The right date for Jesus Birth?

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The_Serpent said:
Read this interesting article on why Christmas is celebrated on the 25 of December. Appears to be to counter pagan festivals. What is the correct birth day? Thoughts please.:confused:

ancient-origins.net/news-general/why-christmas-held-25th-december-001161
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Here is a counter-argument to the claim that the date of Christmas is because to “adopt” pagan rituals, courtesy of the folks here at Catholic Answers:

catholic.com/blog/jon-sorensen/why-december-25

For me that argument is already settled. The question I want to ask is: Is it important to really know what date Christ was born, or can we brush it off while keeping the celebration on December 25? We don’t even know the exact date Christ was born, and there are scholars pointing to the date of Jesus’ birthday to March 25. And is it really valid that Christ was born on March 25?
 
CatholicWhovian said:
Here is a counter-argument to the claim that the date of Christmas is because to “adopt” pagan rituals, courtesy of the folks here at Catholic Answers:

catholic.com/blog/jon-sorensen/why-december-25

For me that argument is already settled. The question I want to ask is: Is it important to really know what date Christ was born, or can we brush it off while keeping the celebration on December 25? We don’t even know the exact date Christ was born, and there are scholars pointing to the date of Jesus’ birthday to March 25. And is it really valid that Christ was born on March 25?
Click to expand...
Actually, many scholars place March 25 as the date of the Crucifixion. That’s the Feast Day of St. Dismas, the good thief.
 
The_Serpent said:
Read this interesting article on why Christmas is celebrated on the 25 of December. Appears to be to counter pagan festivals. What is the correct birth day? Thoughts please.:confused:

ancient-origins.net/news-general/why-christmas-held-25th-december-001161
Click to expand...
The “correct” date is unimportant.

It could be argued that December 25th is the perfect liturgical date, for some very compelling reasons:

Isaiah and John tell us Christ is the Light

John the Baptist said that he (John) must decrease, while the Lamb of God increases.

December 21st is the longest night of the year, and from that point the light (Christ) of day increases (the increasing of Christ, as stated by John the Baptist).

Out of the desolate, dark, winter comes the resurgence of life (spring), just as from the birth of Christ the darkness of the sinful world is overtaken by the light of God’s love.

Peace and all Good!
 
The documentary The Star of Bethlehem gives a very compelling argument for September of 3 BC being the birth month and year for Christ. It goes into a lot of astronomical anomalies which lined up during that time.

Also…the star (which the documentary asserts was Jupiter) “stopped” over Bethlehem via retrograde motion on December 25 of 2 BC - when Christ was a year and some change old. Incidentally, the Bible tells us the Three Wise Men followed the star until it stopped. If true, then Jesus received the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh on December 25. Making December 25 a good day to celebrate Christ’s birth.
 
When I have been asked this question by non catholic Christians I usually furrow my brow and tilt my head. I tell them that is an interesting question, and one I would like to answer if it would help me to understand the reason why God chose to reveal himself to us in the flesh. Pinning down a correct date really doesn’t help me learn more about the why question. The more important and essential question for me is how can I learn more about this God revealed to us and what did he want me to know about him.
I have asked this question to many Christians and I still find myself here. Reading, learning and researching the way the Catholic and Orthodox Christians view the life of Christ. Life is too short to contemplate motives for celebrations. After all, there is a one in 365 chance. I can sleep at night not knowing if the probability is high or low for the date reserved for the celebration. What keeps me up at night is wondering if I really have tried to do what I could to know what I can about God.
 
Yes, a good case can be made that
** Christ Was Really Born on December 25:**
** Here’s a Defense of the Traditional Date for Christmas******

Please read:
Part 1:
Was Christ Truly Born on Dec 25 – A Biblical Argument for Christ’s Birth in Late December

Part 2:
December 25 is the Historical Birthday of Christ: Mary and Tradition

Part 3
Pope Benedict XVI: December 25 as the Historical Date of the Christ’s Birth

by Dr Taylor Marshall
 
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