Things People Believe That Aren’t Actually In The Bible
Jesus Was Born On December 25th
This is one of those inaccuracies that is simply an addition to the story. None of the Gospel writers record December 25 as the date of Christ’s birth; in fact, none of them record a date at all. There is no indication Jesus was born in the winter, spring, summer, or fall. So why December 25?
For the first three centuries after the passing of Jesus, there was no such thing as Christmas. Christians celebrated a few religious feasts, such as Epiphany and Easter, but there is no mention of Christmas on a Roman calendar until 336 CE. December 25 was likely chosen to coincide with the Roman Saturnalia festival, to make the new religion more palatable to the Romans. Indeed, one of the great strengths of early Christianity was its willingness to remake itself in the image of local religions, allowing various peoples to convert more easily.
