Show I Reason for December 25 Being ing Christmas Date it It Is not nut definitely known when Christmas was drat celebrated The Institution of ot the festival Is attributed to who ho flourished nourished In the reign of at Antoninus Ilus Plus A.D. A.D. A.D. A. A D. D This however howe II U le not historical It has bas often otten been objected that l December De De- e- e cember 2 25 cannot be the true date dale of ot the t birth rth of Christ for tor It Is then the time rainy season In Palestine and shepherds would scarcely have been watching their sheep by night In the fields The reason for tor the final choice of ot December 23 25 cannot now be de do- A widespread feast of ot the Great Mother Alother may have bove Influenced the I division also the desire to place a Christian feast In opposition to the theRoman Roman Human feast of ot Sol at the winter sui solstice stice e the Germans Hermans held beld their theft treat great Ot Yule feast In tn commemoration I of ot tile the return of the time fiery tiery sun and mun of ot the beliefs and usages of ot the theold theold I old uld Germans and Homans relating to I this matter passed from trow heathenism to Christianity and have survived v J to I the present day As Christianity spread the feast of ot the winter solstice sol I stice stIl the lie time when hen time tile day lIllY begins to Increase and nuJ light lu lo triumph over darkness was changed Into the I Feast east of Christ the bt of Qt Life Ufa |