During a recent “Does God Exist” debate held at New Delhi’s Constitution Club, poet, lyricist and self-described atheist Javed Akhtar was asked what social or cultural substitutes exist for festivals in societies that do not believe in God. In responding, Akhtar argued that festivals are not inherently religious in origin. To illustrate his point, he referred to the history of Christmas, claiming that the birth of Jesus Christ was originally observed in spring, but was later shifted to December 25 to align with an existing pagan festival during the reign of Roman Emperor Constantine.
Akhtar said that long before the spread of Christianity, people across the Roman world celebrated a popular pagan festival between December 17 and 25. According to him, when Constantine adopted Christianity, he chose not to abolish this deeply rooted celebration. Instead, Akhtar suggested, the date marking Jesus’s birth was reassigned to December 25 so that people could continue observing the familiar festival, which gradually transformed into Christmas as it is known today.
In the days following the debate, and with Christmas Eve approaching, Akhtar’s remarks once again began circulating widely on social media. While historians acknowledge that his account reflects one of the commonly discussed theories about the origins of Christmas, many caution that the actual history behind December 25 is far more nuanced. Scholars note that it is important to examine whether Jesus’s birth was ever associated with a specific season and how December 25 ultimately came to be accepted as Christmas Day.
One point on which most historians and theologians broadly agree is that the Bible itself does not specify an exact date for the birth of Jesus Christ. The Gospels of Matthew and Luke describe the circumstances surrounding his birth but do not mention a calendar date. In early Christianity, far greater importance was placed on Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection, with Easter emerging as the central event of the faith rather than the Nativity.
Some biblical details even suggest that Jesus may not have been born during winter. The Gospel of Luke mentions shepherds tending their flocks outdoors at night, an activity many scholars argue would have been unlikely during the cold Judean winters. This has led to speculation that Jesus may have been born in spring or early autumn, though historians stress that such conclusions remain uncertain due to the lack of concrete evidence.
The absence of a birth date in early Christian writings also meant that the first generations of Christians did not celebrate Jesus’s birthday at all. According to Biblical Archaeology Review, the Nativity only became a focal point much later, once Christianity had spread more widely and developed a more structured liturgical calendar.
Akhtar’s argument draws strength from the historical fact that December was already a festive season in ancient Rome. One of the most significant celebrations was Saturnalia, observed from December 17 onward and characterised by feasting, gift-giving and social role reversals. Another key observance was Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, the birthday of the Unconquered Sun, which was celebrated on December 25 and gained prominence in the third century under Emperor Aurelian, well before Constantine’s conversion.
Because December was already associated with themes of light, renewal and celebration, many historians believe that the alignment of Christmas with this period helped Christianity integrate into Roman society. Some scholars argue that this overlap made it easier for converts to embrace the new religion without completely abandoning familiar cultural practices.
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson has also explained this seasonal connection by pointing to the winter solstice. Around December 21, the shortest day of the year, ancient societies believed the sun had reached its weakest point. As daylight slowly began to increase after this date, people celebrated the “return of the light,” a moment that often fell around December 25. According to this interpretation, Christianity later assigned Jesus’s birthday to an already meaningful time of year, rather than replacing it outright.
However, historians caution against attributing the choice of December 25 solely to Constantine. While Constantine played a major role in legalising and supporting Christianity, there is no direct historical evidence that he personally ordered the date change to preserve pagan traditions. The earliest known reference to December 25 as Christmas appears in a Roman calendar from 336 AD, during Constantine’s reign, but this only shows when the date was formalised, not how or why it was chosen.
Other theories suggest that theological symbolism, rather than pagan accommodation, played a major role. Some early Christian thinkers believed that Jesus was conceived on the same date he later died. Since early calculations placed the crucifixion around March 25, they reasoned that conception also occurred on that date. Adding nine months leads directly to December 25 as the birth date.
Christian scholars such as Tom C Schmidt have noted that December 25 was just one of several proposed dates for Jesus’s birth, alongside January 6, March 25 and other possibilities. Over time, December 25 gained wider acceptance, largely through church tradition rather than imperial decree.
Many Christian institutions also dispute the idea that Christmas is simply a repackaged pagan festival. While acknowledging cultural overlap in the Roman world, they argue that early Christians were guided primarily by theological reasoning. From this perspective, December 25 represents a reinterpretation of time and symbolism rather than a compromise with paganism.
Ultimately, historians agree that Christmas was not “moved” from spring to winter by a single decision or ruler. The Bible does not provide a birth date, early Christians did not celebrate the Nativity, and December 25 emerged centuries later through a complex interplay of theology, symbolism and historical circumstance. Pagan festivals may have influenced how comfortably Christmas fit into Roman society, but the idea of a simple, deliberate date shift ordered by Constantine oversimplifies a far more layered history.
In that sense, while Javed Akhtar’s broader observation—that festivals often outlive religions by adapting to new meanings—resonates with historians, the story of Christmas on December 25 reflects a gradual and multifaceted process rather than a single act of political or religious convenience.
