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The Origins of Christmas
When was Christmas first celebrated? How did December 25 become the official date for Christmas? How did the Bible's "magi from the East" become three kings named Melchior, Caspar, and Balthasar who rode camels from three different continents to worship the newborn Christ? Why did medieval and Renaissance artists often portray Joseph as an old man? When did the first Christmas music appear? And who was the real St. Nicholas, and how did he become one of the most famous of al Christian saints? These and many other questions are answered in The Origins of Christmas. The story of the origins of Christmas is not well known, but it is a fascinating tale. It begins when Christmas did not exist, and finishes when Christmas had become an integral part of Christian life and Western culture. The Origins of Christmas covers a variety of topics in a concise and accessible style and is suitable for group discussions. Chapters are "The Birth of Jesus," "Creating the Christmas Story," "Creating Christmas Day and the Christmas Season," "Jesus, Mary, the Magi, and an Obscure Asian Bishop," and "The Popular Acceptance of Christmas. "Joseph F. Kelly, PhD, who chairs the religious studies department at John Carroll University, is also active in the religious education apostolate of the Diocese of Cleveland. The World of the Early Christians (1997), The Problem of Evil in the Western Tradition (2002), and Responding to Evil (2003), published by Liturgical Press, are among his nine previous books.
160 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2003
33 people are currently reading
141 people want to read
About the author
Joseph F. Kelly
28 books4 followersJoseph F. Kelly, PhD, is professor of religious studies at John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio. His books include The Feast of Christmas, The Origins of Christmas, The Ecumenical Councils of the Catholic Church, and others, all published by Liturgical Press.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
December 2, 2013
I ''finished" this book. I really don't have the background knowledge necessary to follow all of the details. I may need to read this again later in life to appreciate it more. However, I do find it disturbing that a religious holiday we have been led to believe is so sacred was not even mentioned in the Bible other than stating Jesus' birth.
All of the celebrations and traditions of cards, gifts, lights, trees, hanging of the greens, etc. has NOTHING to do with Jesus' birth, yet people have found ways to 'explain' their connections.
Now, the good thing I get out of this is that since the celebrations of Christmas really isn't religious, then we should be able to have Christmas parties in public schools. Why not?
All of the celebrations and traditions of cards, gifts, lights, trees, hanging of the greens, etc. has NOTHING to do with Jesus' birth, yet people have found ways to 'explain' their connections.
Now, the good thing I get out of this is that since the celebrations of Christmas really isn't religious, then we should be able to have Christmas parties in public schools. Why not?
December 25, 2023
This was a concise survey on the beginnings of the Christian holiday. Kelly looks at the canonical gospels, infancy gospels, early Christian writers, and early Christian councils to present a good overview to the origins of this important day. The book then has a concluding chapter as to how Christmas Day became popularized.
Those who are interested in Christian origins and early Christian history will be especially interested in this book.
Those who are interested in Christian origins and early Christian history will be especially interested in this book.
December 15, 2022
Really good.
December 26, 2018
Some interesting points, but ultimately is dependant on out of date Biblical scholarship, which makes it frustrating reading at times. The author seems content to not even consider trying to engage with modern scholarship on topics such as Luke's census among other areas.
January 9, 2024
This book stays true to its title. Christmas traditions and evolutions that came after the 6th century are covered in a 3 page epilogue. However, this work does give a thorough and interesting history of the ancient origins of Christmas. As such, it is intensely focused on the early church and it’s understanding of Christmas. From this, I was able to find several compelling themes and topics that are less noticeable in contemporary Christian understandings of the holiday and look forward to using them to inform Christmas sermons in the upcoming year. However, the author’s somewhat skeptical bias does bleed through in several areas (ex - biblical authorship). One last critique is the structure of the book - it’s difficult to see how Christmas evolved because the book is not set up chronologically. I would have preferred to read it as a chronological development of Christmas so that I could better connect the dots.
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September 2, 2018Lot of good background on stories and how traditions evolved over the centuries. Was really interesting.
December 8, 2023
A tad more than 4 stars. An interesting read.
