Christ's birth and winter being mentioned in the gospels.

There was a belief that a great man died on the same day of his conception. Since Christ died on Nisan 14, that came out to March 25. Well, 9 months after that is December 25.

Liturgically, the Nativity of Christ was at best a minor holiday, with Epiphany, Christ's Baptism, being the big feast day on Jan 6. Over time, the Nativity took on its own liturgical meaning. In the Eastern church there is a 40 day fast prior to the Nativity and in the West the season of Advent came about. It becomes a focus for us to consider the Incarnation and the first coming of Christ, so that we look forward to the Second Coming.

Here is my take on Christ Birthday

Neostarwcc said:

Ok so a few questions:

1. Christ's birth is mentioned in the gospels but not what season he was born in. Which leads many to believe If he was born In winter, wouldn't the apostles have mentioned since every other mention of important things Jesus did the apostles wrote whether it was during winter.

2. When people protray Christ being born in pictures, they show a baby in a Manger with snow all around them. There's one major problem with that, it doesn't snow in Israel. While it's true Jesus was born in Bethlehem in a Manger with Wiseman greeting him and honoring him as King. It's highly unlikely snow was involved even if he was born on Dec 25th.

3. If there was snow when Jesus was born, wouldn't the apostles have recorded such a miraculous event?


I'm not saying Christ couldn't have vedn born on Dec.25th in fact, I believe he was. I'm just trying to get some misconceptions answered. That's the only discrepancies I can think of at the moment. Maybe you guys can think of some.

Click to expand...

Does it really never snow in Israel, at least back then? Just Googling it even in recent times it has snowed in Israel, and snow is mentioned in the Psalms. "Cleanse me and I shall be whiter than snow..." and so on. I do not see why King David would have written that if he had never seen snow, and to our knowledge he basically never had left the area in Israel and just around it.

I don't think it necessarily was snowing then, it's just a beautiful depiction.

As for when He was born I also agree it was in winter, solely because all the feasts of the Church for Christmas in the East and West (as far as I know at least) are in Winter.

The fact is that we do not know the day on which Christ was born. However, the explanation given in post #2 explains why December 25 was chosen by the church.

As for hints in Scripture about the season, remember that the angels appeared to shepherds who were in the fields tending their sheep. That doesn't happen in winter, but there's no point in making too much of an issue out of the correct date since if we pegged the season of the year correctly, we still would not know the day and we'd still be choosing the date itself arbitrarily.

Neostarwcc said:

Ok so a few questions:

1. Christ's birth is mentioned in the gospels but not what season he was born in. Which leads many to believe If he was born In winter, wouldn't the apostles have mentioned since every other mention of important things Jesus did the apostles wrote whether it was during winter.

2. When people protray Christ being born in pictures, they show a baby in a Manger with snow all around them. There's one major problem with that, it doesn't snow in Israel. While it's true Jesus was born in Bethlehem in a Manger with Wiseman greeting him and honoring him as King. It's highly unlikely snow was involved even if he was born on Dec 25th.

3. If there was snow when Jesus was born, wouldn't the apostles have recorded such a miraculous event?


I'm not saying Christ couldn't have vedn born on Dec.25th in fact, I believe he was. I'm just trying to get some misconceptions answered. That's the only discrepancies I can think of at the moment. Maybe you guys can think of some.

Click to expand...

This is the best thing I've seen on the chronology of Christ's birth.

Neostarwcc said:

Ok so a few questions:

1. Christ's birth is mentioned in the gospels but not what season he was born in. Which leads many to believe If he was born In winter, wouldn't the apostles have mentioned since every other mention of important things Jesus did the apostles wrote whether it was during winter.

Click to expand...

2. When people protray Christ being born in pictures, they show a baby in a Manger with snow all around them. There's one major problem with that, it doesn't snow in Israel. While it's true Jesus was born in Bethlehem in a Manger with Wiseman greeting him and honoring him as King. It's highly unlikely snow was involved even if he was born on Dec 25th.

Click to expand...

Another misconcept.

Matthew 2:10-11: "When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
On coming to the house, they saw the child with its mother. . ."

The long journey took months for the Magi to reach Jesus, arriving when he was no longer a babe, but a child, and when the family had returned to their house in Nazareth, where the star led them after they left Herod.

3. If there was snow when Jesus was born, wouldn't the apostles have recorded such a miraculous event?


I'm not saying Christ couldn't have vedn born on Dec.25th in fact, I believe he was. I'm just trying to get some misconceptions answered. That's the only discrepancies I can think of at the moment. Maybe you guys can think of some.

Click to expand...

Neostarwcc said:

Ok so a few questions:

1. Christ's birth is mentioned in the gospels but not what season he was born in. Which leads many to believe If he was born In winter, wouldn't the apostles have mentioned since every other mention of important things Jesus did the apostles wrote whether it was during winter.

