It must be concluded…that Jesus was born between the years 8 and 4 –most probably in the year 6 -before the Christian era as now dated. As for the actual date of his birth, universally now celebrated on December 25th, it can be said at once that this is purely a tradition. In the 3rd Century A.D., Clement of Alexandria chose April 19th; other suggestions were May 29th and March 28th. The Eastern Church for a long time celebrated January 6th. It was only about the year 350 that our own traditonal date gained general acceptance. Some have associated it with the feast of Mithra which the Roman calendar fixed at the beginning of the winter solstice ( December 21st) and there are certainly plenty of known instances where the Christian calendar has taken over pagan feasts. Gregory the Great himself advised his missionaries to “baptize the customs of the holy places of the heathen” and our All Saints Day (November 1st) and feastof St. John the Baptist (Midsummer Day) undoubtedly originated that way. For us December 25th is sanctified forever: it does not commemorate the persian god or the sacrificial bull, nor even the sun regaining his power over the darkness of the night, but that other star of which Malachi wrote: “…unto you that fear my name shall the sun of rigthtousness arise…. (Malachi iv, 2.)
Christ And His Times,Henri Daniel-Rops ( 1901-1965)
(translated from the French by Ruby Millar), 1954.
(This is a great, much neglected treatise and history on the life of Christ by a devout former agnostic, late, prolific and renowned French historian and member of the French Acadamy, probably a genius, decidedly odd-looking( at least based on photographs — looking sort of like Alfalfa of Our Gang fame, and always with his eyelids at half-mast. In one surviving photograph, you see him lighting up a cigarette, probably one of those strong French numbers, leading me to speculate on causes leading to his death at 65.
As for Christ’s birth, and, for that matter, death…
We must consider whether, ultimately, it matter when He was born–and simply marvel at the fact that He might actually have been born and died in the same month (April). That would be a reason to think of the springtime of April as every bit as special as the cosseting twilit advent of winter in the month of December.
For all that really matters is that he WAS born. And I, like millions, prefer to mark the time of the coming of The Light within days of the nadir of light, the season of darkness ( The winter solstice). This simply seems very right. We’ve got plenty of light of a physical kind in April and May, and blooming flowers to mark and brighten the rebirth that is the Resurrection. We’ll always keep the season of birth in early winter. The Light came in Darkness.
Winter is a better for darkly meditative thoughts about who or what might deliver us from our mess. Our darkness.
And, well…Bing Crosby never could have sung about a White Christmas in spring. (A whimsical consideration, to be sure, but, I, like millions, cherish the association of Christmas with snow, sleigh rides, jingle bells, Frosty, Rudolph,etc.)
I should point out that among the religious congregation at St. Benedict Center in Still River, Massachusetts are scholarly consecrated brothers who can make a good historic and astronomical case why Christ was, indeed, born December 25th. I’m sure they’re not alone in making that case.
But, again, what does it really matter? If He was and is who He says He was and is (I Am Who Am), He is born everyday, every hour, ever minute — and never dies, unless (as in the original story) we shut Him out or kill Him.
Let’s not do that. Let’s make room at the inn.
And let’s jingle all the way!
Amen.
19 Cent Notebook 