Why Is December 25th Used To Celebrate Christmas? Everything You Must Understand

Christmas is a widely observed holiday with a long history that combines many religious and cultural customs. It has been celebrated for millennia. Although December 25 is recognized as the day of Jesus’s birth, this was not always the case. Because the Bible is really quiet on the day or season when Mary is said to have given birth to Jesus in Bethlehem, different Christian communities celebrated Christmas on different dates throughout the early years of Christianity, including January 6 and March 25.

According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, celebrations most likely started in the second century, hence the holiday’s history and its December date may be traced back to the Greco-Roman era.

Christmas was first observed publicly by the Roman church on December 25, 336, the year of Emperor Constantine’s reign.

Regarding the date, there are also various hypotheses. According to a popular hypothesis, December 25 was selected to fall on the same day as Saturnalia, a Roman festival honoring Saturn, the god of agriculture, which helped people shift from celebrating pagan holidays to celebrating the Christian birth of Jesus.

People celebrated Saturnalia by dining, exchanging gifts, and having a good time—many of the traditions that still exist today around Christmas.

Christmas celebrations changed as Christianity expanded, absorbing aspects from other civilizations.

Christmas symbolism became intricately entwined with religious stories. The Bible’s account of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem gave rise to customs like nativity scenes, Christmas carols, and gift-giving as a metaphor for the magi giving presents to the baby Jesus.

Christmas festivities grew and incorporated traditions from other areas and civilizations throughout time. Christmas became a season of celebration in medieval Europe, complete with lavish feasts, theater productions, and social events. Christmas customs include the Yule log, a pagan representation of the winter solstice that symbolizes the season’s brightness and warmth.

Christmas festivities saw further changes due to the Industrial Revolution, which brought forth new traditions and inventions. Christmas trees are a popular custom that originated in Germany and were widely accepted in the 19th century.