It's early December, and many people are getting into theChristmas spirit. For countless Christians, Dec. 25 is the day tocelebrate the birth of Christ.
However, Dec. 25 may not be the exact date of Jesus Christ'sbirth, according to many Bible historians.
The date of Dec. 25 came about as part of a Roman pagan festivalthat began in the year 8247 of the Roman calendar and not theBible, said Donald Bassett, CEO and chairman of the BiblicalResource Center and Museum in Collierville.
"Sometime in the 4th century, the Church of Rome was unable toget the pagan holiday out of the minds of Christians, so theyspiritualized it as the birth of Christ," Bassett said.
Ernest L. Martin, author of "The Star that Astonished theWorld," said Christ's true birth date is Sept. 11 in the year 3B.C. This date is according to the Roman Solar calendar, which isdetermined only by the sun.
Under the Roman solar calendar, the day changes each year, whichwould mean Christmas would fall on Sept. 26 this year, according toMartin.
But Martin doesn't suggest changing the celebrated holiday fromDec. 25 to a different date. He said Christians shouldn't celebrateChrist's birth at all.
"There is not a word in the Holy Scriptures that we should honoror acknowledge any day of the year as the birthday of Christ,"Martin said on his Web site.
While Martin disputed the celebration of Christmas, other peoplesay there is some importance in celebrating the holiday.
"(Christ's birth) is important because He was the one to comeand save us," said Brad Holloway, Baptist Student Union freshmenleader. "Christmas helps show the importance of family and friendsand to share with those who are less fortunate."
While celebrating Christmas isn't "essential to (Christian)salvation," there are some good reasons to celebrate, said EuniceLee on sdaglobal.org, a site for Seventh Day Adventist Churches.Included among those reasons, she said, are giving assurance thatpeople aren't forgotten by God, spreading the word of Christ andshowing love by giving gifts to family and the less fortunate.
"Nobody knows Jesus's birth date," Lee said. "The most importantfact about Christmas is that Christ be given the honor as 'Redeemerof the World.'"
