OT: Can someone explain to me why Russian and Greek Christmas isn't celebrated on the 25th of Dec?

[BrucePa]

We still might not know the exact date that Jesus was born. Mary and Joseph didn't have a calendar on the wall of the manger, and bits and pieces of the Bible were 'analyzed' to come up with the proximate date.

A good article on the subject is --> here.

 

[HectorSpectre]

There is no credible evidence Jesus was born on December 25. We in the Western (Roman) church celebrate it on December 25 by convention alone.

Orthodox (Byzantine/Eastern) Christians also have no credible evidence that Christ was born on January 7. They too celebrate it when they do by long held convention.

Likewise, there is no real evidence even of the year Christ was born, although we know a Roman census was under way.

Here's a decent review of the western church and the timing of Christ's birth. <Link>

To believers, what is important is the event itself, not the date.

 

[Woodpecker]

This is the correct answer! A gentleman and a scholar Sir!

Pope Gregory introduced the aptly named Gregorian calendar in 1582. Before that all of the original Roman influenced world used the Julian calendar, implemented by the Big Guy-Julius Caesar.

The Orthodox stuck with the old calendar and really, if the Pope wanted a new calendar, the Orthodox were definitely not going to go along with THAT, or any other new-fangled nonsense from Rome.*

*As someone with both Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox heritage, I wish they would all settle up and make my life easier!

Note: Both calendars were innovative attempts to deal with the errors of a 365 day calendar without a leap year.

From what I've read, they both have leap years to account for the extra quarter day the earth takes to make a lap around the sun but the Gregorian tweaks it further to account for the fact that it's not really exactly an extra quarter day. The seasons will drift with the Julian. In a couple thousand years, will the Orthodox be celebrating Christmas in the summer?

 

[BobPSU92]

We still might not know the exact date that Jesus was born. Mary and Joseph didn't have a calendar on the wall of the manger, and bits and pieces of the Bible were 'analyzed' to come up with the proximate date.

A good article on the subject is --> here.

There is no credible evidence Jesus was born on December 25. We in the Western (Roman) church celebrate it on December 25 by convention alone.

Orthodox (Byzantine/Eastern) Christians also have no credible evidence that Christ was born on January 7. They too celebrate it when they do by long held convention.

Likewise, there is no real evidence even of the year Christ was born, although we know a Roman census was under way.

Here's a decent review of the western church and the timing of Christ's birth. <Link>

To believers, what is important is the event itself, not the date.

You’d think Lehigh University would have some highly capable people who could conduct research in Bethlehem, PA to figure this all out.

 

[Woodpecker]

You’d think Lehigh University would have some highly capable people who could conduct research in Bethlehem, PA to figure this all out.

No room at the inn

 

[Connorpozlee]

Will this screw up the kickoff time for the Rose Bowl???

And will it have an effect on when the lots open? Will the lots open on Gregorian time or Julian time?