The unexpected truth about Christmas: Jesus was not born on December 25

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Millions of people celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on December 25. This date has become widely accepted in the Christian tradition, but historical research and analysis of the Bible indicate that it is unlikely to be real. In addition, it is believed that Jesus was not even born in 1 AD.

Professor Javier Alonso López of the University of Madrid believes that the question of the exact date of Jesus' birth did not concern the early Christians of the first and second centuries AD, and that establishing December 25 as Christmas Day was a matter of religious politics.

In imperial Rome, the Saturnalia took place between December 17 and 23, in honor of Saturn, the god of crops. It was a few days of popular fun, festivities, decorating houses with plants, exchanging gifts, and a certain moral indulgence, when slaves could sit at the table with their masters and were even served by them. According to Lopez, the Saturnalia was a holiday that was very popular, so when the empire adopted Christianity, the suppression of the pagan holiday was very welcome.

In addition, the holiday almost coincided with the winter solstice, when the days began to lengthen again, ending the period of “darkness” and opening the way to an ever-increasing enjoyment of the sun, which was also used by religion as a way to show the “light of God.”

“In any case, when in 325 AD the entire empire adopted Christianity as the official religion, pagan dates began to be replaced by Christian ones. Thus, in 350 AD Pope Julius I proposed celebrating the birth of Jesus on December 25, and four years later his successor Liberius officially declared this day a holiday,” writes Javier Alonso López.

Some historians suggest that Jesus may have been born in the spring. This is because, according to biblical texts, shepherds tended flocks of sheep. However, such activity could not have taken place in December, when it snowed. In his book “Jesus the Jew: Politics and Myth,” historian Ignacio L. Goetz suggests that Jesus may have been born “in the late spring of that year, because the pregnancy began in the fall after the harvest and there was enough money for a wedding feast.”  

Year of Birth of Jesus

Researchers also do not have the exact year of Jesus' birth. Most scholars, based on the biblical description and historical information about the reign of King Herod the Great, believe that Jesus was born between 6 and 4 BC. It is known that Herod died in 4 BC, and the story of the massacre of infants when he ordered the killing of children in Bethlehem indicates that the birth of Christ could have occurred shortly before this event.

Some researchers offer hypotheses regarding the year of Jesus' birth, focusing on astronomical phenomena. For example, there is an assumption that the Star of Bethlehem was the result of the union of Venus and Jupiter, which formed a bright star in the sky, which could be seen in June 2 BC. e. Other scholars believe that it could have been the union of Saturn with Jupiter, which occurred in October 7 BC. e.

Despite centuries of research, the exact date of Jesus' birth remains a mystery. However, the celebration of Christmas on December 25 has become an important symbolic date for millions of believers, reflecting a deep spiritual meaning rather than historical accuracy.