Originally posted by Tassman
View Post
First, the festival for Sol Invictus being celebrated on Dec. 25 was established by Marcus Aurelius c. 274 or 275 A.D. -- almost three quarters of a century after it was being celebrated in Rome on that day. Prior to that it was celebrated on a wide variety of days, including in August, but never on December 25th.
Second, December 25 was first identified as the date of Jesus’ birth by Hippolytus of Rome in his Commentary on the prophet Daniel in the early part of the first decade of the third century, almost two decades before Sextus Julius Africanus did so in 221.
Third, the Saturnalia festival was traditionally celebrated sometime between December 17th and 23rd. If you want to co-opt another holiday then you aren't going to place them on different days.
Fourth, during the time that December 25th was first declared to be the date of Christ's birth Christianity was a persecuted minority and were opposed to borrowing from pagan traditions of such an obvious character but were instead taking great pains to distinguish themself from them. That practice didn't begin to change until after Constantine converted to Christianity a century later.
So the idea that Christmas being celebrated on December 25th as an attempt to co-opt pagan celebrations not just falls flat but falls hard.
Comment