For many centuries, Christian writers accepted that Christmas was the actual date on which Jesus was born.[9] However, in the early eighteenth century, scholars began proposing alternative explanations. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Newton Isaac Newton] argued that the date of Christmas was selected to correspond with the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_solstice winter solstice],[7] which in ancient times was marked on December 25.[10] In 1743, German Protestant Paul Ernst Jablonski argued Christmas was placed on December 25 to correspond with the Roman solar holiday [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dies_Natalis_Solis_Invicti Dies Natalis Solis Invicti] and was therefore a "paganization" that debased the true church.[6] In 1889, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Duchesne Louis Duchesne] suggested that the date of Christmas was calculated as nine months after the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annunciation Annunciation] (March 25), the traditional date of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incarnation Incarnation].[11][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas] | For many centuries, Christian writers accepted that Christmas was the actual date on which Jesus was born.[9] However, in the early eighteenth century, scholars began proposing alternative explanations. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Newton Isaac Newton] argued that the date of Christmas was selected to correspond with the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_solstice winter solstice],[7] which in ancient times was marked on December 25.[10] In 1743, German Protestant Paul Ernst Jablonski argued Christmas was placed on December 25 to correspond with the Roman solar holiday [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dies_Natalis_Solis_Invicti Dies Natalis Solis Invicti] and was therefore a "paganization" that debased the true church.[6] In 1889, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Duchesne Louis Duchesne] suggested that the date of Christmas was calculated as nine months after the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annunciation Annunciation] (March 25), the traditional date of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incarnation Incarnation].[11][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas] |