Merry Christmas! Why do we celebrate the festival on December 25?

Christians around the world gather to celebrate Jesus’s birth on December 25. (Representational image)

I don't want a lot for Christmas... There is just one thing I need... I don't care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree... I just want you for my own... More than you could ever know... Make my wish come true... All I want for Christmas is you...

Did Mariah Carey wish it to be the most played Christmas song ever? Perhaps, she did, and Santa Claus blessed her. December 25 marks the day of wishes for everyone, of every age, and every faith. Christians celebrate Christmas as the birthday of Jesus Christ, and the waft of joy runs through the rest of the world, rekindling hopes and reliving happiness. Joyful carols, brightly wrapped gifts, festive foods — all characterise the celebrations on this day.

But just how did the Christmas festival originate? How did December 25 come to be associated with Jesus Christ’s birthday?

The celebration of Jesus Christ’s birth takes place on December 25 in most parts of the world. But there is no consensus on when Jesus was actually born. Biblical scholars and historians agree that his actual birthdate is unknown and the Bible provides no specific date.

Gospels of Luke and Matthew

The nativity of Jesus Christ is mentioned only in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew, which were written well after the death of Jesus, likely towards the end of the first century. Both the gospels only mention where Jesus was born and to whom. Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem to Joseph and Mary. However, the exact date of his birth is not mentioned.

The Gospel of Matthew does say that Jesus was born in the reign of Herod (circa 37 BCE to 4 BCE), a Jewish client-king appointed by the Romans to rule Judea. But no specific date or time of the year are provided. Whereas Luke mentions there being shepherds in the fields hurrying to see the blessed child — this is something that the Biblical scholars use as a seasonal marker.

The biblical reference to shepherds tending their flocks at night when they hear the news of Jesus’ birth (Luke 2:8) might suggest the spring lambing season; in the cold month of December. Yet, according to Biblical Archaeology Society, most scholars would urge caution about extracting such a precise but incidental detail from a narrative whose focus is theological rather than calendrical.

Tradition of midwinter parties

Early Christian writings scarcely mention Christ's nativity because birthdays held little importance in the early church. This focus likely shifted as Christianity spread westward and, more significantly, to the north.

“To understand what Christmas has become, first we should consider winter,” wrote Bruce David Forbes in Christmas: A Candid History (2007), as mentioned by The Indian Express. Christianity originated in the Levant but soon spread to Europe where it reached places where winters were much harsher, to the point of being almost unlivable.

Those living in the northern latitudes used to organise “big, blowout, midwinter parties” as a means of coping with the grim season.

When Christianity spread to Europe, the tradition of midwinter extravagant parties continued. “We love the lights, the evergreen decorations, the music and the food, the chance to get together with family and friends, and the special feeling of warmth that comes with the festivities. Yet all of these features have no necessary connection with a story of a baby Jesus in a manger. Instead, they are the predictable characteristics of midwinter festivities,” Forbes wrote, according to The Indian Express.

Before Christmas came to be celebrated in the harsh winters, two examples of European midwinter festivities are the festivals of Saturnalia and Yule and the elements of both festivities can be found in Christmas celebrations today.

Why did Christmas become big centuries after Christ?

The earliest record associating Jesus' birth with December 25 appears in the Philocalian Calendar, compiled between 336 and 354 CE. However, the official celebration of Christ's birth in December did not begin until the fourth century. According to Forbes, the observance spread across the Christian world in the late 300s and early 400s.

The rise of Christmas parallels the rise of Christianity as the predominant religion in Europe. Emperor Constantine (reign 306–337 CE), the first Roman emperor to adopt Christianity, used the faith to unify the empire, accelerating its spread in the public sphere.

“In its newly public role, Christianity was now in a position to contend openly with its rivals… Christmas was started to compete with rival Roman religions, or to co-opt the winter celebrations as a way to spread Christianity, or to baptise the winter festivals with Christian meaning in an effort to limit their excesses,” Forbes wrote.

Christmas, as we know it, evolved through this cultural exchange. While Christianity ultimately prevailed as the dominant European religion, the Church was forced to embrace many non-Christian traditions in the process, shaping the festive celebration we see today.