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So when exactly is Christmas?


jesspy

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So when exactly is Christmas?

In exactly five months millions of people around the world will celebrate Christmas... or maybe not.

If Santas and elves from Europe, Australia and Japan have their way, the date of Christmas could be changed from December 25 to either December 24 or even January 6 or 7.

This controversial topic was discussed this week at the 50th International Santa Claus convention at which 160 Santas and elves gathered in Copenhagen, Denmark.

In most places around the world, Christmas Day is celebrated on December 25. However, the Armenian Apostolic Church, predominantly in South Western Asia, observes Christmas on January 6, while some old rite or old style Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate Christmas on January 7.

The date as a birth date for Jesus is merely traditional and is not widely considered to be his actual date of birth.

The debate has raised the eyebrows of some Christians in Durban who say the religious significance of Christmas always takes a back seat and should not be tolerated.

Bishop Lawrence Naidoo of the New Apostolic Church (NAC) in KwaZulu-Natal said all that mattered to him was that Jesus was born, crucified, resurrected, ascended and he that will be returning - the specific date is not important.

"If December 25 is the date given and accepted for centuries, I don't see a problem with that," he said.

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So when exactly is Christmas?

In exactly five months millions of people around the world will celebrate Christmas... or maybe not.

If Santas and elves from Europe, Australia and Japan have their way, the date of Christmas could be changed from December 25 to either December 24 or even January 6 or 7.

This controversial topic was discussed this week at the 50th International Santa Claus convention at which 160 Santas and elves gathered in Copenhagen, Denmark.

In most places around the world, Christmas Day is celebrated on December 25. However, the Armenian Apostolic Church, predominantly in South Western Asia, observes Christmas on January 6, while some old rite or old style Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate Christmas on January 7.

The date as a birth date for Jesus is merely traditional and is not widely considered to be his actual date of birth.

The debate has raised the eyebrows of some Christians in Durban who say the religious significance of Christmas always takes a back seat and should not be tolerated.

Bishop Lawrence Naidoo of the New Apostolic Church (NAC) in KwaZulu-Natal said all that mattered to him was that Jesus was born, crucified, resurrected, ascended and he that will be returning - the specific date is not important.

"If December 25 is the date given and accepted for centuries, I don't see a problem with that," he said.

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I know that my Ukrainian grandma celebrated it on Jan 7 until she was married and they started celebrating it on Dec 25 like my grandpa's family did.

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christmas for me was always a week early cause i always peeked :P

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So when exactly is Christmas?

In exactly five months millions of people around the world will celebrate Christmas... or maybe not.

If Santas and elves from Europe, Australia and Japan have their way, the date of Christmas could be changed from December 25 to either December 24 or even January 6 or 7.

This controversial topic was discussed this week at the 50th International Santa Claus convention at which 160 Santas and elves gathered in Copenhagen, Denmark.

In most places around the world, Christmas Day is celebrated on December 25. However, the Armenian Apostolic Church, predominantly in South Western Asia, observes Christmas on January 6, while some old rite or old style Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate Christmas on January 7.

The date as a birth date for Jesus is merely traditional and is not widely considered to be his actual date of birth.

The debate has raised the eyebrows of some Christians in Durban who say the religious significance of Christmas always takes a back seat and should not be tolerated.

Bishop Lawrence Naidoo of the New Apostolic Church (NAC) in KwaZulu-Natal said all that mattered to him was that Jesus was born, crucified, resurrected, ascended and he that will be returning - the specific date is not important.

"If December 25 is the date given and accepted for centuries, I don't see a problem with that," he said.

link

I agree with the Bishop that the dates don't matter as much. To some people it matters a whole lot, especially those who try to link Christianity with various forms of sun worship.

The fact of the matter, however, is that Christmas (intending to celebrate the birth of Christ Jesus) was placed on that day because it was already a holy day for many pagans. Though the exact date of Christ's birth is a subject constantly debated by Bible scholars, the theories that have the most weight point to an April or September birth.

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I agree with the Bishop that the dates don't matter as much. To some people it matters a whole lot, especially those who try to link Christianity with various forms of sun worship.

The fact of the matter, however, is that Christmas (intending to celebrate the birth of Christ Jesus) was placed on that day because it was already a holy day for many pagans. Though the exact date of Christ's birth is a subject constantly debated by Bible scholars, the theories that have the most weight point to an April or September birth.

i would say september. Isnt christmas the same date as the winter equinox (i cant spell)

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I seem to recall St Paul saying not to argue about which day to hold holy; just pick one. The date of Christmas isn't as meaningful to me as the symbolism of the date; it is supposed to be near the shortest day of the year to symbolize Light coming from Darkness.