November 24, 2023
A RELIGIOUS AND HISTORICAL STUDY OF THE ORIGINS OF THE CHRISTMAS FEAST
Religious Studies professor Joseph F. Kelly wrote in the Preface to this 2004 book, “This book began as the opening chapters of a larger history of Christmas, but, after reading them over, I thought that they might make a good, brief history of how Christmas began…I plan to write the rest of the history of Christmas and hope this book will get the project off to a good start.” He adds in the Introduction, “Christmas is unique. It impacts us in ways that other seasons and holidays do not… Christmas has become such a part of our lives that we cannot imagine a period when no one knew on what day to celebrate it or when Advent did not exist, or… when Christmas itself was not celebrated. But this was the situation from the time of Jesus till the sixth century, the era when Christians lived in the Roman Empire, partly in times of persecution, partly when the emperors themselves had become Christian. It was in this period that Christmas originated, took shape, and developed into the feast we know so well… we must make an important distinction. The birth of Christ as recounted in the gospels is the NATIVITY, but Christmas is the FEAST of the Nativity… No one celebrated a feast in honor of [Jesus’] birth until at least the third century and maybe not until the fourth, So in this book, when we speak of Christmas, we are speaking of the feast…”
He recounts, “the Protoevangelium of James … may not have made it into the New Testament canon, but it has influenced a traditional visual portrayal of Christmas… The Protoevangelium also determined what would become a popular and enduring approach to Christmas. The anonymous author combined the two infancy Narratives [of Matthew and Luke] and simply ignored the discrepancies… The author abandons the no-room-in-the-inn account because Mary gave birth in a cave before they even got to Bethlehem. This is the first mention of the cave, which would become a regular feature of medieval Christmas.” (Pg. 40)
He explains, “By the end of the second century, the Nativity had become part of Christian tradition… Yet nowhere in these two centuries do we find any mention of a feast in honor of Christ’s birth… Formidable objections existed to celebrating Christ’s birth. The greatest biblical scholar of the period… Origen… pointed out that in the Bible only pagans like Pharaoh or sinful Jews like … Herod Antipas celebrated their birthdays… But such an objection did not carry as much weight in the third century as it might have in the first. By then the majority of Christians were Gentiles … for whom birthday celebrations were merely part of the culture. (Pg. 53)
He reports, “The Christian writer Clement of Alexandria … recorded that around the year 200 some Gnostic Christians… had tried to determine the date of Christ’s birth… he does tell us that ‘there are those who… say that it took place in the twenty-eighth year of Augustus [=3 B.C.] and in the twenty-fifth day of the month Pachon.’ The twenty-fifth day of the Egyptian month fell on May 20… Clement discussed … a prominent Egyptian Gnostic group called the Basilideans… [who] hold the day of [Jesus’] baptism as a festival… In the modern calendar, this date is January sixth… It was also the date of Christmas for many ancient Christians… For the first time we have a festival associated with a date related to Christmas…” (Pg. 57)
He states, “The emperor Aurelian … In 274 … instituted the cult of ‘Sol Invictus,’ the Unconquered Sun. He… tried to establish a solar theology…he began to plan a persecution of the Christians, who were saved by the emperor’s assassination… The first Christian emperor, Constantine I [306-337] was a devotee of the Sun before his conversion… Aurelian made December 25, the winter solstice, the birthday of Sol Invictus… Many scholars find it virtually impossible to believe that no link exists between the birthday of the Unconquered Sun and that of [Jesus]… In 336 the local church at Rome proclaimed December 25 as … ‘the natal day of Christ’… The document… says that … the date had been accepted by the Roman church some time before and since everyone knew about it, discussion of the date was not necessary. But how long before 336 was the date for Christmas accepted? … a third-century … work of art… portrays Christ driving a chariot through the heavens, just as the pagan sun god did… The Christians must have created this as part of their struggle to turn back the emperor and his Unconquered Sun. This combination of evidence makes that connection between the birthday of the Sun and the birthday of the Son more likely.” (Pg. 63-66)
He continues, “the Roman Christians did not tell us why they finally chose December to celebrate the … [birth] of Christ, but it was not because they believed it to be the exact date of Jesus’ birth… When this was combined with the proximity of Saturnalia, the Roman Christians chose a date which had already achieved some acceptance and which could counter two major pagan feasts.” (Pg. 68)
