The dating of Christmas

[Owen Jones]

IT seems like every year at this time one sees articles on the dating of Christmas that argue it was designed to counter the pagan saturnalia. I recall having read a few things disputing this, but does anyone have any serious sources as to how the Church actually arrived at this date, and when the Feast was first practiced and where?

[Andreas Moran]

I did a Google search, 'dating Christmas' and the results were nothing at all to do with theology!

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

IT seems like every year at this time one sees articles on the dating of Christmas that argue it was designed to counter the pagan saturnalia. I recall having read a few things disputing this, but does anyone have any serious sources as to how the Church actually arrived at this date, and when the Feast was first practiced and where?

Here is some info I found from an ongoing translation by Fr Eugene Tarris of Bulgakov's Handbook for Churchservers. Although it was compiled in 1900 it still is frequently referred to for the wealth of information it contains concerning the origin of Church practices especially within the Russian church.

Perhaps in the next few day I will post the rest of the 9 pages from this book as it is of real interest.

Sorry that in copying & pasting it was difficult to re-align the paragraphs properly.




Nativity of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ in the Flesh

The birth of our Lord Jesus Christ by the Ever Virgin Mary (Mt1:18-25, 2:1-12; Lk. 2:1-20) in Bethlehem1 is celebrated on the present day. The beginning of the establishment of this feast belongs to the earliest time of the Church. In the standard
opinion, the feast of the Nativity of Christ is older in the Western Church than in the Eastern; but this should only be understood about the time of celebrating the feast on December 25. In the Eastern Churches it was celebrated on January 6 until the 4th century and was known by the name of Theophany. This feast had a special character and was dedicated not only strictly to the memory of the birth or baptism of Christ, but in general to the appearance of God in the flesh, to the revelation in Christ and through Christ of the divine grace. This is why the feast is called Theophany or, more precisely, the manifestation - e/pifa,neia. The initial basis to celebrate the Nativity of Christ on January 6 served not the historical connection with the birth of the Lord to this date, who even for antiquity remained an unknown person, but the mystical understanding of the relationship between the first and second Adam, between the originator of sin and death and the Author of life and salvation. The second Adam, according to the mystical understanding of the ancient Church, was born and died on the same day on which the first Adam was created and died, - on the sixth corresponding to January 6, the first month of year. Thus the unity between the Eastern and Western Churches concerning the time of celebrating the birth on December 25 is established only since the 4th century. From this view point the feast was entered into the Constantinopolitan Church for the first time about the year 377 under the decree of Emperor Arcadius according to the custom of the Roman Church and due to the energy and the power of the eloquence of St. John Chrysostom, and from here it spread to all the Orthodox East2.

Already the very subject of the feast also points out the purpose of its establishment: the commemoration and glorification of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ in the flesh by the All Holy Virgin Mary. This is the first and basic purpose of the establishment of the feast. Very early another idea was connected to it: in this precise establishment of the feast by means of disclosing true doctrines about the incarnation and the birth of the Savior counters the errors of the heretics: the Ebionites, Docetists and Basilidians. Due to these false doctrines and that on the very feast on January 6 the ancient Church paid its main attention to the commemoration of the event of the birth of Christ as the very appearance of God in the flesh. In the 4th century with the occurrence and spread of Arianism, the new and strongest motive appeared to glorify the event of the birth of Christ for the Orthodox Church.

Finally, with reference to feast on December 25 the Church meant to give a counterbalance to the pagan cult and to protect believers froparticipating in it. It is known, that among the Romans the feast of the so-called, dies natalis Solis invicti [day of the nativity of the unconquerable Sun] falls on December 25, serving the expression of the idea of the continual return of the year and as if the sun is renewed and of the former day of unbridled amusements of the people, with the day of entertainment for slaves and children and so forth.

Thus in itself this day was more appropriate for the commemoration of the event of the birth of Jesus Christ, Who in the New Testament frequently is referred to as the sun of the truth, light of the world, salvation of the people and victor of life and death, but the reprehensible pagan commemoration was sufficient motive for the Church to improve it according to the meaning of its lofty Christian commemoration. Therefore the ancient Church, already denying the identity of the two similar feasts, the pagan and Christian, will adopt the feast of the Nativity of Christ of the observed meaning and the expressive denial also of pagan superstitions and customs3.

Asserting our faith in the greatest mystery of the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ and condemning all heretics, who deformed this teaching by sophism,the Holy Church, celebrating the Nativity of Christ, in its hymns describes this feast as a day of universal joy, "for today is born a Savior, Who is Christ the Lord"(Lk. 2:10-11). "Let heaven and earth", exclaims the Holy Church, "today be gladdened in the prophecy"; "all creation leaps for joy for the Savior Lord was born for its sake in Bethlehem: for every idolatrous deception ceased, and Christ reigns forever"4.