2. When people protray Christ being born in pictures, they show a baby in a Manger with snow all around them. There's one major problem with that, it doesn't snow in Israel. While it's true Jesus was born in Bethlehem in a Manger with Wiseman greeting him and honoring him as King. It's highly unlikely snow was involved even if he was born on Dec 25th.

3. If there was snow when Jesus was born, wouldn't the apostles have recorded such a miraculous event?


I'm not saying Christ couldn't have vedn born on Dec.25th in fact, I believe he was. I'm just trying to get some misconceptions answered. That's the only discrepancies I can think of at the moment. Maybe you guys can think of some.

Click to expand...

The apostles don't mention Jesus' birth season because it was not important to early Christianity. I suspect that many of those early disciples would be horrified at the way churches spend so much time on a minor event (at least one week every year on the same few verses).

I enjoy the Christmas period... except I tend to get bored at Church at that time as I've heard it all so many times before.

Silly Uncle Wayne said:

The apostles don't mention Jesus' birth season because it was not important to early Christianity. I suspect that many of those early disciples would be horrified at the way churches spend so much time on a minor event (at least one week every year on the same few verses).

I enjoy the Christmas period... except I tend to get bored at Church at that time as I've heard it all so many times before.

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Yes, the story about Jesus birth, even if it's fictionalized the way it's depicted at Christmas time, is not "minor". It is God come to Earth, one of the major events of history.

Abaxvahl said:

Does it really never snow in Israel, at least back then? Just Googling it even in recent times it has snowed in Israel, and snow is mentioned in the Psalms. "Cleanse me and I shall be whiter than snow..." and so on. I do not see why King David would have written that if he had never seen snow, and to our knowledge he basically never had left the area in Israel and just around it.

I don't think it necessarily was snowing then, it's just a beautiful depiction.

As for when He was born I also agree it was in winter, solely because all the feasts of the Church for Christmas in the East and West (as far as I know at least) are in Winter.

Click to expand...

Everywhere except in the Southern Hemisphere, for obvious reasons. As my friend @Paidiske can attest, it can be quite warm there at Christmas. And imagine Easter in the fall...its a bit challenging for me. I think I would want to go to one of the more tropical areas for Easter so as to be reminded of the Spring, if I lived there, and likewise celebrate the Nativity in a colder place. I think the mountains in New Zealand can be cold year round, hence the famous “TraNZAlpine” train on the South Island. I have particularly wanted to visit the South Island of New Zealand; it was so sad what happened to Christchurch a few years ago with that dreadful earthquake. That, and the horrible wildfires that hit Australia have been so sad, and to be followed by this pandemic, where Australia and New Zealand have understandably implemented some of the strongest restrictions to benefit from their geographical isolation and keep the infection rate as low as possible, has resulted in quite a lot of misery. I really feel for the people living down under.

Oh, on that point, @Paidiske, does Australia have anything like the Silver Line that exists in the UK to help senior citizens who are alone and feel isolated to have someone to talk to? And would there be any opportunities for North Americans to volunteer to converse with lonely senior citizens who are isolated due to the pandemic under such a program? I am considering volunteering for the Silver Line in the UK; I spend too much of my downtime self indulgently watching Netflix or YouTube, and I think it would be a great thing to do. In the UK, isolation among the elderly has become a major problem. I have not heard of that being a problem in Australia, however, I was not closely paying attention, and I could see it having become one since the pandemic started. Two elderly relatives of mine are also interested.

The Liturgist said:

Everywhere except in the Southern Hemisphere, for obvious reasons. As my friend @Paidiske can attest, it can be quite warm there at Christmas.

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It's the rain season during Christmastime in Israel, but it's considered winter because it's a cooler season.

Clare73 said:

Another misconcept.

Matthew 2:10-11: "When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
On coming to the house, they saw the child with its mother. . ."

The long journey took months for the Magi to reach Jesus, arriving when he was no longer a babe, but a child, and when the family had returned to their house in Nazareth, where the star led them after they left Herod.

Click to expand...

The star led them the whole way - it was brighter in the sky for a few years.. not just a day or two. That is the way I understand it from those who know astronomy.

Albion said:

The fact is that we do not know the day on which Christ was born. However, the explanation given in post #2 explains why December 25 was chosen by the church.

As for hints in Scripture about the season, remember that the angels appeared to shepherds who were in the fields tending their sheep. That doesn't happen in winter, but there's no point in making too much of an issue out of the correct date since if we pegged the season of the year correctly, we still would not know the day and we'd still be choosing the date itself arbitrarily.

Click to expand...

Actually in Israel winter is the rain season - that is exactly when the shepherd's would be in the field's with the flocks, October - December ish...