No, Jesus was not definitively born on January 7; that date is when many Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas because they use the older Julian calendar, which makes January 7 equivalent to December 25 on the modern Gregorian calendar. The actual date of Jesus' birth isn't known, but scholars estimate it was between 6 and 4 BC, with some theories suggesting spring or fall based on biblical clues about shepherds and seasons.
The date of the birth of Jesus is not stated in the gospels or in any historical sources and the evidence is too incomplete to allow for consistent dating.
The majority of the Christian world adopted it but orthodox Christians - felt this was wrong and stuck with the Julian Calendar. By 1923, there was a 13-day difference between the two calendars, putting Orthodox Christmas 13 days after December 25, on 7 January.
Jesus was likely born between 6 and 4 BC, not on December 25th, with many scholars pointing to the reign of King Herod the Great as a key indicator, as the gospels state Jesus' birth occurred shortly before Herod's death around 4 BC, though the exact date remains unknown and traditions vary.
Obviously, the exact date of Christ's birth has not been historically established—it is neither recorded in the Gospels. However, historically, all Christian churches celebrated Christ's birth on January 6th until the fourth century.
January 7th is significant primarily for being Orthodox Christmas Day, celebrated by millions of Eastern Orthodox Christians (like Russian, Serbian, Ethiopian) who follow the older Julian calendar, making it "Old Christmas" for many; historically, it marks events like Galileo's discovery of Jupiter's moons in 1610, the first English Channel balloon crossing in 1785, and more recent events like the 2015 Charlie Hebdo attack.
The first official mention of Dec. 25 as Jesus' birthday is found in a mid-fourth century Roman almanac, says the Biblical Archaeology Society. One belief of how Dec. 25 was chosen is that early Christian scholars determined the date of Jesus' birth by calculating the time from his death.
What month was Jesus born according to the Hebrew calendar?
JESUS' BIRTH took place during the FALL HARVEST (TISHRI, the 7th month of Jewish calendar, and the Julian and Gregorian calendars September-October) in AUTUMN, which coincides with Jewish festivals such as the Feast of Trumpets (Lev. 23:24-25), the Day of Atonement (vs.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has taken no official position on the exact date of Christ's birth. In his 1915 classic Jesus the Christ, Elder James E. Talmage maintained that Jesus Christ was born on April 6 in the year 1 BC. Talmage was apparently the first LDS writer to propose this particular date.
While the exact date of Jesus' birth isn't in the Bible, many scholars and traditions suggest an autumn birth, potentially around September or October, based on biblical clues like shepherds tending flocks at night and calculations from John the Baptist's conception, pointing away from a cold winter December birth. Some specific theories even pinpoint early October in 7 BC, aligning with the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles.
This includes about 1.3 billion Catholics, 900 million Protestants, and some Orthodox Christians who have adopted the Gregorian calendar. The remaining 250-300 million Christians, primarily Orthodox and Coptic denominations, celebrate Christmas on January 7, which is also known as Old Christmas Day.
Why do 250 million Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7th?
Even though the dates of celebration are different, what Christmas essentially means to all Christian denominations remains the same, to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Because of the calendar differences between the Julian and Gregorian systems, millions of Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7.
Counting from mid-October to mid-November (see above), the announcement to Mary and Jesus' conception in her womb would have come sometime between mid-March and mid-April. A normal gestation period of nine months would place Jesus' birth toward the end of December, making a birth date of December 25 entirely possible.
So, they continued to mark Christmas on the Julian calendar which, at that time, had it falling on January 5th but, because the Julian calendar is based on a different solar year, it keeps moving relative to the Gregorian calendar and eventually Old Christmas fell on January 6th.
Talmage takes the view that he was born on April 6, 1 B.C., basing his conclusion on Doctrine and Covenants 20:1, which speaks of the day on which the Church was organized, saying it was "one thousand eight hundred and thirty years since the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in the flesh." April 6 is then ...
While the Bible doesn't state Jesus' birth date, January 6th was an early Christian celebration, particularly in the East, known as the Feast of the Epiphany, marking the arrival of the Magi, and some traditions and early writings connect this date to his birth, though December 25th became the dominant date in the West, and the exact date remains unknown to historians.
During the Jubilee of Hope this year in Rome, many are already talking about the big Jubilee year of 2033 a.d, the year in which our calendar marks the 2000th anniversary of the passing and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The questions about His birth came much later. Both scholars and everyday curious minds continue to try and find the answers. Meanwhile, many Messianic Jews believe Yeshua (Jesus) was born during the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), the joyful feast in the fall.
There are different hypotheses regarding the date of the birth of Jesus. In the early fourth century, the church fixed the date as December 25, the date of the winter solstice in the Roman Empire. It is nine months after Annunciation on March 25, also the Roman date of the spring equinox.
Why do we say "merry Christmas" instead of "Happy birthday Jesus"?
The term 'Christmas' itself is rich with meaning. It combines two elements: 'Christ,' referring to Jesus Christ, and 'mas,' derived from the Latin word for mass. Thus, Christmas translates to 'Christ's Mass,' commemorating the birth of Jesus every December 25th.
The number 25 has multiple meanings in the Bible, including:Grace: The number 25 can represent grace upon grace, meaning that God will provide multiplied grace when asked.
