The Real Origins of Christmas: Why December 25th Was Never a Pagan Holiday

 

Introduction

The celebration of Christmas on December 25th has long been the subject of debate, with many claiming that it was originally a pagan holiday repurposed by Christians. However, historical and theological evidence suggests that the date was chosen based on Christian traditions rather than pagan influences. This article examines the origins of Christmas, addressing misconceptions about its alleged pagan roots and highlighting the theological reasoning behind its placement on December 25th.

The Viking Yule and Its Christian Adaptation

One of the common arguments for Christmas’s alleged pagan origins is its supposed connection to Yule, a Norse festival. According to the chronicler Thietmar of Merseburg (c. 10th century), Viking communities would gather every nine years in January to offer elaborate sacrifices to their gods—rituals that included humans, horses, dogs, and birds (1). These practices, rooted in Norse paganism, bore no resemblance to the Christian celebration of Christ’s birth.

Snorri Sturluson, in History of the Kings of Norway, records that King Haakon the Good (ca. 934–961) moved the Yule festivities to December 25th to align with Christmas (2). This decision was not an attempt to merge pagan customs with Christian observance, but rather a strategic move to encourage the Norse people to adopt Christian traditions. The fact that Yule was intentionally rescheduled to coincide with Christmas indicates that Christmas was already an established Christian holiday—rather than being derived from Yule.

Saturnalia and Sol Invictus: Misconceptions About Roman Influence

Another common claim is that Christmas was influenced by the Roman festivals of Saturnalia and Sol Invictus. However, historical records challenge this assumption.

Saturnalia, a Roman festival honoring Saturn, was traditionally celebrated from December 17 to December 23 (3). Though modern scholars sometimes suggest a connection between Saturnalia and Christmas, the earliest known source to mention Saturnalia at all is Lucian of Samosata (c. 120–180 AD), a Greek satirist and rhetorician known for his skeptical and humorous takes on religious customs. His account of Saturnalia provides a playful and critical look at the festival’s traditions, including feasting and social role reversals, but does not suggest any link to Christmas (4).

A much more detailed account of Saturnalia appears in the 5th-century work Saturnalia by Macrobius, which explores the festival's customs, mythology, and significance (5). Macrobius presents a more structured discussion of Roman traditions, describing Saturnalia’s origins and its evolution over time. However, by the time Christianity became the dominant religion of Rome, Saturnalia had already evolved significantly, making it unlikely that Christmas was merely a repurposed version of the festival.

Similarly, Sol Invictus, the Roman sun god, was originally observed on different dates depending on the emperor in power. The festival Dies Natalis Solis Invicti (Birthday of the Unconquered Sun) was officially established on December 25th by Emperor Aurelian in 274 AD (6). However, earlier records indicate that Sol Invictus was celebrated in summer and October under different rulers (7). More importantly, Hippolytus of Rome, writing around 204 AD in his Commentary on Daniel, explicitly states that Jesus was born on December 25th. This predates Aurelian’s placement of Sol Invictus on that date by 70 years, demonstrating that Christians had already assigned December 25th as Christ’s birthday independently of the Roman sun god festival (8).

Additionally, the Chronography of 354 records December 25th as the feast of Christ’s birth, with the earliest known celebration occurring in 336 AD. While this is later than Emperor Aurelian’s designation of December 25th for Sol Invictus, Hippolytus’s writings from 204 AD demonstrate that Christians had already recognized this date long before its imperial association with the sun god.

These historical details reinforce the argument that Christmas was not derived from pagan festivals but was instead established based on Christian theological traditions.

The Theological Basis for December 25th

The most compelling reason for Christmas being celebrated on December 25th comes from Christian theological traditions. Early Christians held a belief that a prophet of God would die on the same day he was conceived. Based on this tradition, they calculated Jesus’ birth by counting forward nine months from the date of His crucifixion.

Since Jesus’ death was traditionally placed around March 25th, early Christians concluded that His conception occurred on the same date. Counting forward nine months, they arrived at December 25th as the date of His birth. This theological reasoning, rather than pagan influence, was the primary factor in determining the date of Christmas (9).

Alternative Calculations: Dr. Michael Heiser’s Perspective

While December 25th became the widely accepted date for Christmas, some scholars have proposed alternative calculations for Jesus’ birth. Dr. Michael Heiser, drawing on astronomical data and Revelation 12, has argued that Jesus was born on September 11th, 3 BC (10). His research suggests that celestial alignments described in Revelation correspond to astronomical events that occurred on that date.

While Heiser’s calculations provide an interesting perspective, they do not undermine the theological reasoning behind December 25th as the traditional date for Christmas. Instead, they offer an alternative (and fascinating) approach to understanding the historical context of Jesus’ birth.

Conclusion

The claim that Christmas originated as a pagan holiday lacks strong historical and theological support. The evidence suggests that December 25th was chosen based on Christian traditions rather than an attempt to co-opt pagan festivals. The Viking Yule was moved to align with Christmas, not the other way around. Saturnalia and Sol Invictus were not major influences, and the theological tradition of calculating Jesus’ birth from His death played a crucial role in establishing December 25th as Christmas. Furthermore, historical records confirm that Christians were recognizing December 25th as Jesus’ birth as early as 204 AD, predating Emperor Aurelian’s placement of Sol Invictus on the same date in 274 AD by 70 years.

Understanding the true origins of Christmas allows us to appreciate its significance within Christian theology and history, rather than viewing it through the lens of misplaced pagan associations.