He explains, “What we know about the historical St. Nicholas can fit into one small paragraph, so here it is: Nicholas was born into the southwestern Asia Minor town of Patara, probably in the late third century… he entered the clergy and became a bishop… he occupied the see of Myra… Tradition says that he attended the Council of Nicea, and it fits the historical and geographical situations … He may have been a young or old bishop at Nicea, there is no way to tell… His feast day is December 6, presumably the date of his death.” (Pg. 105)
He concludes, “These early celebrations kept growing throughout the Middle Ages and have continued until today… Christmas… was a quiet religious holiday with no secular overtones until nineteenth-century capitalists turned it into a secular holiday in order to make money. Christmas has always had a secular element, which, if applied sensibly, can flourish alongside the religious element and even add to the season.” (Pg. 127)
He continues, “The nineteenth century brought about three great changes: the invention Santa Claus, the transformation of Christmas into a children’s holiday, and the introduction of massive commercialization, traits which have remained largely unchanged. Indeed, the main contribution of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries has been to expand … via the technological and communications revolutions---why go to the department store if your little computer whiz can contact Santa on the Net?” (Pg. 130)
This book will be of keen interest to those studying Christmas.
Religious Studies professor Joseph F. Kelly wrote in the Preface to this 2004 book, “This book began as the opening chapters of a larger history of Christmas, but, after reading them over, I thought that they might make a good, brief history of how Christmas began…I plan to write the rest of the history of Christmas and hope this book will get the project off to a good start.” He adds in the Introduction, “Christmas is unique. It impacts us in ways that other seasons and holidays do not… Christmas has become such a part of our lives that we cannot imagine a period when no one knew on what day to celebrate it or when Advent did not exist, or… when Christmas itself was not celebrated. But this was the situation from the time of Jesus till the sixth century, the era when Christians lived in the Roman Empire, partly in times of persecution, partly when the emperors themselves had become Christian. It was in this period that Christmas originated, took shape, and developed into the feast we know so well… we must make an important distinction. The birth of Christ as recounted in the gospels is the NATIVITY, but Christmas is the FEAST of the Nativity… No one celebrated a feast in honor of [Jesus’] birth until at least the third century and maybe not until the fourth, So in this book, when we speak of Christmas, we are speaking of the feast…”
He recounts, “the Protoevangelium of James … may not have made it into the New Testament canon, but it has influenced a traditional visual portrayal of Christmas… The Protoevangelium also determined what would become a popular and enduring approach to Christmas. The anonymous author combined the two infancy Narratives [of Matthew and Luke] and simply ignored the discrepancies… The author abandons the no-room-in-the-inn account because Mary gave birth in a cave before they even got to Bethlehem. This is the first mention of the cave, which would become a regular feature of medieval Christmas.” (Pg. 40)
He explains, “By the end of the second century, the Nativity had become part of Christian tradition… Yet nowhere in these two centuries do we find any mention of a feast in honor of Christ’s birth… Formidable objections existed to celebrating Christ’s birth. The greatest biblical scholar of the period… Origen… pointed out that in the Bible only pagans like Pharaoh or sinful Jews like … Herod Antipas celebrated their birthdays… But such an objection did not carry as much weight in the third century as it might have in the first. By then the majority of Christians were Gentiles … for whom birthday celebrations were merely part of the culture. (Pg. 53)
He reports, “The Christian writer Clement of Alexandria … recorded that around the year 200 some Gnostic Christians… had tried to determine the date of Christ’s birth… he does tell us that ‘there are those who… say that it took place in the twenty-eighth year of Augustus [=3 B.C.] and in the twenty-fifth day of the month Pachon.’ The twenty-fifth day of the Egyptian month fell on May 20… Clement discussed … a prominent Egyptian Gnostic group called the Basilideans… [who] hold the day of [Jesus’] baptism as a festival… In the modern calendar, this date is January sixth… It was also the date of Christmas for many ancient Christians… For the first time we have a festival associated with a date related to Christmas…” (Pg. 57)