Stripped of commercialism, Christmas as a festival of lights has tremendous meaning for all. Christian or not.

Peace,

RadicalGnostic

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It is unknown exactly when or why December 25 became associated with Jesus' birth. The New Testament does not give a specific date. Sextus Julius Africanus popularized the idea that Jesus was born on December 25 in his Chronographiai, a reference book for Christians written in AD 221. This date is nine months after the traditional date of the Incarnation (March 25), now celebrated as the Feast of the Annunciation. March 25 was also considered to be the date of the vernal equinox and therefore the creation of Adam. Early Christians believed March 25 was also the date Jesus was crucified. The Christian idea that Jesus was conceived on the same date that he died on the cross is consistent with a Jewish belief that a prophet lived an integral number of years.

In most places around the world, Christmas Day is celebrated on December 25. It is preceded by Christmas Eve on December 24, and in some countries is followed by Boxing Day on December 26. The Armenian Apostolic Church observes Christmas on January 6, while certain old rite or old style Eastern Orthodox Churches celebrate Christmas on January 7, the date on the Gregorian calendar which corresponds to 25 December on the Julian Calendar. The date as a birthdate for Jesus is merely traditional, and is not widely considered to be his actual date of birth.

The Roman Catholic Church celebrates (at least in my area) celebrates the first Sunday in January (the number date varies) as "Little Christmas". That is the day ALL Christmas decorations come down; both inside and outside. This might be a local tradition; not sure.

Hope this helps! xo, Jody :)

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Christmas in July - that would probably be closer to the actual time of Jesus' birth. Christmas itself is something I try to avoid, considering it's pagan roots. I do love carols though, and will never miss an opportunity to sing :whistle:

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I know that my Ukrainian grandma celebrated it on Jan 7 until she was married and they started celebrating it on Dec 25 like my grandpa's family did.

I thought it was January 6th ? 'little Christmas' I'm Ukrainian too. My gran celebrated both.

some place his birth , if he existed , in June/July and some in the fall , sept or november. december 25th wasn't chosen until the 3rd or 4 th century.

Edited by Lt_Ripley
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I thought it was January 6th ? 'little Christmas' I'm Ukrainian too. My gran celebrated both.

some place his birth , if he existed , in June/July and some in the fall , sept or november. december 25th wasn't chosen until the 3rd or 4 th century.

My grandma said it was the 7th, so right there shows the discrepancy of dates. Who knows when he was born? Scientists said that it would have been too cold in December for him to be born in a barn. I don't think they really have a clue to his real birthdate which really throws a wrench in the whole histroy.

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For the church's first three centuries, Christmas wasn't in December—or on the calendar at all.

Elesha Coffman

It's very tough for us North Americans to imagine Mary and Joseph trudging to Bethlehem in anything but, as Christina Rosetti memorably described it, "the bleak mid-winter," surrounded by "snow on snow on snow." To us, Christmas and December are inseparable. But for the first three centuries of Christianity, Christmas wasn't in December—or on the calendar anywhere.

If observed at all, the celebration of Christ's birth was usually lumped in with Epiphany (January 6), one of the church's earliest established feasts. Some church leaders even opposed the idea of a birth celebration. Origen (c.185-c.254) preached that it would be wrong to honor Christ in the same way Pharaoh and Herod were honored. Birthdays were for pagan gods.

Not all of Origen's contemporaries agreed that Christ's birthday shouldn't be celebrated, and some began to speculate on the date (actual records were apparently long lost). Clement of Alexandria (c.150-c.215) favored May 20 but noted that others had argued for April 18, April 19, and May 28. Hippolytus (c.170-c.236) championed January 2. November 17, November 20, and March 25 all had backers as well. A Latin treatise written around 243 pegged March 21, because that was believed to be the date on which God created the sun. Polycarp (c.69-c.155) had followed the same line of reasoning to conclude that Christ's birth and baptism most likely occurred on Wednesday, because the sun was created on the fourth day.

The eventual choice of December 25, made perhaps as early as 273, reflects a convergence of Origen's concern about pagan gods and the church's identification of God's son with the celestial sun. December 25 already hosted two other related festivals: natalis solis invicti (the Roman "birth of the unconquered sun"), and the birthday of Mithras, the Iranian "Sun of Righteousness" whose worship was popular with Roman soldiers. The winter solstice, another celebration of the sun, fell just a few days earlier. Seeing that pagans were already exalting deities with some parallels to the true deity, church leaders decided to commandeer the date and introduce a new festival.

