When Was Jesus Born?

Every year billions of people celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25. How did this tradition begin? Was Jesus really born on Christmas Day?

We find the story about the birth of Jesus in Luke chapter 2:

Now in those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. … So all went to enroll themselves, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to David’s city, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David; to enroll himself with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him as wife, being pregnant.

While they were there, the day had come for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a feeding trough, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were shepherds in the same country staying in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock. (Luke 2:1-8)

The first thing we see from the Bible is that Jesus was born at the time of a Roman census. Some Bible scholars explain that it is very unlikely that this census was in December, when cold, wet weather made travel difficult.

The second detail we notice is that shepherds were staying out in the field with their flocks at night. But shepherds in Bethlehem don’t leave their sheep out at night during the cold December weather (nighttime temperatures in Bethlehem at the end of December are usually 2-9 °C [35-48 °F]).

From these facts we can be certain that Jesus was not born during the cold, rainy months of December, January, or February.

So when was Jesus born? The Bible doesn’t say.

The online Encyclopedia Britannica says:

“during the first two centuries of Christianity there was strong opposition to recognizing birthdays of martyrs or, for that matter, of Jesus.” (Encyclopedia Britannica, ”Christmas“)

Since the early Christians didn’t celebrate birthdays, they didn’t think it was important to record the date Jesus was born.

Did Wise Men Give Jesus Gifts on His Birthday?

In Matthew 2 we find the story of wise men from the East who came to worship Jesus. Many people assume that the wise men came on the night that Jesus was born. But if you read the story carefully, you will notice that they didn’t begin their journey from the East until they saw a star, which probably appeared when Jesus was born.

Many months later when they arrived in Jerusalem, they asked where the king of the Jews had been born—so obviously Jesus had already been born. When the wise men finally arrived, Jesus wasn’t in a stable anymore. He was living in a house. So the visit of the wise men was not the beginning of the Christmas tradition.

When Did the Christmas Tradition Begin?

The tradition of celebrating the birth of Jesus began more than 300 years after the death of Christ. The earliest record of a Christmas celebration mentions people gathering for the birthday of Jesus while Liberius was bishop of Rome (352-366 AD) (Ambrose of Milan, Concerning Virgins, 3.1.1).

Why Is Christmas Celebrated on December 25?

A document from Rome called The Chronograph of 354 (completed in 354 AD) says Jesus was born on December 25, 1 AD, but it doesn’t say how people calculated that date.

I explain the whole story of how people (incorrectly) decided that December 25 was the birthday of Jesus in this video: Is Christmas a Pagan Holiday?

Should Christians Celebrate Christmas?

The real question is, does Jesus want us to celebrate His birth or not?

Consider these facts:

Early Christians didn’t celebrate Christmas because they believed birthday celebrations were a pagan custom forbidden in scriptures such as Deuteronomy 12:30-32 and Jeremiah 10:2-5.
Jesus didn’t celebrate birthdays.
Jesus never said to celebrate His birthday.
The date of Christ’s birth is not recorded in the Bible. If God wanted us to celebrate His birth, He would have revealed the date.
Jesus was not born on December 25.
Many Christmas traditions were copied from pagan religions.
Jesus told us to commemorate His death, not His birth or resurrection.

Instead of following human traditions, why not read the Bible to see what God wants you to celebrate?

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