He states, “The emperor Aurelian … In 274 … instituted the cult of ‘Sol Invictus,’ the Unconquered Sun. He… tried to establish a solar theology…he began to plan a persecution of the Christians, who were saved by the emperor’s assassination… The first Christian emperor, Constantine I [306-337] was a devotee of the Sun before his conversion… Aurelian made December 25, the winter solstice, the birthday of Sol Invictus… Many scholars find it virtually impossible to believe that no link exists between the birthday of the Unconquered Sun and that of [Jesus]… In 336 the local church at Rome proclaimed December 25 as … ‘the natal day of Christ’… The document… says that … the date had been accepted by the Roman church some time before and since everyone knew about it, discussion of the date was not necessary. But how long before 336 was the date for Christmas accepted? … a third-century … work of art… portrays Christ driving a chariot through the heavens, just as the pagan sun god did… The Christians must have created this as part of their struggle to turn back the emperor and his Unconquered Sun. This combination of evidence makes that connection between the birthday of the Sun and the birthday of the Son more likely.” (Pg. 63-66)
He continues, “the Roman Christians did not tell us why they finally chose December to celebrate the … [birth] of Christ, but it was not because they believed it to be the exact date of Jesus’ birth… When this was combined with the proximity of Saturnalia, the Roman Christians chose a date which had already achieved some acceptance and which could counter two major pagan feasts.” (Pg. 68)
He explains, “What we know about the historical St. Nicholas can fit into one small paragraph, so here it is: Nicholas was born into the southwestern Asia Minor town of Patara, probably in the late third century… he entered the clergy and became a bishop… he occupied the see of Myra… Tradition says that he attended the Council of Nicea, and it fits the historical and geographical situations … He may have been a young or old bishop at Nicea, there is no way to tell… His feast day is December 6, presumably the date of his death.” (Pg. 105)
He concludes, “These early celebrations kept growing throughout the Middle Ages and have continued until today… Christmas… was a quiet religious holiday with no secular overtones until nineteenth-century capitalists turned it into a secular holiday in order to make money. Christmas has always had a secular element, which, if applied sensibly, can flourish alongside the religious element and even add to the season.” (Pg. 127)
He continues, “The nineteenth century brought about three great changes: the invention Santa Claus, the transformation of Christmas into a children’s holiday, and the introduction of massive commercialization, traits which have remained largely unchanged. Indeed, the main contribution of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries has been to expand … via the technological and communications revolutions---why go to the department store if your little computer whiz can contact Santa on the Net?” (Pg. 130)
This book will be of keen interest to those studying Christmas.
January 19, 2010
Reading for the Social Sciences department's book discussion on December 10th at Main Library.
December 24, 2019
In this highly engaging book, scholar Joseph F. Kelly of John Carroll University offers a concise overview of the critical historical, liturgical, theological, and cultural factors that have led to the form of holiday we know as "Christmas" today.
In the first chapter Kelly explains the nativity narratives found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Although on certain points I disagree with him (e.g. in his discussion of "Alma" and "parthenos"), overall he offers a helpful reading of the stories which open up their particular features. Kelly discusses the role of the Old Testament prophecies in Matthew, the meaning of the Magnificat and Benedictus in Luke, and even the star of Bethlehem in 39 concise pages.
Chapter 2, "Creating the Christmas Story," introduces the reader to the later, Gnostic gospels which fancifully add details to the nativity story which aren't found in Matthew or Luke. Some of the details from the Protoevangelion of James, for instance, have actually entered popular imagination, though their origin in that Gnostic text has been long forgotten.
Chapter 3, "Creating Christmas Day and the Christmas Season," is the best part of the book. Clearly Kelly, a patristics expert, is more at home in this territory of ancient church discussions and controversies. The book is worth obtaining for this chapter alone. Information regarding the date of Christmas, its relation to Roman festivals and cults, and the various liturgical practices for Christians are all touched upon. Kelly paints a truly fascinating picture for us.
Chapter 4 is titled "Jesus, Mary, the Magi, and an Obscure Asian Bishop" brings us a little closer to our own time, as Kelly moves through the later Roman empire and the Christian debates on the "Theotokos" that were raging. He concludes with a short but complete overview of St Nicholas and the many legends surrounding him.