Western Christians first celebrated Christmas on December 25 in 336, after Emperor Constantine had declared Christianity the empire's favored religion. Eastern churches, however, held on to January 6 as the date for Christ's birth and his baptism. Most easterners eventually adopted December 25, celebrating Christ's birth on the earlier date and his baptism on the latter, but the Armenian church celebrates his birth on January 6. Incidentally, the Western church does celebrate Epiphany on January 6, but as the arrival date of the Magi rather than as the date of Christ's baptism.

Another wrinkle was added in the sixteenth century when Pope Gregory devised a new calendar, which was unevenly adopted. The Eastern Orthodox and some Protestants retained the Julian calendar, which meant they celebrated Christmas 13 days later than their Gregorian counterparts. Most—but not all—of the Christian world now agrees on the Gregorian calendar and the December 25 date.

The pagan origins of the Christmas date, as well as pagan origins for many Christmas customs (gift-giving and merrymaking from Roman Saturnalia; greenery, lights, and charity from the Roman New Year; Yule logs and various foods from Teutonic feasts), have always fueled arguments against the holiday. "It's just paganism wrapped with a Christian bow," naysayers argue. But while kowtowing to worldliness must always be a concern for Christians, the church has generally viewed efforts to reshape culture—including holidays—positively. As a theologian asserted in 320, "We hold this day holy, not like the pagans because of the birth of the sun, but because of him who made it."

SOURCE http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/n...2000/dec08.html

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Christmas in July - that would probably be closer to the actual time of Jesus' birth. Christmas itself is something I try to avoid, considering it's pagan roots. I do love carols though, and will never miss an opportunity to sing :whistle:

My mum always told us it was a celebration of Christ crossed with a big end of year party when we were young. She found it hard trying to explain all the different ideas of Xmas and the different meanings it had

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I agree with the Bishop that the dates don't matter as much. To some people it matters a whole lot, especially those who try to link Christianity with various forms of sun worship.

yes i am one of "those people"

maybe if you could tell me how you disregard the similarities that dozens of religions and beliefs have which were made hundreds of years before christianity ... identical similarities.. down to the three kings, virgin birth.. resurrection turning items in to many items of the same.. turning water to wine etc so on and so forth..

i know its off topic so maybe even by private message... im just really really interested how you disregard these identical traits

one could be easily forgiven to think that *gasp* christianity was just another crazy cult born of astrological superstition.

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yes i am one of "those people"

maybe if you could tell me how you disregard the similarities that dozens of religions and beliefs have which were made hundreds of years before christianity ... identical similarities.. down to the three kings, virgin birth.. resurrection turning items in to many items of the same.. turning water to wine etc so on and so forth..

i know its off topic so maybe even by private message... im just really really interested how you disregard these identical traits

one could be easily forgiven to think that *gasp* christianity was just another crazy cult born of astrological superstition.

out of respect to the thread I started a new topic on this issue.

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There two events that had celestial meaning to the persians. One that happened involved a conjuction that occured in Leo (the king constellation) along with Jupiter and Regulus both (King star and King Planet). Sept 11th 3 B.C. was the first occurance and many think that this is the event that got the Magi's attention.Possibly the correct date of the birth of Jesus.

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Christmas is Sept. 27 This year. THE REAL CHRISTMAS, that is.

All the information from the Gospels as to the time frame of Jesus's birth puts it some time during the Feast of Booths/Tabernacles and as one wise Christian pointed out the scriptures say the Jesus is coming to "Tabernacle" with us. Also of intrest, which makes sense once you know the actual time of Jesus's birth, is that in the O.T. when describing the Messianic Age (that'll be when Jesus returns) it states that ALL the peoples of the Earth will HAVE to participate in the Feast of Tabernacles........and once you understand that that is Jesus birth date, the real Christmas, it makes sense.

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I thought it was January 6th ? 'little Christmas' I'm Ukrainian too. My gran celebrated both.

some place his birth , if he existed , in June/July and some in the fall , sept or november. december 25th wasn't chosen until the 3rd or 4 th century.

My grandma said it was the 7th, so right there shows the discrepancy of dates. Who knows when he was born? Scientists said that it would have been too cold in December for him to be born in a barn. I don't think they really have a clue to his real birthdate which really throws a wrench in the whole histroy.

Lt_Ripley, your grandmother is Catholic. Glorybebe, your grandmother is or was Orthodox. They operate on separate liturgical calendars. January 6 is Epiphany on the Gregorian calendar, which Catholics use. January 7 on the Gregorian calendar corresponds to December 25 on the Julian calendar, which Orthodox in Eastern Europe are still using for liturgical purposes.

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i thought the germans invented christmas: Kris kringle, rudolph, blitzen, doner, comet i thought this is german. I didnt know it had pagan ties. Anyway it is funny you brought this up why is thanksgiving allways on a thursday.

Edited by hnnjsn
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the whole thing is a very interesting subject. i should look into it more

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