4U2NV Posted September 15, 2006 Share Posted September 15, 2006 Saturnalia was the feast at which the Romans commemorated the dedication of the temple of the god Saturn, which took place on 17 December. Over the years, it expanded to a whole week, up to 23 December. In the vagaring Roman calendar the Winter Solstice fell in this period; in imperial times that event was celebrated in honour of Sol Invictus and put on 25 December by emperor Aurelian in 274, so after the Saturnalia. There is a theory that Christians in the fourth century assigned December 25th (the Winter Solstice on the Julian calendar) as Christ's birthday (and thus Christmas) because pagans already observed this day as a holiday. This would sidestep the problem of eliminating an already popular holiday while Christianizing the population. source Discuss........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carmine Posted September 15, 2006 Share Posted September 15, 2006 I think this one's done the rounds already. It was moved there for the sake of convenience and to promote harmony in Rome. Some branches of the Christian faith still celebrate Christ's birth on different days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KJ_VENOM Posted September 15, 2006 Share Posted September 15, 2006 christmas is celebrated in december to coincide with winter celebrations in the celting and druidic religions according to scholers jesus was born any time between 4bc and 1ad but i cant remember which month its thought he was born Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carmine Posted September 15, 2006 Share Posted September 15, 2006 It's actually nothing to do with celts and druids as Yule falls between the dates of 20th & 23rd December. It was a Roman decision under Constantine to promote religious harmony. As a part of the Empire at the time the date was adopted in this country and has been observed ever since (apart from when Cromwell cancelled it...killjoy!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pennypie Posted September 15, 2006 Share Posted September 15, 2006 Christmas time is all about the worship of the sun and pagan celebrations, Jesus was probably born about October time(ish) couldn't have been December as it would have been cold and snowy and the sheep would have been in shelter, whereas the shepherds were out tending them! Now that's interesting isn't it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plekhanov Posted September 15, 2006 Share Posted September 15, 2006 Early Christian’s co-opted and Christianised all manner of existing festivals both religious and non religious wherever they went, Easter for example I think takes it’s name from a Germanic fertility god. As for when in the year Jesus’ birth should be celebrated I really don’t think most Christians care all that much, it’s what rather than exactly when that matters to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damon Posted September 15, 2006 Share Posted September 15, 2006 ...whereas the shepherds were out tending them... ...and washing their socks while watching BBC. (Before that dastardly angel of the lord came down and switched to ITV.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pennypie Posted September 15, 2006 Share Posted September 15, 2006 ...and washing their socks while watching BBC. (Before that dastardly angel of the lord came down and switched to ITV.) Tell me about it - how very dare he!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don_Kiddick Posted September 15, 2006 Share Posted September 15, 2006 Isn't it something to do with the banks closing? Or was that Moses partring them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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