How December 25 became Christmas Day

The day the birth of Christ was celebrated rather than the birth of the Sun 

A bust of Constantine in the
Capitoline Museum in Rome

Christmas Day was celebrated on December 25 for the first time by the emperor Constantine on this day in 336 in Rome.

Constantine had probably chosen the date carefully. Christians had been discussing the exact date of the birth of Jesus for some time and December 25 must have been the date most widely agreed. The emperor Constantine was reputed to have regularly accepted the most commonly attested viewpoint so that it would attract the least controversy after his decision was published.

Romans had already been holding festive celebrations in December to celebrate Saturnalia, a pagan Winter Solstice festival. There would be feasting, generosity to the poor, the exchange of gifts and an atmosphere of general goodwill.

The poet Gaius Valerius Catullus had described Saturnalia as ‘the best of times’ when writing about it in the first century AD. It was a time when dress codes were relaxed, the wealthy were expected to pay a month’s rent for those who were less well-off, and masters and slaves would traditionally swap clothes.

The festival of Dies Natalis Solis Invicti - the Birthday of the Unconquered Sun - would also have been celebrated at about this time of the year in Rome when Constantine first became emperor and therefore has a rival claim to be considered as the forerunner of Christmas.

Constantine himself had been born a Sun worshipper but, after he became a Christian, he had the difficult job of persuading the Romans to celebrate Christian festivals rather than pagan ones.

Romans previously celebrated the pagan
festival of Saturnalia in late December

He may have allowed the Romans to continue their December 25 celebrations, but substituted the birth of Christ for the birth of the Sun.

Once Romans had accepted that December 25 was the day to celebrate the birth of Christ with a mass - hence the word Christmas - the festival quickly spread to other parts of the Roman empire and further afield.

Today’s Romans celebrate mass in one of the many beautiful churches in the city and will then enjoy a traditional festive meal of tortellini in brodo, or stracciatella, followed by a main course of lamb and potatoes.

For pudding, there may be panettone, pandoro, or torrone, a popular confectionery item originating from Cremona in Lombardy. Another sweet treat popular in Rome at this time of the year are struffoli, deep fried dough balls coated in honey.

Visitors to Rome can sample these delicious items in Piazza Navona, where stalls serve up seasonal delicacies and vin brulé - the Italian version of mulled wine - at a Christmas market that runs from the beginning of December until January 5.

St Peter's Square, with Via della Conciliazione
stretching into the distance, is a Christmas Day focus

Travel tip:

The stunning Basilica of St Peter’s in Rome is the focal point of the Roman Catholic world on December 25, when the incumbent Pope delivers a blessing known as Urbi et Orbi - meaning ‘to the city and the world’ - to a crowd of up to 45,000 people in St Peter’s Square and millions of others watching the event broadcast on live television in Italy and around the world. This - the most sacred papal blessing - also takes place on Easter Sunday, following a tradition established during the reign of Pope Gregory X in the 13th century. The basilica itself was completed and consecrated in 1626, helped by the funding acquired by Pope Leo X. Believed to be the largest church in the world, Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano was built to replace the original fourth century basilica that had been constructed on what was believed to be the burial site of St Peter, who was executed in Rome in 64AD during the reign of the emperor Nero. Bramante, Michelangelo and Bernini were among the many artistic geniuses who contributed to the design of the church, which is considered to be a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture. Located within Vatican City, the Basilica is approached along Via della Conciliazione and through the vast space of St Peter’s Square. 

The Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore is
said to house relics of the Holy Crib

Travel tip:

Another important church in Rome’s Christmas celebrations is the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore on the Esquiline, one of the city’s seven hills. The largest of the 80 churches in Rome dedicated to the Virgin Mary and one of the four papal basilicas, it was built in 432 by order of pope Sixtus III. Constructed on the site where the Virgin Mary appeared in a dream of pope Liberius (352-366), it has a particular significance at this time of year owing to the relics of five sycamore boards said to have been from the original Holy Crib in Bethlehem, brought back to Rome by pilgrims returning from the Holy Land and stored in a reliquary crypt in front of the main altar. The celebration of the Holy Crib originated when Sixtus III created, within the newly-built Basilica, a "cave of the Nativity" similar to that in Bethlehem.

