Christmas Was Originally a Pagan Holiday.

“The Scriptures are wholly silent as to the date of Christ’s birth. The 25th of December, the winter solstice, was not fixed as Christmas until a long time after the New Testament period. But despite serious objections, historical and otherwise, that date triumphed.’

The Julian Calendar was used during the Ancient Roman Empire, and the Winter Solstice always fell on December 25. According to the Julian Calendar, Saturnalia, the Ancient Roman Festival that is like Christmas, ended on December 23, and the Winter Solstice fell on December 25.

The Roman festival of Saturnalia was celebrated similarly to modern Christmas. The people made wreaths, and they exchanged gifts, There were banquets with drinking and dancing, and no one worked during the celebration of Saturnalia. Everyone in Rome celebrated during Saturnalia. Even the slaves were included in the festivities,

Because of the date of Saturnalia, it is logical to assume that It was a prototype for Christmas, but it was a Pagan Festival. Yet, Saturnalia was dedicated to Saturn, one of the most popular of Ancient Rome’s pagan gods. The pattern was set: During December, there would be a joyous festival to celebrate a god,

When Christianity was established the ancient people were not eager to give up their pagan gods and their festivals to celebrate those gods. To make the transition to Christianity easier, Christian holidays were set at the same time people enjoyed the festivities of their Pagan holidays. Saturnalia was the most popular of the Ancient Roman festivals and it was a celebration of the most popular of Ancient Rome’s deities. The time of the year for the celebration of Saturnalia was the perfect time of year to set to set Christmas.

“In the 3rd century, the Roman Empire, which at the time had not adopted Christianity, celebrated the rebirth of the Unconquered Sun (Sol Invictus) on December 25th. This holiday not only marked the return of longer days after the winter solstice but also followed the popular Roman festival called the Saturnalia (during which people feasted and exchanged gifts). It was also the birthday of the Indo-European deity Mithra, a god of light and loyalty whose cult was at the time growing popular among Roman soldiers.

“The church in Rome began formally celebrating Christmas on December 25 in 336, during the reign of the emperor Constantine. As Constantine had made Christianity the effective religion of the empire, some have speculated that choosing this date had the political motive of weakening the established pagan celebrations. The date was not widely accepted in the Eastern Empire, where January 6 had been favored, for another half-century, and Christmas did not become a major Christian festival until the 9th century” Britannica

“The Episcopal Church celebrates the 12 Days of Christmas from Christmas Day, December 25th, until January 5th, the day before Epiphany. The day before Epiphany is also known as Twelfth Night.” Google ai

The Episcopal Church Calendar celebrates Advent before Christmas. Advent Ends on December 24 and the 12 Days of Christmas begin on December 25. Epiphany is celebrated on January 6.

When the Ancient Romans began celebrating Christmas in 336 a.d. they celebrated it on January 6. At that time, December 25 was the date to celebrate Winter Solstice.

“December was party season for the Romans, like us, although Saturnalia finished on 23 December with the Sigillaria. This was a day of present giving, so it is compared to Christmas Day – but it’s the wrong date! Well, 25 December was also celebrated by the Romans, but as the birth of the sun god, Sol Invictus. After the Roman Empire converted to Christianity, 25 December was changed into a Christian holy day, and parts of the winter festivals were brought together into a new celebration: Christmas. The first recorded Christmas Day took place in AD 336, although this was celebrated on 6 January instead. It was moved to 25 December at around AD 354–60.” English Heritage

December Is the Season of Light

The Ancient Romans celebrated the Birth of the Sun God Sol on December 25.
Christians today celebrate the birth of Jesus–the Light of the World–on December 25.

Advent Is the Season of Light.

Advent ends on December 24. The Ancient Roman Saturnalia Festival ended on December 23.

It is safe to assume that there is a link between Ancient Rome and Christmas. But you might quibble: Christmas happened in Judea–across the known world from Ancient Rome. Keep in mind that when Jesus was born, the Ancient Roman Empire included the Bible Lands. As the Romans moved to the Bible lands to govern there, Roman ideas followed them. Besides that, the birth of Jesus occurred in Bethlehem because of a decree from the Emperor of Ancient Rome–Caesar Augustus.

Who Was Caesar Augustus and Why Did A Roman Play a Large Part in the Birth of Jesus, Who Was Born in Another Land