The final chapter includes passages of ancient sermons which show how "Christ's Mass" (Christmas) was widely celebrated and greatly valued by the time of Augustine and Chrysostom.
These are some of the most interesting tidbits that I learned:
Matthew and Paul (Romans 1:19 ff.) have something in common. The Magi are Gentiles, and yet via God's activity outside of the Scriptures, they come to discover God, and then they honor Him. Herod and his Jewish scribes who search the Scriptures, have darkened minds and fail to recognize Him. There is even an echo here of Balaam, the false Gentile prophet of Numbers, who foresees the star that will one day guide other Gentiles to the Messiah (19).
The Latin Infancy Gospel in the Arundel Manuscript (5th c.) is so docetic that it describes Jesus as being weightless and composed of pure light, with flesh that only appears real (62).
The December 25th date was settled for so many different reasons: to counteract pagan Mithra, Sol Invictus, and Saturnalia festivals; to mark 9 months after March 25 (the creation of the world, the conception of Jesus, and date of the crucifixion), and because of other factors (including that Dec. 25 is the winter solstice, and Christ is compared to the sun or light many times in the New Testament) (76 ff.)
Irenaeus' interpretation of the Magi's three gifts: "Myrrh because it was for him who should die and be buried for the mortal human race; gold because he was a king 'whose kingdom has no end'; and frankincense because he was God" (114).
The history behind the Magi's names is so fascinating; sometimes there were three Magi, as in the catacombs of Rome, sometimes there were two; for the ancient Syrians, there were twelve. Their names underwent some modification, and the origin of the names Gaspar, Balthasar, and Melchior are obscure. The first time they are mentioned is in a 4th c. writing by an anyonymous author who has no reason to explain them, which presumably means he received them as part of an older tradition (111 ff.).
In the first chapter Kelly explains the nativity narratives found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Although on certain points I disagree with him (e.g. in his discussion of "Alma" and "parthenos"), overall he offers a helpful reading of the stories which open up their particular features. Kelly discusses the role of the Old Testament prophecies in Matthew, the meaning of the Magnificat and Benedictus in Luke, and even the star of Bethlehem in 39 concise pages.
Chapter 2, "Creating the Christmas Story," introduces the reader to the later, Gnostic gospels which fancifully add details to the nativity story which aren't found in Matthew or Luke. Some of the details from the Protoevangelion of James, for instance, have actually entered popular imagination, though their origin in that Gnostic text has been long forgotten.
Chapter 3, "Creating Christmas Day and the Christmas Season," is the best part of the book. Clearly Kelly, a patristics expert, is more at home in this territory of ancient church discussions and controversies. The book is worth obtaining for this chapter alone. Information regarding the date of Christmas, its relation to Roman festivals and cults, and the various liturgical practices for Christians are all touched upon. Kelly paints a truly fascinating picture for us.
Chapter 4 is titled "Jesus, Mary, the Magi, and an Obscure Asian Bishop" brings us a little closer to our own time, as Kelly moves through the later Roman empire and the Christian debates on the "Theotokos" that were raging. He concludes with a short but complete overview of St Nicholas and the many legends surrounding him.
The final chapter includes passages of ancient sermons which show how "Christ's Mass" (Christmas) was widely celebrated and greatly valued by the time of Augustine and Chrysostom.
These are some of the most interesting tidbits that I learned:
Matthew and Paul (Romans 1:19 ff.) have something in common. The Magi are Gentiles, and yet via God's activity outside of the Scriptures, they come to discover God, and then they honor Him. Herod and his Jewish scribes who search the Scriptures, have darkened minds and fail to recognize Him. There is even an echo here of Balaam, the false Gentile prophet of Numbers, who foresees the star that will one day guide other Gentiles to the Messiah (19).
The Latin Infancy Gospel in the Arundel Manuscript (5th c.) is so docetic that it describes Jesus as being weightless and composed of pure light, with flesh that only appears real (62).
