Pia Stromme
Staff Writer
Christmas is one big birthday party celebrated in every corner of the world. And there is no doubt the birthday boy lived an exceptional life, since billions of people celebrate his birthday 2000 years after his death.
So Jesus might be the reason for the season, but when was He really born?
Truth is, no one knows.
It might have been April, it might have been June. He might not even have been born in year 0, but six years later. There seems to be a wide range of opinions. And new studies shows that we might have been a little wrong when it comes to the date we are celebrating the birthday boy.
The traditional view has been that Jesus was born December 25th. But some might see it as a paradox that they still teach us this in school, when so many scientists disagree.
“We don’t dwell on the date,” says primary school teacher, Rhya Ui Dochartaigh. “The important thing that we focus on in is the impact of His birth and why God chose to send his Son to earth.”
“I guess you could discuss the theories around Jesus’ birth to older children, but you wouldn’t really mention it to the younger ones” Rhya adds.
And the discussion now is on the table.
“Dates of birth vary between 7-2 B.C. Books on the historical Jesus will discuss the year Jesus was born”. Says Benjamin Wold, who lectures The New Testament and Christian Origins in TCD.
“But I know of no serious scholar who denies that Jesus lived, the questions relate more to who he was and what he did whilst alive”. Benjamin continues.
Clearly the date of birth was, and still is, uncertain. However, it was not until the fourth century that 25th of December, and January 6th in the East, was chosen as the date of Jesus birth. So about 300 years after he was born, people figured it was time to set the date. But how did they decide on these dates?
Many believes that the church moved this date to coincide with either the date of Roman winter solstice (the longest night of the year) or because it was exactly nine months after Jesus’ traditional conception date.
Some say early Christians decided to change the date because December was the time of a major pagan festival, the birth of the invincible sun god, hoping Christmas would overshadow these celebrations. Now the church could claim a new celebration for Christianity.
This theory also suggests that the church deliberately chose this date to spread Christianity and Christmas through the Roman beliefs. If the Christmas celebration looked like a pagan holiday, they hoped more pagans would be more open to the God whose birth they celebrated and the Christmas holiday.
Theology student, Camilla Osnes, says that “the answer to when Jesus was born, will vary between what scientists or historians you ask”. There is little about the date of His birth in the Bible. And therefore no way to know. The only writing from the Bible that hints that his birthday was closer to spring is how it tells of the shepherds who guarded their sheep out at night. With other words, it was most likely not a cold winter night.
We might never get an answer to when Jesus was born. But maybe the more important question to ask is, does it really matter? Whether Jesus was a Taurus or a Capricorn, it is still going to be Christmas.
It’s the time a year where the streets are filled with lights and busy people. The time a year we spend more money than we can afford, when we’re allowed to stuff our self with unhealthy food, and when it’s no shame to gain a few pounds.
Yes, it is finally Christmas!
So let’s embrace the Christmas madness and wish everyone a Happy Birthday!
I mean… a Merry Christmas!
