My question: when was Jesus born? I have heard that it was in the summer, then recently I heard it was in October. How do you know the answer? -- Renee Albert (Miami)

Even the early Christians admitted they had no idea which month Jesus was born in! Yet the Bible does give a few clues. Shepherds were out in the fields with their sheep. This would not have been normal behavior in the rainy season (around November to March). Besides, the government was conducting a census which involved many families traveling to their ancestral villages; this would have been difficult in the cold rainy season. So this seems to rule out December!

Actually December 25th was the "birthday" of the Persian god Mithras, which, by transference, became Jesus "birthday--though not till the 3rd century. So it doesn't look too good for the traditional date!

To answer your question: You can't know the answer. So celebrate it whenever you like. Why not every day?

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