Every December, the world turns its attention to celebrating the birth of Jesus the Christ on December 25. Yet Scripture itself never gives a date for His birth, and the biblical clues don’t support that date. Luke 2:8 records that shepherds were “living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.” In Judea, shepherds did not remain in open fields during the cold, rainy winter months. Also, the Bible does not verify the season of Christ’s birth, while it carefully anchors His death and resurrection to the Passover calendar. That silence should give us pause. God chose to mark redemption with precision, while leaving the nativity undated, perhaps to keep the focus on the person of Christ rather than a prescribed festival.
Following the biblical timeline carefully, a fall birth for Jesus is more likely. Luke tells us that John the Baptist’s father, Zechariah, was a priest from the division of Abijah (Luke 1:5). That detail matters because Israel’s priests served in a fixed rotation established centuries earlier (1 Chronicles 24). Each division served one week at a time, and Abijah’s was the eighth in order. Jewish practice places the start of this cycle around Passover, putting Zechariah’s service in late May or early June. Luke then tells us that after Zechariah returned home, Elizabeth conceived, putting John’s birth in late winter or early spring. Luke also tells us Mary conceived Jesus about six months later, placing Jesus’ birth in early autumn, aligning naturally with the Feast of Tabernacles and John’s words, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).
So why December 25? The answer lies not in Scripture, but in Roman history. By the fourth century, as Christianity rose within the Roman Empire, church leaders settled on December 25 as the date to commemorate Christ’s birth. That date coincided with well-established pagan festivals, most notably Saturnalia and the celebration of Sol Invictus, the “Unconquered Sun.” Many understand that the Roman Catholic Church embraced this alignment intentionally, assigning Christian meaning to existing pagan celebrations to make conversion easier across the empire. Rather than dismantling pagan festivals, Christian symbols and holy days were layered over them. This approach accelerated growth, but it also blended biblical faith with cultural convenience–effects that are still felt today. Not all believers accepted that blending.
The Puritans and Separatist Pilgrims rejected Christmas altogether. In early New England, December 25 was treated as a normal workday, and public celebration was discouraged or even fined. They reasoned that scripture does not command the celebration of Christ’s birth, and December 25 carried associations they believed compromised pure worship. Guided by the conviction that worship practices must be grounded explicitly in Scripture, they chose restraint over tradition. Romans 14:5 provides needed perspective: “One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind.” Any time Christ is celebrated, is good. But it’s also good to know the truth, understand the history, and have the matter settled clearly in your heart.
Sources & References
Scripture (NKJV)
Luke 1–2; 1 Chronicles 24; John 1:14; Romans 14:5–6
Biblical & Historical Scholarship
Andrew McGowan, “How December 25 Became Christmas,” Biblical Archaeology Society
https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/new-testament/how-december-25-became-christmas/
Thomas J. Talley, The Origins of the Liturgical Year
https://litpress.org/Products/4556/The-Origins-of-the-Liturgical-Year
Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI), The Spirit of the Liturgy
https://www.ignatius.com/The-Spirit-of-the-Liturgy-P89.aspx
Pagan Festivals & Cultural Context
Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Saturnalia”
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Saturnalia
Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Sol Invictus”
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sol-Invictus
Steven Hijmans, “Sol Invictus, the Winter Solstice, and the Origins of Christmas”
https://www.academia.edu/375228/Sol_Invictus_the_Winter_Solstice_and_the_Origins_of_Christmas
Puritans & Early Protestant Practice
History.com, “Why the Puritans Banned Christmas”
https://www.history.com/news/why-puritans-banned-christmas
Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Puritanism”
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Puritanism
