Happy Saturnalia
Saturnalia was the festival celebrated to glorify the past days when the god Saturn ruled, according to the Roman tradition, until Constantine, the Emperor of Rome in the 4th century, decreed that Romans must convert to Christianity. Saturn, the ancient god of agriculture, was the reason for a festival each year beginning on December 17th and Constantine figured he could keep the same date, just change the God being celebrated.
Jesus, according to secular historians and astronomers was probably born on April 17th in the year 6 BC. They arrived at that date by matching verses from the Old Testament with events from history that were not in the Bible.
So "Merry Christmas" is about 4 months early.
Saturnalia was the festival celebrated to glorify the past days when the god Saturn ruled, according to the Roman tradition, until Constantine, the Emperor of Rome in the 4th century, decreed that Romans must convert to Christianity. Saturn, the ancient god of agriculture, was the reason for a festival each year beginning on December 17th and Constantine figured he could keep the same date, just change the God being celebrated.
Jesus, according to secular historians and astronomers was probably born on April 17th in the year 6 BC. They arrived at that date by matching verses from the Old Testament with events from history that were not in the Bible.
So "Merry Christmas" is about 4 months early.