Christmas Time?

It is quite easy to work out from information in the Bible that Jesus was born near the start of October around the time of the Jewish observance of Tabernacles, and roughly six months after John the Baptist, who arrived around Passover.

So, why do Christians celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25th? The answer is simple: the fledgling religion (possibly not what Jesus himself envisaged) had to gain acceptance in a hostile world of competing religions and repressive rule. Hence the adoption of the date of pagan festivals, including the Roman Saturnalia.

But what year was Jesus born in? Since Herod died in the spring of 4BC, Jesus had to have arrived previously, possibly in the Autumn of 5BC - definitely a man before his time! The Star of Bethlehem is still unexplained, though. A supernove, conjunction, comet etc have never really cut it. Neither has Chris de Burgh's spaceman, for that matter.

Most of the trappings of Christmas are recent. Only family and simple thoughtful gifts are relevant - crass modern commercialism has ruined the season for many people, with obligatory debt, monumental greed, the latest gadgets, and a sofa from DFS more important than the original meaning. It doesn't matter whether you are a Christian or not, the wholesale hijacking and bastardisation has rendered any true meaning invisible - and it stinks. Santa and his reindeer, Christmas cards and Christmas trees are all Victorian fabrications. Sorry, kids, but it's true.

And what of the real holy family? I'm not convinced of the census story - it is more likely Joseph (Yusuf) was taking Mary (Mariam) to see his relatives when Jesus (Yeshua) came along. There wasn't any room at the inn because there wasn't one: there was no room in the living quarters of the house they'd gone to, and they had to sleep downstairs with the animals. This was the way houses were in those days.

Then the Wise Men turned up. Who were they exactly? Kings? Magi? Or were they descendants of Jews exiled long before in Babylon? Whoever they were, they recognised one thing - the union of two Israelite lines, and that Jesus was at least an earthly king. And whether he was divine didn't matter - he frightened the authorities witless.

Jack Orchison, December 24, 2013.