The Bible says nothing of celebrating the birth of Christ, and does not even mentions the specific day of the year of the event. Why then, is it one of the most celebrated days of the “Christian calendar”? Every year we hear people, even pastors, bemoaning the paganization of Christmas – how Santa Claus and greed have taken over this holy day. Little do they apparently know, the 25th of December was never holy to God, but has long been a pagan festival season celebrating the birth of the Sun god.
According to Bible:
Luke 2:8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
Luke 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
Palestine in December is very cold, it is not possible for the shepherds to be in the field with flock at night, the flock would have frozen to death.
So, if we follow the reasoning, based on the scriptural evidence, a case can apparently be made that Jesus Christ was born on the 15th day of the month of Tishri, on the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles, which corresponds to the September – October timeframe of present calendar!
December 25 seems to have been chosen on account of the Roman custom of keeping this day as the festival of Sol Invictus – i.e. of the re-birth of the sun god; it was judged fitting to substitute for the pagan feast a Christian one. Who shall correct this 1700 years old fallacy?
Links:http://biblelight.net/xmas.htm , http://biblelight.net/sukkoth.htm