Christmas Readings
Devotions for 25 days in December
A Word About December 25th
The exact date of Jesus' birth is not specified in the Bible, and there is no historical evidence that definitively establishes December 25 as the day of his birth. In the 4th century, Pope Julius I chose December 25 as the date to celebrate the birth of Jesus, likely to coincide with existing Roman festivals like Saturnalia and Sol Invictus, which were celebrated around the same time.
Though December 25 has become the widely accepted date for Christmas, various Christian traditions and denominations celebrate Christmas on different dates. The Gregorian Calendar, introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582, celebrates Christmas on December 25 and is followed by Western Christianity, including Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, and many other denominations.
The Julian Calendar, proposed by Julius Caesar in 46 BC, which is 13 days behind the Gregorian Calendar, celebrates Christmas on January 7. Many Eastern Orthodox churches, including the Russian Orthodox Church, celebrate Christmas on January 7. This date corresponds to December 25 on the Julian calendar.
Fortunately, the date does not matter. The day does not matter. What matters is that Jesus was born as a historical person. There is plenty of Biblical and Extrabiblical evidence regarding the historical existence of Jesus (See Evidence of Jesus Outside the Bible). These Readings will look at the plentiful Biblical evidence of his birth. Anyone is welcome to celebrate Christmas on any day. Since December 25th is the most commonly celebrated day, it gives us an opportunity to talk about Jesus. Any reason to talk about Jesus is a good reason and there is no better reason than on the most widely recognized day of his birth.
