Was Jesus Born on December 25th?

Question

Short answer: No.

Longer answer:  No. At least, probably not. We have an idea that He may have been born sometime in the late Spring or early Summer given the likely time of the census. But we really have no idea. A lawyer in the States using astronomy software probably (at least in my book) found the star of Bethlehem. But no one even really celebrated Christmas (save a few magi and some shepherds) for almost 300 years after Christ was born. December 25th was the Roman Winter Solstice and a festival for the Sun was held on that day – Sol Invictus (the unconquered sun) was long considered a Roman god but has since been fairly refuted by modern scholarship, either way, it is safe to say that the Romans worshipped the sun for as far back as one can trace Roman religion at all.

It is also said to be the birthday of Mithras, the god of a 1st to 4th Century Roman military religion. There really is no proof of this either, but it seemed to be a popular belief of the time.

At any rate, this is the day that was chosen, either stolen from Sol Invictus, swindled from Mithras or simply because of the Winter Solstice. It has become quite unmovable throughout the ages despite the uncertainty of its origin. Christianity has a tendency to incorporate calendars, holidays, cultures and traditions and make them its own. There is nothing wrong with this, mind you. One must simply be aware of the fact that it is symbolical of a greater thing. We don’t have a day to celebrate, so we make one. God didn’t tell us the day of the birth because, perhaps its not as important as the day of the death. That we know. We know the day of the Resurrection. We know the Day of Ascension (though many of these are up for debate, at least they are solid enough to have day of celebration and a meaning to attach to it – ie., Good Friday lies with the Sabbath of Passover, making Jesus, Y’eshua, the Passover Lamb). But Christmas Day, we really have no solid date for it.

Perhaps God would have us celebrate His Incarnation everyday? I like that.

What Does Santa Have To Do With Christmas?

Absolutely nothing.
Well, that’s not exactly true. But the history is so muddled on this point and the traditions change from country to country, I suggest Wiki it to see for yourself how wild some of the traditions are. There are even some SANTA = SATAN videos going around YouTube, etc. Some of these have fairly strong backgrounds, others, well, let’s just say that marshmallows have more substance. Don’t believe everything you read or hear – “test all things” right? Always.

So, is Santa bad?

Well, you could do better. Jesus for instance. Remember, as they say, “The Reason for the Season.” Presents, Christmas trees and cake have nothing to do with it. Not even the Three Kings (tradition based on the three presents), a stable (the feeding trough was likely in a cave), no room in the inn (the Greek refers to the upper room of a house), etc. All these are traditions. Refer back to Matthew, chapter 1; Luke, chapter 2 and Isaiah 7:14, 9Isaiah 7:14, 9
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
14 . But the Lord will still give you proof. A virgin u virgin: Or “young woman.” In this context the difficult Hebrew word did not imply a virgin birth. However, in the Greek translation made about ²⁰⁰ B.C. and used by the early Christians, the word parthenoshad a double meaning. While the translator took it to mean “young woman,” Matthew understood it to mean “virgin” and quoted the passage because it was the appropriate description of Mary, the mother of Jesus. is pregnant; she will have a son and will name him Immanuel. v Immanuel: In Hebrew “Immanuel” means “God is with us.”

WP-Bible plugin:6 for details. The facts of Christmas remain the same: A child, born of a virgin, given unto the world to save it from sin; He comes to rule, to save, and to reign forevermore. Emmanuel, God with us.
We cannot go to God of our own accord, He must come to us, and come He did in the form of a baby, born in the town of David, Bethlehem -Hebrew: “House of Bread” (interestingly, Christ refers to Himself as the Bread of Life) The Lamb of God (and oddly, “Bethlehem” means “House of Meat” in Arabic…) who has come to take away the sins of the world. Rejoice and be glad!