Debunked? Sure… it was just a coincidence the Romans held were doing christmas-like activities on dec 25th. and it wasnt limited to just one. But there were others.
According to some scholars, the emperor Aurelian instituted in AD 274 the festival Dies Natalis Solis Invicti (‘birthday of the Invincible Sun’) on 25 December
Saturnalia is an ancient Roman festival and holiday in honour of the god Saturn, held on 17 December in the Julian calendar and later expanded with festivities until 19 December. By the 1st century BC, the celebration had been extended until 23 December, for a total of seven days of festivities.
Sextus Julius Africanus (160–240), an early third-century Christian historian, is among the first to refer to Jesus’s conception on March 25 and thus, by simple math, his birth nine months later on December 25.
The evidence supporting the theory that Christmas is pagan is incredibly shaky that there are far better explanations.
In Rome, this yearly festival was celebrated with thirty chariot races.
That’s not very Christmas-like
parties, banquets, and exchanges of gifts
This also happens at birthdays, weddings and anniversaries, Halloween, Easter, Eid, Baptisms, confirmations, Coronations and Jubilees, etc. it’s just standard party behaviour.
Totally pure conciendence he choose march 25th as the day of conception. (Spring equinox) which meant jesus would be born around winter solstice. Despite the evidence in the bible would strongly disagree with a winter birth. There may not be direct influence, but previous traditions most certainly influenced Christian traditions.
The Early Christians weren’t keen to imitate the idolatrous romans who were persecuting them at the time. It really is a long stretch.
Despite the evidence in the bible would strongly disagree with a winter birth.
The only reason is that the shepherds were out tending a flock at night. It turns out the temperature in Palestine was actually suitable enough to do this in December, and it was early lambing season. So it’s still a possibility, although emphasis on “possibility”.
The Early Christians weren’t keen to imitate the idolatrous romans who were persecuting them at the time. It really is a long stretch.
They also didnt celebrate jesus birth at that time, instead of focusing on death (and rising). It wasnt until around Constantine when Christians started celebrating his birth.
It wasn’t until Constantine that Christians could practice more openly. Also, after Constantine is the first recording of Christmas being celebrated, it doesn’t mean that it wasn’t celebrated beforehand. Interestingly enough, our source for that - the Roman almanac in 336 - is older than the earliest source for sol invictus being on the 25th of December in the Chronography of 354. If anything, it could have very well been the pagans changing their dates to compete with Christians, which is what happened in Scandinavia when Yule was moved to the 25th of December to coincide with Christmas.
Debunked? Sure… it was just a coincidence the Romans held were doing christmas-like activities on dec 25th. and it wasnt limited to just one. But there were others.
https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/ff-christmas
The evidence supporting the theory that Christmas is pagan is incredibly shaky that there are far better explanations.
That’s not very Christmas-like
This also happens at birthdays, weddings and anniversaries, Halloween, Easter, Eid, Baptisms, confirmations, Coronations and Jubilees, etc. it’s just standard party behaviour.
Totally pure conciendence he choose march 25th as the day of conception. (Spring equinox) which meant jesus would be born around winter solstice. Despite the evidence in the bible would strongly disagree with a winter birth. There may not be direct influence, but previous traditions most certainly influenced Christian traditions.
The Early Christians weren’t keen to imitate the idolatrous romans who were persecuting them at the time. It really is a long stretch.
The only reason is that the shepherds were out tending a flock at night. It turns out the temperature in Palestine was actually suitable enough to do this in December, and it was early lambing season. So it’s still a possibility, although emphasis on “possibility”.
They also didnt celebrate jesus birth at that time, instead of focusing on death (and rising). It wasnt until around Constantine when Christians started celebrating his birth.
It wasn’t until Constantine that Christians could practice more openly. Also, after Constantine is the first recording of Christmas being celebrated, it doesn’t mean that it wasn’t celebrated beforehand. Interestingly enough, our source for that - the Roman almanac in 336 - is older than the earliest source for sol invictus being on the 25th of December in the Chronography of 354. If anything, it could have very well been the pagans changing their dates to compete with Christians, which is what happened in Scandinavia when Yule was moved to the 25th of December to coincide with Christmas.