Changes

==History==

==History==

[[Image:Parmigianino Virgin with Child.jpg|right|thumb|The Holy Virgin with her Child]]Nativity narratives feature prominently in both Matthew and Luke. Early Christians had a great deal of interest in establishing the date of the birth of Jesus. But no evidence could be found in the gospels. According to historian Stephen Hijmans:

[[Image:Parmigianino Virgin with Child.jpg|right|thumb|The Holy Virgin with her Child]]Nativity narratives feature prominently in both Matthew and Luke. Early Christians had a great deal of interest in establishing the date of the birth of Jesus. But no evidence could be found in the gospels. According to historian Stephen Hijmans:

{{cquote|Clement of Alexandria [c. 150 – 215], for instances mentions (and dismisses) proposals that Christ was born on April 19 or May 20 and himself calculated the date as November 17, 3 BC. Other suggested dates included March 28 and April 2, but not December 25. None of these dates were influential, or enjoyed any official recognition.<ref>Hijmans, p. 584</ref>}}

{{cquote|Clement of Alexandria [c. 150 – 215], for instances mentions (and dismisses) proposals that Christ was born on April 19 or May 20 and himself calculated the date as November 17, 3 BC. Other suggested dates included March 28 and April 2, but not December 25. None of these dates were influential, or enjoyed any official recognition.<ref>Hijmans, S.E., ''Sol: The Sun in the Art and Religions of Rome,'' 2009, p. 584.</ref>}}

The choice of December 25 as the birthdate of Jesus was influenced by universal historians. These writers wanted to present history in the form of cycles. According to an ancient Jewish tradition, the equinox is the anniversary of the first day of Creation. On the Roman calendar, the equinox was marked on March 25. In 221, Sextus Julius Africanus wrote a universal history that gave March 25 not only as the first day of Creation but also as the date the conception of Jesus.<ref name=NewCath>"Christmas and its cycle", ''New Catholic Encyclopedia'', 2nd edition, 2002, Catholic University of America Press. vol. 3, pp. 550–557.</ref> It implies a birth in December, although Africanus did not calculate a date of birth himself.<ref>Hijmans, S.E., ''Sol, the sun in the art and religions of Rome,'' 2009, p. 585, footnote 8.</ref> Solar symbolism was extremely common among Christian writers of the time.<ref>Hijmans notes the "the pervasive use of the sun as metaphor for Christ in early Christian literature, in which he is often referred to as “Sol verus”, “Sol Justitiae”, etc." (Hijmans, p. 584).</ref> It was justified by the identification of Jesus as the "sun of righteousness" mentioned by the prophet Malachi.<ref>Malachi 4:2.</ref> In the Middle Ages, Christians celebrated New Year's Day on March 25.  

The choice of December 25 as the birthdate of Jesus was influenced by universal historians. These writers wanted to present history in the form of cycles. According to an ancient Jewish tradition, the equinox is the anniversary of the first day of Creation. On the Roman calendar, the equinox was marked on March 25. In 221, Sextus Julius Africanus wrote a universal history that gave March 25 not only as the first day of Creation but also as the date the conception of Jesus.<ref name=NewCath>"Christmas and its cycle", ''New Catholic Encyclopedia'', 2nd edition, 2002, Catholic University of America Press. vol. 3, pp. 550–557.</ref> It implies a birth in December, although Africanus did not calculate a date of birth himself.<ref>Hijmans, p. 585, footnote 8.</ref> Solar symbolism was extremely common among Christian writers of the time.<ref>Hijmans notes the "the pervasive use of the sun as metaphor for Christ in early Christian literature, in which he is often referred to as “Sol verus”, “Sol Justitiae”, etc." (Hijmans, p. 584).</ref> It was justified by the identification of Jesus as the "sun of righteousness" mentioned by the prophet Malachi.<ref>Malachi 4:2.</ref> In the Middle Ages, Christians celebrated New Year's Day on March 25.  

