DO WE CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS ON THE DAY OF THE ROMAN SUN?

 

ARE WE CELEBRATING THE SOLSTICE DAY ON THE 25^TH OF DECEMBER?

Some Christians are afraid of uniting themselves to the Nativity celebration of our Lord Jesus Christ because they have heard that the ancient Church chose the pagan day of the ‘Invincible Sun’ imposed by Roman Emperor Aurelian in 274, on the 25^th of December. But that is not correct.

The Calendar in used by the time the 25^th of December was chosen, was the ancient Roman Calendar imposed by Julius Caesar in the year 46, which was called ‘Julian’ for that reason. It was on the 25^th of December of that calendar that the Romans celebrated their pagan festival, which is equivalent to the 7^th of January on our modern calendar.

In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII designed his new calendar, called ‘Gregorian’ for that reason, which is an average of 13 days behind than the old Julian calendar. Keeping with the traditions, he also kept Christmas on the 25^th of December in his new calendar, and the original 25^th of December came to be the 7^th of January in that new calendar.

The new ‘25^th of December’ it is really the 12^th of December of the original Christian calendar.

Then, the whole Western world keeps Christmas on the 12^th of December according to the original calendar the primitive Christians used to celebrate the Nativity, and not on the 25^th of December which was the date of the Invincible Sun.

Far from any pagan concept.

Omar Flores.