25th of december.

[claymore]

Christmas ! Why do we celebrate it? What is so special about December 25?

[joggerjayne]

You should insure for school fees.

[boxtops]

...and you can, jj, I used to work for an insurance company which did just that - I don't know that they had underwriters in Those Days tho....

[MarkRae]

Mike is spot on. Many eminent theologians put the actual date on or around 4 September 6BC.

Here's one for you...

Who was the Roman-appointed governor of Judea at the time of Jesus' birth?

And what act of unspeakable cruelty, according to the gospel of Matthew, did he commit upon learning of the birth of this new 'king' within his realm?

Given that this ruler really did exist (the Romans were detailed keepers of records), he could not have ordered the massacre of the innocents after his death.

So, if Jesus really did exist, he *must* have been born within the lifetime of this ruler who ordered his massacre, right?

So, when did King Herod the Great die...?

Even the God-botherers have had to accept this one, albeit grudgingly...
http://www.gci.org/jesus/date

[boxtops]

Nice link, MR

[joggerjayne]

I kno, boxy ... !

I pay school fees for my goddaughter. I could have taken out some sort of policy a while back ... but, hey ... live and learn.

[mike11111]

According to Luke, Quirinius was governor of Judaea in the days of Herod the King. I take your point though, Herod is reckoned to have died in around 4BC. Of course all this is due to the bloke who drew up the Christian calendar in around 500 AD (name forgotten).

[woofgang]

I went to a very high church c of e school 40 years ago and was taught that stuff in RE so not grudgingly
PS neither the high church not the c of e "stuck`'

[MarkRae]

Wasn't Quinnius governor of Syria...?

The bloke's name was Dionysius Exiguus.

[mike11111]

Right as usual, although spelt Cyrenius in my AV. Thanks for the other name, he didn't get the maths quite right.

[wildwood]

I think it was the 1th of April Eddie.

[Answerprancer]

For me, there is nothing whatsoever "special" about Dec 25th.

The 24th 5th and 6th of Dec are dates in my calender where I get to see my close family, swap prezzies, get p!ssed, eat too much and reminisce.

Later on in life I learnt that it was a beautiful pagan cermemony, date altered, raped and plundered by filthy murdering chrimboes for the porposes of religeous manipulation and commercial exploitation.

"Christmas day" to me is nothing but a page from a story book that involves prezzie swapping, sleighbells, "walking in the air" and beardy geezers who drink sherry and eat mincepies left out on kitchen tables.

Does that answer your question ? :-)))

[mike11111]

"a beautiful pagan cermemony, date altered, raped and plundered by filthy murdering chrimboes for the porposes of religeous manipulation and commercial exploitation. "

Oh dear AP, mehtinks thou hast started on the sauce a little too early. BTW, although I remember the Christmas story talking about sheep, oxen, *** and donkeys, I must have been asleep at the bit where the porpoise swam into the picture.

[mike11111]

Why has a s s e s been starred out? Is there nothing sacred these days?

[Answerprancer]

..bah humbugst !
"early" ? ...I'm just going to bed !
Guten nacht :-)

[seadogg]

It was colonialism. The new masters took the date and festival from the Old Religion and gave it to their church.

[Ankou]

"Christmas ! Why do we celebrate it? What is so special about December 25?"

summink nice to look forward to in winter innit, and gets the family together with some jolly crimbo-ey stuff. remembering saturnalia is traditional in our house,we even let the servants out of the kitchen for 10 minutes.

[EvenstarCrystal]

I am a Christian, and I understand that in the early Church, the birth of Christ was not celebrated.
But I think the Western Roman Empire in the mid 350s set the date as the 25th Dec - it was common in the early Church to change existing pagan or other celebrations into Christian ones.
The main thing is that Christ was born, and the spirit of Christmas should be 'love one another, as I have loved you'...hard to do, but how different things would be!

[MarkRae]

> the spirit of Christmas should be 'love one another, as I have loved you'

Does this apply only on 25 December, then...?

[rowanwitch]

Brought up with the christian story...as a child loved it.....as a teen despised it...as a young adult...discounted it....in middle age..I'm not so sure...I don't share the christian belief...but I like some of their christmas rituals...and imagery.... and to those who believe merry christmas to those who don't seasons greetings....and happy new year