When Was Jesus Born—And Why Do We Celebrate on December 25?

A date the Gospels don’t give (and a feast the Church later chose)

The New Testament never states an exact calendar date for Jesus’ birth. The infancy narratives in Matthew and Luke give theological meaning and a historical setting, but they do not say “December 25” (or any other day). That means Christians who celebrate Christmas on December 25 are not claiming a verse that directly says it—rather, they are celebrating a tradition that emerged in the life of the Church.

What historians can say (with humility)

When people ask “When was Jesus born?”, historians usually answer with a range and a set of clues rather than a single day. The Gospels place Jesus’ birth around the reign of Herod the Great (Matthew 2), and Luke connects the story to Roman-era administration (Luke 2). Modern historical discussion often lands broadly in the years before 1 AD, but it’s important to note that the details are debated and the sources are complex.

So why December 25? In the Latin West, that date became associated with the celebration of Christ’s Nativity by the 4th century. There are different proposals for how and why that happened, and honest scholarship avoids simplistic “one-liner” explanations.

Did Christmas “copy” pagan festivals?

One popular claim is that Christians chose December 25 mainly to “replace” pagan solstice festivals. It’s true that the Roman world celebrated wintertime feasts (like Saturnalia) and that late antiquity had solar symbolism (including devotion to Sol). It’s also true that early Christians often communicated the Gospel using symbols their neighbors understood.

But scholars also point out another line of reasoning that appears in early Christian thought: an “integral age” idea, in which Jesus’ conception and death were associated with the same date. In some Christian calculations, that would place the conception around March 25, which makes the birth around December 25 (nine months later). This does not “prove” the date historically—it explains a theological logic for a liturgical date.

What about “other deities born on December 25”?

Modern internet lists sometimes claim that many ancient gods were “born on December 25” in ways that match the Christian story. Historians urge caution here. Ancient religions were diverse, sources are uneven, and later retellings can project modern calendars backward. A more careful way to speak is this: cultures often connected light, renewal, and divine hope with the darkest season of the year. That symbolic instinct can show up in many places, even when the stories differ greatly.

Why the date still matters (even if it’s not a “fact check”)

For Christians, Christmas is not primarily about winning an argument about calendars. It’s about the confession that God entered human history—quietly, vulnerably, among ordinary people. The liturgical date is a doorway into that mystery, not a documentary timestamp.

Author reflection

Try this: instead of asking only “Is December 25 historically certain?”, ask a second question: “What does it mean to me that God chooses to come in humility?” If your faith feels tired, or your heart feels cynical, Christmas invites a different posture: receiving before performing, listening before explaining.

• Reflection question: What “dark season” in my life needs the kind of hope Christmas announces?
• Reflection question: Do I approach faith as a debate to win—or as a relationship that forms me?
• Small practice: Write one sentence of gratitude for “God-with-us” and share it with someone who needs encouragement.