Church History · AD 336

The First Recorded Christmas on December 25

The oldest record of Christians celebrating Jesus' birth on December 25 comes from a Roman calendar list dated to about 336. Historians still debate why that date was chosen. Nobody knows Jesus' actual birthday.

Read it in the Bible: Matthew 2:1 Luke 2:8-11 Galatians 4:4 Malachi 4:2 Romans 14:5-6

The oldest record of Christians celebrating the birth of Jesus on December 25 comes from Rome, in a calendar list that scholars date to about AD 336. It is preserved in a book called the Chronograph of 354. The entry is short and simple: on the eighth day before the January kalends, Christ was born in Bethlehem of Judea. Why December 25? Historians have two main theories, and honest people land on both sides. One thing everyone agrees on is that the Bible does not tell us Jesus' birthday.

What Is the Chronograph of 354?

The Chronograph of 354 is a fancy illustrated almanac made in Rome for a wealthy Christian named Valentinus. It was put together by Furius Dionysius Filocalus, the top calligrapher of his day. It's a mix of a calendar, a list of Roman officials, a list of bishops of Rome and a list of the days when Christian martyrs were remembered.

The martyrs list starts with this line in Latin: VIII kal. Ian. natus Christus in Betleem Iudeae, which means December 25, Christ born in Bethlehem of Judea. The bishops list in the same book is based on a record that ends around 336, and scholars think the church calendar was drawn up at about the same time. That is why 336 is usually given as the date of the first recorded Christmas on December 25.

The celebration may be older than that. The list doesn't say it was new. It just records a feast that the church in Rome was already keeping.

Did Constantine Set Christmas on December 25?

You will often read that Emperor Constantine created Christmas or fixed its date. There is no clear evidence for that. The 336 record comes near the end of his reign, and he certainly favored the church. But no law or letter from Constantine sets December 25. It is better to say that the feast first shows up in Rome during his time.

Why Was Christmas Put on December 25?

There are two main theories. Both have serious scholars behind them.

Theory one: replacing a pagan holiday

The same Chronograph of 354 also marks December 25 as N. Invicti, the birthday of the Unconquered, meaning the sun god Sol Invictus, with 30 chariot races. Emperor Aurelian had promoted the worship of Sol Invictus in 274. Late December was also near the winter solstice, when the days start getting longer again, and close to the popular Roman festival of Saturnalia.

On this view, the church chose December 25 to give people a Christian alternative to a pagan party, celebrating Jesus, the true Light of the world. Christians did later make this connection themselves, calling Jesus the Sun of Righteousness from Malachi 4:2. This has been the most common explanation for the last few centuries.

Theory two: counting from March 25

Other scholars point out that early Christians were trying hard to stay away from pagan festivals, not copy them. They argue the date came from a calculation. Around AD 200, Tertullian worked out that Jesus died on March 25 by the Roman calendar. Many early Christians believed that great prophets died on the same date they were conceived. If Jesus was conceived on March 25, nine months later is December 25.

Christians in the East did a similar calculation using April 6, which gave them January 6. That is one reason the Armenian Apostolic Church still celebrates Christmas on January 6. A Christian writing from North Africa in the 300s, called On Solstices and Equinoxes, uses this kind of reasoning. Writers who hold this view note that the Sol Invictus festival on December 25 is not clearly recorded before 354 either.

So which is right?

We don't know for sure. It is possible both ideas played a part: Christians calculated the date, and its timing next to the solstice made it an easy fit. What we can say is that celebrating Jesus' birth near pagan holidays does not mean Christmas is about pagan gods. The point was always Jesus.

When Was Jesus Actually Born?

The Bible gives clues about the year, but not the day. Matthew says Jesus was born while Herod the Great was king.

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, Matthew 2:1

Herod died in 4 BC, so Jesus was born about 6 to 4 BC. The reason we have a BC date for Jesus is a counting mistake by a monk in 525, explained on the Anno Domini page on this site.

As for the day, people have suggested spring, because shepherds were out in the fields at night in Luke 2:8, and others have suggested the fall, around the Feast of Tabernacles. Some even argue for September. Others note that sheep near Bethlehem could be out in winter too. All of these are educated guesses. Nobody knows Jesus' real birthday, and the early church didn't seem to think it mattered much. For the first two centuries, Christians focused on His death and resurrection.

Do All Christians Celebrate Christmas on December 25?

Most do, but the calendar gets interesting:

Catholic, Protestant and many Orthodox churches celebrate on December 25.
Some Orthodox churches, like the Russian and Serbian, also keep December 25, but on the older Julian calendar, which falls on January 7 on our calendar.
The Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates on January 6.
Some Christians, such as many Puritans in the 1600s and some groups today, choose not to celebrate Christmas at all.

Paul says believers have freedom here. One person honors a special day, and another treats every day alike, and each should do it for the Lord.

Why Christmas Matters for You Today

Whatever the date, the event is real. God became a baby in Bethlehem. The day on the calendar is a tradition. The birth is history.

Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord! Luke 2:11

So enjoy the lights and the ham. Just remember who the party is for.

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Questions People Ask

When was Christmas first celebrated on December 25?

The oldest record is a Roman church calendar dated to about AD 336, preserved in the Chronograph of 354. It lists December 25 as the day Christ was born in Bethlehem of Judea. The feast may be somewhat older, but this is the first clear record.

Is Christmas based on a pagan holiday?

Historians disagree. One view says the church chose December 25 to replace the feast of Sol Invictus, the sun god, near the winter solstice. Another view says Christians calculated the date by counting nine months from March 25, the date they believed Jesus was conceived and died. Both views have serious scholars behind them.

What is Jesus' real birthday?

Nobody knows. The Bible doesn't give a date. It places His birth while Herod the Great was king, so about 6 to 4 BC, but the day and month are unknown.

Why do some Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7?

Some Orthodox churches still follow the older Julian calendar for church feasts. December 25 on that calendar falls on January 7 on the calendar most of the world uses. The Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates on January 6.

Sources

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