At the same time the Holy Church celebrating the Nativity of
Christ morally teaches us the holy life of the One Who was worthy to be born the Lord. "For us today is born a Savior, Who is Christ the Lord", "for the sake of humanity and for our salvation", and we, now celebrating this birth of Christ the
Lord, naturally, should ignite in ourselves the determination to be reborn from a sinful life to a life holy and pleasing to God. Our Lord Jesus Christ having come down to earth entered into a relationship of grace with us and "was not ashamed to
call us brethren" (Heb. 2:11); but, in order for us to be worthy of this lofty dialogue and of union, in order not to turn ourselves away from the Lord Who came down from the heavens, it is necessary for us to leave the darkness of sin and to come nearer to light of faith, piety and good deeds.

The Creator and Master of heaven and earth appeared in the world not in glory and magnificence, but in need, poverty
and humiliation; the King Who reigns and the Lord Who dominates accepts not luxurious chambers, but a poor cave. By this the majesty of humility, poverty, meekness, simplicity and the perniciousness of pride, riches, vanity and luxury is shown to us. Worthy to be the first to hear the good news of the angels about the birth of the Savior of the world and the first to worship Him were simple Bethlehem shepherds (about them see below), and after them the wise Persian magi (about them see below), and thus at the manger of the Savior we see two sorts
of people - shepherds and magi, i.e. the simplest people and the most educated people.

By this we are inspired that the Lord accepts each and all: those pleasing to Him and the simple illiterate, when they are connected to the true fulfillment of their calling, with the purity of conscience and life; human wisdom is not rejected
by Him when it is able to subordinate itself to the inspiration from above and uses its knowledge to the glory of God and for the use of neighbor. This teaches each one to be content with his participation and at the same time demonstrates that no
calling and position interferes with their coming nearer to God, that pure and sincere labor, inspired by faith and hope in God is the conscientious fulfillment of the duties always pleasing to God and attracts His blessing that in the eyes of God the precious things are not external advantages in the light, but purity of heart and of conscience, meekness and humility of spirit, submissiveness and obedience to the law of God, patience and compliance, hope and fidelity to will of God,
gentleness and goodwill to neighbor, going irreproachably before God in all the commandments and precepts, that these precious qualities do not belong exclusively to any estate, that in all callings and positions the person may be
pleasing to God, if he will be well pleasing to Him in word, desire and thought.

In general the event of the appearance of God in the flesh picturesquely described in the festal services with all the circumstances surrounding it represents by itself an inexhaustible source for our edification5.

Troparion, tone 4
Thy Nativity, O Christ our God,
Has shone to the world the light of wisdom,
For by it those who worshipped the stars,
Were taught by a star, to adore Thee
The Sun of righteousness,
And to know Thee the Orient from on high:
O Lord glory to Thee.

Kontakion, tone 3
Today the Virgin give birth to the transcendent One
And the earth offers a cave to the unapproachable One,
Angels and shepherds glorify Him,
Wise men journey with the star:
Since for our sake the eternal God was born as a little child.

Magnification (Megalynaria)
We magnify Thee, O Lifegiver Christ, who for our sake is now born in
the flesh from the unwedded and immaculate Virgin Mary.

[Owen Jones]

Thank you FAther, but I have also read things that claim that the date was really set in accord with the Annunciation, and the Annunciation date was set based upon the presumed date or a presumed date of the Resurrection, because of a Jewish tradition that the Prophets died on their birthday, in which case it would have absolutely nothing to do with the pagan festival of the solstice. Plus I also read something to the effect that the date was actually in place BEFORE the Saturnalia was instituted.

[Jonathan Michael]

Thank you FAther, but I have also read things that claim that the date was really set in accord with the Annunciation, and the Annunciation date was set based upon the presumed date or a presumed date of the Resurrection, because of a Jewish tradition that the Prophets died on their birthday, in which case it would have absolutely nothing to do with the pagan festival of the solstice.

Yes, I had heard the same. I cannot give an exact reference, but it was Tertullian who assumes that Christ was crucified on the 25th of March, giving that also as the date of the Annunciation. The Nativity comes 9 months after that. Tertullian being no later than mid-3rd century of course.

That Christ's Nativity was celebrated on the Theophany, and the reason for dating the Theophany as the 6th of Janurary was interesting; I didn't know that before.

