You’ve learned from my previous post that December 25 couldn’t be the date of birth of Jesus Christ. Catholic Authorities know it. However our knowledge regarding the date, December 25, shouldn’t end up there. We should also know the original festival celebrated on that date.

And this is what the history said:

“There is no authoritative historical evidence as to the day or month of Christ’s birth in Jerusalem. 25 December was the date of a Roman pagan festival inaugurated in 274 as the birthday of the unconquered sun …. Sometimes before 336 the Church in Rome, unable to stamp out this pagan festival, spiritualized it as the Feast of the Nativity of the Sun of Righteousness.” (The New International Dictionary of the Christian Church, p.223)

So, it’s clear that in the year 274, December 25 was inaugurated as the date of the birthday of the unconquered sun which is obviously a pagan festival. However, when the Roman Church was unable to stamp out this Roman Pagan festival, they Christianized it instead. When I say “Christianized” I mean to say that the festival was adopted and made it as Christian festival and called as the Nativity of the Sun of Righteousness.

There’s no wonder why the Roman Church did that. Even here in the Philippines, lot of Filipino Pagan Festivals which are adopted and now being celebrated by the Roman Church as its own festival. One of these Filipino Pagan Festivals is the Ati-atihan Festival.

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