Why December 25?

Catholic Education ^ | December 17, 2013 | Jon Sorensen

[Terry L Smith]

“Roman Catholic Christmas, Dec. 25th.”
“Greek Orthodox Christmas, Jan. 06.”

When y’all gonna git togethuh, and git it right?

[Iscool]

Nights in that region this time of year are typically in the mid to lower 30s. This year the temps for Christmas week are predicted to be in the low 30s. Sheep out eating grass being watched by Shepards? I think not. Even here in SC the grass is all dead this time of year. There ain’t no “new grass” in that region this time of year.

Same over there...The winter rains refresh the ground and replenish the plants that have 'gone to seed' and are no longer good for grazing...And they certainly wouldn't graze the sheep on the new shoots coming up in late winter which would deplete the grass for the summer and fall grazing...

[Varda]

It’s not that cold. The climate sites lists an average December temperature range of 59 degrees high and 47 degrees low around Jerusalem. Rain starts in November and ends in March.
Israels climate and growing season isn’t comparable to the eastern US. They have a rainy and (really really) dry season. Grass grows when there’s rain, herd animals give birth with the new pasture, it’s as simple as that.

[CynicalBear]

A simple search for Jerusalem or Bethlehem shows that this year for the week of Christmas the lows every night are in the low 30s. Now if you think grass grows at that temperature you’re kidding no one but yourself. Last week Jerusalem was virtually shut down because of a snow storm. Good grief.

[Varda]

I take it grass doesn’t grow in those temps in South Carolina so you think it doesn’t grow anywhere in those temps. Well, grass grows with frosts here in Pennsylvania, fancy that! Because grass grows in cold weather it doesn’t matter that Israel at present has a rare bout of cold weather. Nobody is saying it doesn’t frost there. BTW I’m not seeing any forecast of frost through the end of the month. Temps seem to be swinging back to normal.

[terycarl]

December 25 turns out to be very plausible.

I celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25 because my calendar has a red number on that date!

[RichInOC]

Of course, I’ve never celebrated Saturn, Sol Invictus, Mithras or any of the Babylonian gods in December, not as a Protestant, and I’m not starting now, and (for all that it might come as a surprise to some folks) I haven’t been expected to. Given that, I’ve always thought the dispute to be silly from the start.

[GonzoII]

Merry Christmas!

[Biggirl]

Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Biggirl]

Jewish interpitation of Christmas.

[stonehouse01]

There are sheepfolds tended by shepherds even today outside the Eastern hills of Bethlehem where the shepherds tend their flocks and seek winter pasture. Winter does not mean that the activity of the local shepherds in the hills ceased.

Christ is the light of the world- of course he would come during the longest night, pagans or no pagans. Because pagans got it half right since God created the sun and timed the solstices and their dim pagan minds perceived that this was important, points TO Christ’s birth at the winter solstice. For biblical evidence - it would be the creation in Genesis itself on how God ordered the heavenly bodies’ movements and his Son reinforces God’s ordering of the light and darkness. Also see all verses that refer to Christ Himself as the sun, light of the world, etc.

Jehovah Witnesses first decided that there would be no sheperds in winter. This is false - Bethelehem is located just south of Jerusalem where there is an average relatively mild temperature of around 45 degrees Fahreneheit in December. The recent snowfall in Jerusalem was the first in 100 years.

See Gn 31:40 where Jacob is in northern Israel for 20 years tending the livestock in the frost. It does not make sense that the shepherds are for some reason not tending their winter flocks.

[Iscool]

The recent snowfall in Jerusalem was the first in 100 years.

It snowed 4 years ago in Jerusalem...

See Gn 31:40 where Jacob is in northern Israel for 20 years tending the livestock in the frost. It does not make sense that the shepherds are for some reason not tending their winter flocks.

I didn't say they did, did I...

In the winter months the grass is more plentiful due to the rain...The weather is also worse...The flocks can then and are often brought in close to the villages where they can be more easily guarded and the depleted food is springing back up...

[Frumious Bandersnatch]

Think youuu.

Ya gotta admit that Lewis Carrol’s poetry makes a whole lot more sense than the POTUS