[Kosta]

There were many dates given by the early ante-nicene Fathers as to when Christ was born. Some Fathers didnt even like the idea of commemorating a birthday or speculating on it. St Hippolytus was the first Father to give Dec. 25th as the birth date of Jesus Christ about 3 decades before the Emperor Aurelian dedicated Dec 25th to Mithra and the Sun God (274 a.d.).

Christmas became a fixed festival in Rome about 336 a.d. and in Constantinople in 379 a.d.

This is an interesting article:

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2004/12/23/special_reports/religion/21_50_1412_22_04.txt

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

Thank you FAther, but I have also read things that claim that the date was really set in accord with the Annunciation, and the Annunciation date was set based upon the presumed date or a presumed date of the Resurrection, because of a Jewish tradition that the Prophets died on their birthday, in which case it would have absolutely nothing to do with the pagan festival of the solstice. Plus I also read something to the effect that the date was actually in place BEFORE the Saturnalia was instituted.

Yes, this could very well be. Bulgakov is more a compiler of information from different sources about the services than an interpreter.

From what I have read I get the sense that Nativity as a specific feast centred on Christ's Incarnation arose in response to the dualist/gnostic heresies.

The dating I am not sure. One reads of a connection to the old Roman holiday of the sun but others refer to a purposeful dating in relation to the Annunciation.

Given the early date when the feast developed (the feasts of the Theotokos come quite a bit later) I would say that the purposeful dating in relation to the Annunciation is a reading back of later understanding.It is a way of connecting and relating the actual annunciation and bearing of Christ by the Mother of God to Christ's Incarnation.

One often sees similar explanations of the feasts and it shouldn't be discounted. In an important sense this is how the Church unfolds the inner meaning of her life.

To get back to the 25th of Dec date however it could be that the Church transformed the pagan feast with its own feast. This isn't a case of a pagan feast in a Christian mask as is often described nowadays. But rather the reverse effort (and I do think a conscious effort was involved) of pointing to Who the True Sun of righteousness is.

In this case then the Nativity feast in the west would have addressed two issues at once- the dualist heresies and the pagan religion of the time.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Nina]

I did a Google search, 'dating Christmas' and the results were nothing at all to do with theology!

:) Yes. For a second I thought the thread was dealing with dating during Christmas time. :)

[John Wilson]

Touchstone Magazine Article "Calculating Christmas" (http://www.touchstonemag.com/archives/article.php?id=16-10-012-v)

I'm pretty sure the feast day of the Annunciation of the Theotokos was already well established on March 25, and December 25 is nine months later which is consistent with four other feast days:

St Anne's Conception of the Theotokos (Dec 9)
Nativity of the Theotokos (Sep 8)

St Elizabeth's Conception of St John (Sep 23)
Nativity of St John the Forerunner (Jun 24)

John

[Owen Jones]

Is it possible to find an exact reference to this issue in Hippolytus? And/or the date or era when the Annunciation was first commemorated? Or any exact reference from Tertullian on the topic?

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

Is it possible to find...the date or era when the Annunciation was first commemorated? Or any exact reference from Tertullian on the topic?

In the introductory section of The Lenten Triodion entitled the Inner Unity of Triodion, Kallistos Ware writes that,

"The Akathistos Hymn, so it seems, was originally composed at an epoch when the Annunciation was still celebrated together with Christmas and had not yet become a separate festival... It was probably during the reign of the Emperor Justinian (527-65) that the Annunciation first began to be celebrated on 25 March; and either when this happened or else soon after- and in any case not later than 718- the Akathistos Hymn was also appointed to be sung on March 25." (p 54).

In general the liturgical celebration of the Theotokos in distinction from her Son occurs gradually from the 5th century onwards. Much of the inspiration for this springs from the increasing focus on the role of the Mother of God in terms of the Incarnation which is evidenced to at the Third Ecumenical Council in 431.

It is from this time in general that the great Patristic homilies on the Theotokos begin to appear (St Ephraim's references to the Mother of God come a bit earlier) although we also shouldn't forget the earlier references in Sts Justin and Irenaeus.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Fred B.]

The wikipedia entry on Sol Invictus has a link to a very interesting dissertation on Sol worship in Rome around the 4th century. There are some interesting ideas I had not read before, some of which are mentioned in the Touchstone article linked above. Here is a link to the ch.9 of the dissertation:
http://dissertations.ub.rug.nl/FILES/faculties/arts/2009/s.e.hijmans/vol1/09_c9.pdf

The url can be modified to get the other chapters, so to get ch. 8 for example, the url would be: http://dissertations.ub.rug.nl/FILES/faculties/arts/2009/s.e.hijmans/vol1/08_c8.pdf