today is the day Or rather the night. The angel announces it. The son of God will be born in Bethlehem. Millions of homes around the world are prepared to commemorate this event that happened 2023 years ago. But no. Surely neither Jesus was born on December 25, nor was he born in the so-called city of King David, nor 2023 years ago. Given the absence of his birth match or that the evangelists were more specific, Julius I, the 35th Pope of the Church, whose pontificate coincided with the rule of the emperor Constantine (who legalized the practice of Christianity), established in the 4th century the day of the nativity of Jesus of Nazareth: it would be December 25.
The date, completely arbitrary, is not accidental. It coincides with a deeply rooted pagan tradition among the Romans that was celebrated on that very day: Sol Invicte, which celebrated the winter solstice (a little late, admittedly, but when a little more light was beginning to be perceived). And not only that. A few days before, from December 17 to 23, the descendants of Romulus had fun at the Saturnalia; a festival in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture and the harvest (represented as an old man with a long white beard). It was tradition that during this period, relatives and friends would visit each other, share abundant banquets, decorate their trees and exchange gifts.
Actually, it all sounds pretty good to us. Because despite the changes in religions, we don't stop celebrating more or less the same thing since time immemorial. Syncretism is still a model of success. Before the Romans, for example, Persians or Egyptians already paid their respects to the Sun with massive celebrations. Even the representation of this child, who will be symbolically born tonight, with his mother, is strikingly reminiscent of the thousands of figures that have come down to us from ancient Egypt depicting Isis seated on the throne with her son Horus on the lap Isis, the mother. Mary, the mother Horus, the divine king of men. Jesus, the divine king of men. Of course, everything changes so that the essence remains. And at Christmas we celebrate, whether or not we are Christians or believers, the love we feel for our loved ones, life and light. Too bad it's not Christmas or the Invincible Sun every day.
