbook of Christmas. (2020).
Vermès, G. (2007). The Nativity: History and Legend.
Wegener, M. I. (2016). The Arrival of Jesus as a Politically Subversive Event According to Luke 1–2. 44.
Wibawa, G. (2012). Serpihan – Serpihan Sejarah Tentang Hari Natal.
Zazueta-Borboa, J.-D., Samper-Ternent, R., Wong, R., & Mehta, N. (2024). Economic disadvantage during childhood, obesity, and diabetes across three birth cohorts of older Mexicans. The Journals of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences.
