enthalpy

Tuesday, December 29, 2009


So why is Christmas on the 25th of December? It's gotta be because that's when Jesus was really born, right?
So, almost 300 years after Jesus was born, we finally find people observing his birth in midwinter. But how had they settled on the dates December 25 and January 6?

There are two theories today: one extremely popular, the other less often heard outside scholarly circles (though far more ancient).

The most loudly touted theory about the origins of the Christmas date(s) is that it was borrowed from pagan celebrations. The Romans had their mid-winter Saturnalia festival in late December; barbarian peoples of northern and western Europe kept holidays at similar times.
Guess what, Christians, that tree in your house is pretty pagan, too.



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