Nativity celebration must have arisen sometime after 300 as earlier writers were not aware of it. Irenaeus and Tertullian give both give lists of Christian feasts that do not include Christmas. Origen and Arnobius both fault the pagans for celebrating birthdays.<ref>McCracken, George, ''Arnobius of Sicca, the Case Against the Pagans'', Volume 2, p. 83. "Therefore if this is a fact, how can Jupiter be god if it is agreed that god is everlasting, while the other is represented by you to have a birthday, and frightened by the new experience, to have squalled like an infant."</ref>

Nativity celebration must have arisen sometime after 300 as earlier writers were not aware of it. Irenaeus and Tertullian give both give lists of Christian feasts that do not include Christmas. Origen and Arnobius both fault the pagans for celebrating birthdays.<ref>McCracken, George, ''Arnobius of Sicca, the Case Against the Pagans'', Volume 2, p. 83. "Therefore if this is a fact, how can Jupiter be god if it is agreed that god is everlasting, while the other is represented by you to have a birthday, and frightened by the new experience, to have squalled like an infant."</ref>

The Chronography of 354 records that a Christmas celebration took place in Rome in 336.<ref name="Chrono354">The manuscript reads, ''VIII kal. Ian. natus Christus in Betleem Iudeae.'' "[http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/chronography_of_354_12_depositions_martyrs.htm The Chronography of 354 AD. Part 12: Commemorations of the Martyrs]," ''The Tertullian Project''. 2006.</ref> The creation of the feast may be a response to the Trinitarian controversy that was raging at the time. It was introduced to the Eastern Roman Empire after the death of Emperor Valens, who favored the [[Arian]] heresy, in 378. Christmas has a unique three-mass liturgy that gives a priest three opportunities to inveigh against heretics. Once Arianism died out, the status of Christmas declined.

The Chronography of 354 records that a Christmas celebration took place in Rome in 336.<ref name="Chrono354">The manuscript reads, ''VIII kal. Ian. natus Christus in Betleem Iudeae.'' ("[http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/chronography_of_354_12_depositions_martyrs.htm The Chronography of 354 AD. Part 12: Commemorations of the Martyrs]," ''The Tertullian Project''. 2006.)</ref> The creation of the feast may be a response to the Trinitarian controversy that was raging at the time. It was introduced to the Eastern Roman Empire after the death of Emperor Valens, who favored the [[Arian]] heresy, in 378. Christmas has a unique three-mass liturgy that gives a priest three opportunities to inveigh against heretics. Once Arianism died out, the status of Christmas declined.

In the Early Middle Ages, Christmas was overshadowed by Epiphany (January 6). The holiday regained prominence in the time of Charlemagne, who was crowned as emperor on December 25, 800.  

In the Early Middle Ages, Christmas was overshadowed by Epiphany (January 6). The holiday regained prominence in the time of Charlemagne, who was crowned as emperor on December 25, 800.  

The end of the year was a "holiday season" of varied celebration in pagan Rome, and it remains so in modern times. Saturnalia began on December 17 and lasted for three to five days. It was followed by ''Dies Natalis Solis Invicti'' on December 25 and Kalends on January 1 to January 4. Saturnalia was exclusive to Italy while Sol was a sun god associated with emperors [[Aurelian]] and [[Constantine]].

The end of the year was a "holiday season" of varied celebration in pagan Rome, and it remains so in modern times. Saturnalia began on December 17 and lasted for three to five days. It was followed by ''Dies Natalis Solis Invicti'' on December 25 and Kalends on January 1 to January 4. Saturnalia was exclusive to Italy while Sol was a sun god associated with emperors [[Aurelian]] and [[Constantine]].

The cycle of solstice and equinox is a natural phenomena significant to religions of widely varying character. As Steven Hijmans wrote in ''Sol: The Sun in the Art and Religions of Rome'':

The cycle of solstice and equinox is a natural phenomena significant to religions of widely varying character. As Hijmans writes:

{{cquote|It is cosmic symbolism ... which inspired the Church leadership in Rome to elect the winter solstice, December 25, as the birthday of Christ, and the summer solstice [June 24] as that of John the Baptist, supplemented by the equinoxes as their respective dates of conception. While they were aware that pagans called this day the “birthday” of Sol Invictus, this did not concern them and it did not play any role in their choice of date for Christmas.<ref name="Hijmans">Hijmans, p. 595.</ref>}}

{{cquote|It is cosmic symbolism ... which inspired the Church leadership in Rome to elect the winter solstice, December 25, as the birthday of Christ, and the summer solstice [June 24] as that of John the Baptist, supplemented by the equinoxes as their respective dates of conception. While they were aware that pagans called this day the “birthday” of Sol Invictus, this did not concern them and it did not play any role in their choice of date for Christmas.<ref name="Hijmans">Hijmans, p. 595.</ref>}}