Changes

The Bible does not give a date for the birth of Jesus. The holiday is exactly nine months following [[Annunciation]] on March 25. On the Roman calendar, March 25 was marked as the [[spring equinox]] while December 25 was considered the date of the [[winter solstice]]. Both of these dates are traditional and merely approximate.<ref>Sosigenes of Alexandria intended March 25 to be the date of the equinox when he designed the Julian calendar. The calendar was introduced by Julius Caesar in 45 BC. By modern calculations, the equinox is on March 21 or 22. A calendar reform by Augustus is responsible for much of the misalignment. It is possible there was also an error present from the beginning.</ref> According to an ancient Jewish tradition, the equinox is the anniversary of the first day of Creation. Influenced by this tradition, Christians in the Middle Ages celebrated New Year's Day on March 25. The first recorded Christmas celebration was in Rome in 336.<ref name=NewCath>"Christmas and its cycle", ''New Catholic Encyclopedia'', 2nd edition, 2002, Catholic University of America Press. vol. 3, pp. 550–557.</ref>

The Bible does not give a date for the birth of Jesus. The holiday is exactly nine months following [[Annunciation]] on March 25. On the Roman calendar, March 25 was marked as the [[spring equinox]] while December 25 was considered the date of the [[winter solstice]]. Both of these dates are traditional and merely approximate.<ref>Sosigenes of Alexandria intended March 25 to be the date of the equinox when he designed the Julian calendar. The calendar was introduced by Julius Caesar in 45 BC. By modern calculations, the equinox is on March 21 or 22. A calendar reform by Augustus is responsible for much of the misalignment. It is possible there was also an error present from the beginning.</ref> According to an ancient Jewish tradition, the equinox is the anniversary of the first day of Creation. Influenced by this tradition, Christians in the Middle Ages celebrated New Year's Day on March 25. The first recorded Christmas celebration was in Rome in 336.<ref name=NewCath>"Christmas and its cycle", ''New Catholic Encyclopedia'', 2nd edition, 2002, Catholic University of America Press. vol. 3, pp. 550–557.</ref>

In Western countries, during the Christmas season people generally hang up colored lights, place a [[Christmas tree]] (typically an evergreen tree) in their house, sing [[carol]]s (songs), and exchange gifts. Gift-giving commemorates the gifts given to the Christ child by the Wise Men and is symbolic of the fact that Jesus came as gift to mankind from [[God]].  

In Western countries, during the Christmas season people generally hang up colored lights, place a [[Christmas tree]] (typically an evergreen tree) in their house, sing [[carol]]s (songs), and exchange gifts. Gift-giving commemorates the gifts given to the Christ child by the magi and is symbolic of the fact that Jesus came as gift to mankind from [[God]].  

==History==

==History==