The December 25th date was settled for so many different reasons: to counteract pagan Mithra, Sol Invictus, and Saturnalia festivals; to mark 9 months after March 25 (the creation of the world, the conception of Jesus, and date of the crucifixion), and because of other factors (including that Dec. 25 is the winter solstice, and Christ is compared to the sun or light many times in the New Testament) (76 ff.)
Irenaeus' interpretation of the Magi's three gifts: "Myrrh because it was for him who should die and be buried for the mortal human race; gold because he was a king 'whose kingdom has no end'; and frankincense because he was God" (114).
The history behind the Magi's names is so fascinating; sometimes there were three Magi, as in the catacombs of Rome, sometimes there were two; for the ancient Syrians, there were twelve. Their names underwent some modification, and the origin of the names Gaspar, Balthasar, and Melchior are obscure. The first time they are mentioned is in a 4th c. writing by an anyonymous author who has no reason to explain them, which presumably means he received them as part of an older tradition (111 ff.).
December 16, 2020
As an ordained minister, I've delivered my share of Christmas sermons and have led discussions on the nativity narrative over the years. And yet, I learned more than a few new lessons from this book. Dr. Kelly follows the development of the nativity narrative and Christmas traditions through the first six centuries of the Christian era in this slim volume. In the Epilogue, he states that "...this is the first of what will be a three-volume history of the holiday..." through the ages all the way to the present 21st century holiday traditions. I'm looking forward to learning 'the rest of the story' when he completes the series. I found the book very interesting but I can see how the 'general reader' might find the text a bit 'scholarly' and confusing with the various strands of Christian theology being presented. All in all, I found this book not only enjoyable and educational, it has a spiritual message that I found engaging and helpful.
Read
January 8, 2021Brief, worth reading about the early history of Christmas. Covers the Gospel stories as well as early church history. Only real flaw is that the book does not have footnotes cited throughout, but it does have a pretty hefty notes section at the end. Will revisit!
"In 336 the local Church at Rome proclaimed December 25 as the dies natalis Christi, “the natal day of Christ,” that is, the birthday of the Christian Jesus and the pagan Sun are similar. Significantly, the Roman document that says this does not justify or explain it. It merely says that this is the day, that is, the date had been accepted by the Roman Church some time before and since everyone knew about it, discussion of the date was not necessary."
"In 336 the local Church at Rome proclaimed December 25 as the dies natalis Christi, “the natal day of Christ,” that is, the birthday of the Christian Jesus and the pagan Sun are similar. Significantly, the Roman document that says this does not justify or explain it. It merely says that this is the day, that is, the date had been accepted by the Roman Church some time before and since everyone knew about it, discussion of the date was not necessary."
October 12, 2019
Atheist, Agnostic, or Levidican (or Roman)... There is something to learn about why we are the way we are from this work. It is well researched and a treat in its ease to read. Frankly, I’d just like to thank the author for a honest great job at an oft over/under done subject. If you do a lecture tour or documentary on this, I’d attend/ buy it immediately... (read that as the highest form of modern praise).
December 20, 2016
A very merry read
Short and sweet this little book takes us on a fascinating tour of theology, Christology and the not very trip from the small churches of the second and third century to a rousing conclusion takes into the very present time. A perfect read for anyone who ponders with wonder the syncretic nature of this special holiday. Bravo!
Short and sweet this little book takes us on a fascinating tour of theology, Christology and the not very trip from the small churches of the second and third century to a rousing conclusion takes into the very present time. A perfect read for anyone who ponders with wonder the syncretic nature of this special holiday. Bravo!
November 23, 2019
Good but slanted
A good examination of the roots of Christmas and its approximate evolution but feel like the scholarship is a bit lacking at some parts. More theology than concrete history but there’s still some good stuff in here. Can’t say how it stacks up to other books on the same subject.
A good examination of the roots of Christmas and its approximate evolution but feel like the scholarship is a bit lacking at some parts. More theology than concrete history but there’s still some good stuff in here. Can’t say how it stacks up to other books on the same subject.
December 6, 2021
I love Christmas and I love the history of religion, so this was a delight. Even though I minored in religion and have read other exegesis about the gospel accounts of the nativity, I learned a lot from this small volume. 'Tis the season!
