December 23, 2025 - Good Morning! It’s Tuesday, December 23.
What day was Christ born in Bethlehem? December 25th, right? Wrong! The Bible doesn’t pinpoint the date, and several biblical passages, and cultural history, lead us to a very different part of the calendar. Let’s take a quick look.
The Romans were nothing if not efficient. Their innovations in the areas of urban planning, water systems, road construction, etc. are still being used today, two thousand years later. Luke’s Nativity Story begins by telling us of a census that the Romans were taking of their empire. The last thing they would have done would be to schedule a census - which would require people to journey to their ancestral homes - during winter, when travel was difficult.
The shepherds are a beloved part of the Christmas cast of characters. Traditionally, they would have had their flocks in the open only from April to October. During the rugged Holy Land weather of late December, the sheep - and the shepherds - would have been safely tucked away in protected camps. Those angels in the Bethlehem sky would have been singing to empty fields.
The December date wasn’t set until the 4th Century, and Church leaders picked it to coincide with or to replace a traditional festival for the winter solstice. Many biblical scholars think that the birth may have actually happened in the early fall, perhaps September, a time of festivals in Jerusalem that would have drawn thousands of pilgrims to the area, an area that included Bethlehem. Perhaps that’s why there was no room at the inn.
So, what difference does all this make? Does any of it really matter? Does it change anything? “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son”. That doesn’t change. And that’s what really matters.
Here’s wishing you and yours a Blessed and Merry Christmas!
Meet you back here on Monday,
David
cindertex50@yahoo.com
