Why Do We Celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December?

The birth of Jesus Crist on Christmas Day as seen on The Oblates

Christmas is celebrated on the 25th of December to honour the birth of Jesus Christ — but historians generally agree that this date wasn’t chosen because it was his actual birthday.

Instead, early Christians selected the 25th because it aligned with existing midwinter celebrations, such as the Roman festival Saturnalia and Dies Natalis Solis Invicti (the “birthday of the unconquered sun”). These celebrations already involved feasting, gift-giving, and lighting candles to brighten the darkest days of the year. Choosing this date made it easier for the new Christian holiday to be adopted by the wider population.

Over time, the Christian meaning became the focus, but the joy, light, and warmth of midwinter still remain at the heart of Christmas.

A royal painting depicting a Christmas gathering from 1848, as seen in The Portland Center Stage

Fun fact:

Germans are often recognised as the earliest people to bring evergreen trees indoors and decorate them, a custom that eventually reached the United States in the 1830s. However, the tradition didn’t truly become widespread until Prince Albert of Germany introduced the Christmas tree to his wife, Queen Victoria of England. In 1848, an illustration of the royal family gathered around their decorated tree was published — and once the public saw it, the trend quickly took hold.