Jesus may have been born in March, April, May or August

In the cold days of early January, many are feeling the post-Christmas blues, as they get back to work and school with resolutions to lose the excess pounds, and cut back on alcohol. Yet for some Christians, the celebration of Jesus’ birthday doesn’t actually occur until 6th January.  

The Eastern Orthodox, Coptic, Ethiopian traditions and some Amish communities all celebrate Jesus’ birth in January. As Veronica has mentioned, the reason for this difference in dates goes back to the introduction of the Gregorian calendar in 1582. The Julian calendar had been introduced by Julius Caesar but the Gregorian calendar replaced it to correct inaccuracies. However, some churches still used a revised Julian calendar, so Jesus’ birthday works out as being on 6th January. The churches agree on the original birth date; it’s just the actual day works out as being different because of the calendar. 

Historical dates proposed for Christ’s birth

There has always been some debate about Jesus’ birth among scholars and historians. In the Bible, no date is given and early Christian writers in the first few centuries don’t mention it. 

The first historical reference of dates for Jesus’ birth came in AD 200. In his text Stromata, Clement of Alexandria discussed the various different dates that people had proposed, which included: 15th or 21st April, 21st March, 20th May or 28th August. 

Clement of Alexandria didn’t go into the reasons why these dates were put forward, but there are various possible theories. One is that 21st March, the spring equinox, was a time that symbolises new light coming into the world. And 28th August aligns with harvest, so was believed by some to symbolise Christ rescuing the first fruits of humanity. 

While there’s much speculation in this early writing, there’s not a December or January in sight! So where does the December/January date come from? The earliest reference to 25th December comes from a fourth-century Roman almanac, which, under that date, says: “natus Christus in Betleem Judeae” (“Christ was born in Bethlehem of Judea”).

There are a few theories as to why this date was chosen. One is that it aligns with the Roman festival of Saturnalia in late December, and the feast of the birth of Sol Invictus, the official sun god of the late Roman empire. It was thought that early Christians could have chosen this date to encourage conversion to Christianity. Another theory is that this was the genuine day that Jesus was born, as a sign that Jesus really was the true God that eclipses all the pagan gods.

Biblical silence on Christmas celebrations

Whatever the truth is about the date of Jesus’ birth, I’m conscious of the fact that nowhere in the Bible are we instructed to celebrate Jesus’ birthday. We are told to remember Jesus through the act of Holy Communion, to love God – and our neighbour – and to pray without ceasing. We are instructed to do many things, but there is no mention of Jesus requiring a birthday party or anything like the kind of celebrations we have at Christmas. 

There are only two examples of birthdays being celebrated in the Bible. The first is in Genesis 40:20, when the Egyptian Pharaoh had a feast for his celebration. This was actually not to celebrate his physical birth but the anniversary of his coronation, as it was believed that on that day he became a ‘god’. The other birthday celebration was for King Herod (Matthew 14:6 and Mark 6:21). 

Early Christians actually didn’t celebrate birthdays as they thought they were pagan. Some of our birthday traditions do have pagan origins, such as candles which were used to invoke blessings and ward off evil spirits. I have been struck by whatThe Satanic Bible says about birthdays; that they are the most important holiday of the year for each person as they celebrate the individual. 

This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t celebrate birthdays, or Jesus’ birthday in particular. We are given no instructions in the Bible either way. However, what is clear from the Bible is that we aren’t meant to get hung up on dates. What’s far more important than getting the day correct is how we worship Jesus.

Centring on Christ

What is interesting is that some of those who celebrate in January have very Christ-centred ways of celebrating. Orthodox Christians prepare with fasting and prayer. They eat twelve dishes, traditionally meatless, for their Holy Supper with food that symbolises the twelve apostles, such as fish and kutia, a dish of wheat and honey. There is straw to symbolise the manger, where Jesus lay, and no food is eaten till the first star appears in the sky, to symbolise the first star of Bethlehem (which is represented by a candle in the centre of the table). Amish communities read scripture and pray; children might receive small gifts such as sweets, but the approach is very non-commercial.  

Whenever or however we celebrate, let’s remember that Jesus cares less about the outward public appearance, but more about our hearts. 

Kate writes as part of our UNSPOKEN column, where she and Veronica Zundel contribute their sometimes differing opinions on the same topic. Read Veronica’s thoughts on this, HERE.