Also on this day:

800: Charlemagne crowned Holy Roman Emperor

1874: The birth of soprano Lina Cavalieri

1988: The birth of singer-songwriter Marco Mengoni

Natale - celebrating Christmas the Italian way

Panettone and pandoro - festive treats

Home

Pope Julius I

Day of remembrance for the Pope who chose the date for Christmas

Pope Julius I chose 25 December as a
celebration of the birth of Christ

Pope Julius I died on this day in 352 AD in Rome and soon after his death he was made a saint. His feast day is celebrated on this day every year by Catholics all over the world.

Julius I is remembered for setting 25 December as the official date of birth of Jesus Christ, starting the tradition of celebrating Christmas on that date.

He also asserted his authority against Arianism, a heretical cult that insisted Christ was human and not divine.

Julius was born in Rome but the exact date of his birth is not known. He became pope in 337 AD, four months after his predecessor, Pope Mark, had died.

In 339 Julius gave refuge in Rome to Bishop St Athanasius the Great of Alexandria, who had been deposed and expelled by the Arians.

At the Council of Rome in 340, Julius reaffirmed the position of Athanasius.

He then tried to unite the Western bishops against Arianism with the Council of Sardica in 342. The council acknowledged the Pope’s supreme authority, enhancing his power in ecclesiastical affairs by granting him the right to judge cases of legal possession of Episcopal sees.

Mosaic depicting
Pope Julius I

Julius restored Athanasius and his decision was confirmed by the Roman emperor Constantius II, even though he himself was an Arian.

During the years of his papacy, Julius built several basilicas and churches in Rome.

Although the exact date of birth of Jesus has never been known, Julius decreed 25 December to be the official date for the celebration. This was near the Roman festival of Saturnalia, held in honour of the god Saturn from 17 to 23 December. Part of the reason he chose this date may have been because he wanted to create a Christian alternative to Saturnalia.

Another reason may have been that the emperor Aurelian had declared 25 December the birthday of Sol Invictus, the sun god and patron of Roman soldiers. Julius may have thought that he could attract more converts to Christianity by allowing them to continue to hold celebrations on the same day.

Julius died in Rome on 12 April 352 and was succeeded by Pope Liberius.

He was buried initially in the catacombs on the Aurelian Way but his body was later transported for burial to Santa Maria in Trastevere, one of the churches he had ordered to be completed during his papacy.

Inside one of the long passageways in the Catacomb of
Callixtus on the Appian Way, where Julius I was first buried

Travel tip:

The Catacomb of Callixtus, where Pope Julius I was first buried, contained the crypts of the Popes buried between the 2nd and 4th centuries AD. They were named after Pope Callixtus I, who was himself entombed in them. The catacomb was vast, covering an area of 15 hectares and going down five levels, with some 20km (12 miles) of passageways. At one time, they contained the relics of some 1.5 million people. The crypts fell into decay over the years after the relics they contained were transferred to churches in Rome.  At the time of writing, the catacombs are closed along with all visitor attractions because of the Covid-19 outbreak. In normal circumstances, they are open for visitors each day except Wednesdays. For more information, visit https://www.catacombe.roma.it

Santa Maria in Trastevere is one of the oldest
churches in Rome

Travel tip:

Santa Maria in Trastevere, where Pope Julius I was finally buried, is in the Trastevere district of Rome and is one of the oldest churches in the city. It was built between 221 and 227 by Pope Callixtus I and was later completed by Pope Julius I.  It is thought to be the first church in Rome dedicated to Mary, mother of Jesus, although the claim is disputed by some who believe that honour lies with the church of Santa Maria Maggiore.  The church of Santa Maria in Trastevere, which was razed and re-erected by Pope Innocent II in 1140-43, is notable among other things for its 13th century mosaics by Pietro Cavallini and an octagonal ceiling painting, Assumption of the Virgin (1617) by Domenichino.

Also on this day:

1710: The birth of castrato opera singer Cafarelli

1948: The birth of World Cup-winning football coach Marcello Lippi

1950: The birth of entrepreneur Flavio Briatore

1992: The birth of child actor Giorgio Cantarini


Home