This only describes the beginning of the Christmas celebration, through about 600 CE. Now I need to read his follow-up volumes.
This only describes the beginning of the Christmas celebration, through about 600 CE. Now I need to read his follow-up volumes.
November 26, 2024
This book is written in such an easy to digest manner, conversational and a little cheeky. It is in stark contrast to most scholarship of early Christianity.
A surprise gem for me was Kelly’s ability to bring a moment in time to life - he describes the language, architecture, and everyday mundanity of the Greek speaking world circa first century AD.
A surprise gem for me was Kelly’s ability to bring a moment in time to life - he describes the language, architecture, and everyday mundanity of the Greek speaking world circa first century AD.
February 20, 2025
Well I decided to read this out of season just because I thought the topic was interesting. And it was interesting. I just wish Kelly sourced better; he had an odd way of citing his sources. I thought his approach was tainted a little by higher criticism, but overall, I appreciated a jumping off point for better understanding the development of the Christmas celebration.
December 28, 2025
Well-written and fascinating account about the origins of Christmas, looking at the first six centuries of Christianity and how the celebration was established. If you have ever been curious about the arguments that Christmas is a just a pagan holiday that Christians co-opted, this is a great resource that explains all the historical evidence of how it evolved.
January 17, 2022
Interesting read with lots of information. However, although there is some sourcing with a bibliography the referencing is not clear. Therefore a reader new to the subject will have difficulty evaluating the the authors evidence.
December 2, 2018
Found this book fascinating. I would describe it as church history that both explains the origins of christmas while it also walks the reader through the growing pains of the early church.
October 21, 2022
Me encantó este libro, lleno de datos interesantes y valiosos acerca de el origen y desarrollo de la fiesta cristiana más popular la Navidad.
November 21, 2022
Okay. Some interesting stuff, but filled with critical scholarship—and outdated scholarship at that. But some parts were good.
December 31, 2022
The author spoke arrogantly and does not believe in the inerrancy of scripture. He doesn't give foot notes or any details of where he got his information except a bibliography. Not worth reading.
January 3, 2024
The book is nice in that it provides many interesting details about the feast of Christmas, from the extra-biblical stories, to modern depictions, and more. However, the book is replete with mistakes. He claims there are contradictions in certain Biblical narratives but overlooks glaringly obvious explanations that easily reconcile the accounts. He incorrectly claims that Christmas in the Mediterranean region is celebrated on January 6. He doesn’t know what the word manger means (which normally isn’t a big deal, but if you are writing a book on Christmas, come on). And there is more.
Overall, the book has a lot of gems and is worth reading. You just have to read it a bit more critically and with some fact checking, because not everything in there is correct.
Overall, the book has a lot of gems and is worth reading. You just have to read it a bit more critically and with some fact checking, because not everything in there is correct.
December 13, 2015
I love this stuff!
I can't get enough of this kind of historical research. How we came to celebrate our modern holidays is fascinating and for me Christmas is the biggest of them all. Although the book spends a lot of time on Christian theology and biblical analysis, don't be put off by that. The author treats it as a historical source. The most interesting parts of the book are where the author adds in later texts, medieval sermons, chants, carols and traditions to illustrate the growth of this holiday through the sixth century. All in all a really good, easy read.
I can't get enough of this kind of historical research. How we came to celebrate our modern holidays is fascinating and for me Christmas is the biggest of them all. Although the book spends a lot of time on Christian theology and biblical analysis, don't be put off by that. The author treats it as a historical source. The most interesting parts of the book are where the author adds in later texts, medieval sermons, chants, carols and traditions to illustrate the growth of this holiday through the sixth century. All in all a really good, easy read.
December 12, 2015
I enjoyed this short history of Christmas. This book is limited to the history of Christmas in the church (Catholic) from the gospel nativity accounts through the establishment of Christmas as a feast of the liturgical calendar complete with Advent, Christmastide, Epiphany, and Candlemas, etc. It follows the development of the Christmas tradition in the church through the sixth century.
January 19, 2016
Interesting explanation of how Christian rituals started but it got into too many details about minutiae that didn't seem to strengthen the point. I often got lost in the details.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews