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nipted into Noel. The name in both languages
to designate the day on which Jesus Christ was born,
which for centuries has been fixed on the December 25.
During the first centuries, the Churches in the East
celebrated the Feast on January 6. By joining the
is used
Feast of Christmas to that of the Epiphany, these
Churches proposed to honour on one and the same day
the manifestation of the divine Infant both to the shep
herds and to the wise men. In Rome, as early as the
fourth century, the Feast of Christmas was celebrated on
December 25.
Towards the end of the fourth century the Apostolic
See of Rome ordained that the Churches in the East
should CONFORM TO THE Roman observance. Soon
afterwards the Emperors Theodosius and Valentinian
declared by edict that the Feast of Christmas should
be celebrated on December, and that of the Epi
phany on January.
The Gospel affords the chief reason for fixing Decem
ber 25 as the date of the Feast of Christmas. Saint
Luke, in fact, gives us to understand that the apparition
of the Angel to Zachary, and the conception of John the
Baptist took place during the September fast, and as the
Annunciation took place six months afterwards, the
Church has fixed March 25 as the date of the Incar
nation of the Son of God, and December 25 as that
of His Birth. The constant tradition of the Church of
Rome affords a second reason, a third is to be found
in the season of the year. The winter solstice falls
about December 25. From that date the days begin to
grow longer. Jesus Christ, the true Sun of Justice,
appears at this season to dispel the darkness of error
and to reveal to mankind the glory of His power and
the treasures of His goodness.