The
Nativity
https://orthodoxwiki.org/Nativity
The Nativity according to the flesh of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ, also
called Christmas, is one of the Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church, celebrated on December
25.
1. In the fullness of time,[note 1] The entry in the Roman Martyrology states:
"IN the year, from the creation of the world, when in the beginning God created heaven
and earth, five, thousand, one hundred and ninety-nine (5199 BC); from the flood, two
thousand, nine hundred and fifty-seven (2957 BC); from the birth of Abraham, two
thousand and fifteen (2015 BC); from Moses and the coming of the Israelites out of
Egypt, one thousand, five hundred and ten (1510 BC); from the anointing of King David,
one thousand and thirty-two (1032 BC); in the sixty-fifth week, according to the
prophecy of Daniel; in the one hundred and ninety-fourth Olympiad; in the year seven
hundred and fifty-two from the founding of the city of Rome (752 BC); in the forty-
second year of the empire of Octavian Augustus, when the whole earth was at peace, in
the sixth age of the world, Jesus Christ, eternal God, and Son of the eternal Father,
desirous to sanctify the world by His most merciful coming, having been conceived of
the Holy Ghost, and nine months having elapsed since his conception, is born in
Bethlehem of Juda, having become man of the Virgin Mary. THE NATIVITY OF OUR
LORD JESUS CHRIST, ACCORDING TO THE FLESH."
our Lord Jesus Christ was born to the Holy Theotokos and Virgin Mary, thus entering into the
world as a man and revealing Himself to mankind.
According to the Bible and to Holy Tradition, Jesus was born in the city of Bethlehem in a cave,
surrounded by farm animals and shepherds. The baby Jesus was born into a manger from
the Virgin Mary, assisted by her husband St. Joseph. St. Joseph and the Theotokos were forced to
travel due to a Roman census; the odd location of the birth was the result of the refusal of a
nearby inn to accommodate the expecting couple (Luke 2:1-20). Since it is known historically
that dwellings were built directly over such caves housing livestock--in order to make use of the
heat.
Though three magi from the East are commonly depicted as visiting during the event itself (or,
in Roman Catholic tradition, twelve days thereafter), the Bible records the coming of an
unspecified number of wise men as being a few years after Jesus' birth (see Matthew 2). In either
case, these magi came bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matt 2:11). In the
hymnography for the feast, these gifts are interpreted to signify Christ's royalty, divinity, and
suffering.
Though Jesus' birth is celebrated on December 25, most scholars agree that it is unlikely he was
actually born on this date. The choice of December 25 for the Church's celebration of the
Nativity is most likely to have been in order to squelch attendance at pagan solstice festivals
falling on the same day.
At least, this is the urban myth promligated by both heterodox Christians and unbelivers for
centuries.
The Nativity of Christ (Menologion of Basil II, 10th-11th c.)
However, the solstice festival fell on the 21st of December. To suggest that The Church chose a
day of sacred observance defensively instead of pro-actively is to devalue and disregard the
sacred and authoritative action of The Church in establishing a proper date for the observance of
The Nativity of Christ The Lord.
Others within The Orthodox Church have observed that, under Hebrew law, male infants were
both circumcised and received their name eight days after their birth.
(See The Account of The Circumcision and Naming of John--The Forerunner and Baptist--in
The Gospel according to The Apostle Saint Luke 1:59-66, and The Account of The Circumcision
and Naming of Christ The Lord as Jesus in Luke 2:21 )
Also, within The Orthodox Church, January 1st is celebrated as the "name day" of The Lord
Christ Jesus. Thus, the selection of December 25th to celebrate the nativity of The Christ (who
would not be named for eight more days) would appear to have been a conscious counting
backward from the first day of the calendar year--the day of his being proclaimed Son of Man--to
the date of His birth, the day of his being proclaimed Son of God.
