Some skeptics seem to believe they have discovered the secret that will bring down the "myth of Christianity" - that there is no historical evidence that Jesus was really born on December 25th. They exhibit further delight when they expose that this date can actually be tied to ancient pagan holidays related to the Winter Solstice. What gives here?
It is true that December 25th was probably NOT the actual birthday of Jesus, but this really is not some new revelation. The Bible never gives a date or exact time when Jesus was born. In fact, Christians didn't celebrate the birth of Christ until the fourth century when it was becoming the dominant religion of the Roman Empire. Previously, pagan Rome had celebrated this time of year in celebration of Saturn (the god of agriculture) and later as the birth-date of the mythological god, Mithra. (Note: for those who claim the story of Jesus copied the god Mithra, they should remember that Mithra was not born of a virgin as is claimed by some skeptics. Mithra was born from a ROCK!). However, as time passed, these pagan myths faded into history and gave way to the new and common faith of Christianity. December 25th became the day Christians celebrated the birth of Christ after Christianity overtook the culture and there needed to be a reason to replace the old, rejected pagan holidays.
The Bible is silent on the exact time of Christ's birth and, thus, December 25th is as good as any day to celebrate it. No, we don't think that was really the day of His birth, but that in no way undermines our confidence that He was a real historical figure. Truth is, those of us who know Him celebrate His Incarnation all year long!
