Sol Invictus and Christmas
One of the most debated topics relating to Sol Invictus is the date of the festival celebrating the day of his birth, Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, and a celebration of a completely different deity that happens to fall at the same time: Christians' celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas. While popular opinion of historians has changed over time to disagree that there is an intended conflict between the holidays, this date overlapping is an oft-cited example of early Christianity leveraging existing Pagan holidays to bolster their support and ease the transition of followers and it is still believed to be the case by some experts.
The title of "Sol Invictus" comes and goes throughout the history of Rome, sometimes as part of a relatively minor cult and sometimes being risen up to be the premier object of Roman worship, such as during the reigns of both Emperors Elegabalus and Aurelian. While it is an object of debate whether these various instances of Sol, Invictus, and Sol Invictus are actually referring to the same subject of worship, they share a common thread of being a sun god. During the reign of Emperor Aurelian, however, worship of Sol Invictus reached its highest point, when a festival of the name "dies natalis Solis Invicti," or "birthday of the undefeated Sun," was possibly created. The earliest known recording of this festival is in 354 AD in the Calendar of Filaclus, where it is placed during the winter solstice, which at that time was December the 25th.
There are a great number of potential connections between Christian traditions and the festival of Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, and the debate as to whether Christmas was intended to replace this festival tends to focus on the intentionality of these connections. Jesus Christ is very frequently depicted with features that were previously associated with sun gods, such as a halo or a radiating crown of light appearing on his head. The festival of Dies Natalis Solis Invicti is sometimes associated with another pagan festival, Saturnalia, which is said to have ended on December 23, just before Dies Natalis Solis Invicti. Saturnalia consisted of a great deal of celebration and partying, as well as a good deal of traditions such as gift giving and reversal of slave and master roles. It is possible that some of these traditions, such as gift giving, were incorporated into Christmas traditions. Other aspects of Saturnalia, such as the partying and debauchery, may have been intentionally replaced by Christianity by shifting the focus of the season towards the birth of Christ.
The placement of Christmas at the winter solstice may have also been just a coincidence, as the winter solstice was a prominent date for many peoples regardless of Sol Invictus's influence. If this was the case, then the Christians were likely aware of Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, but it was not a deciding factor in the placement of Christmas. There are also beliefs that it was placed on December 25 for more esoteric reasons. One such example is the traditional Jewish belief that great men lived for a whole number of years. Jesus Christ died on March 25, which would mean that he was created on March 25 as well. Rather than that making March 25 the day of his birth, it may have been thought to be the day of his conception, making his birth 9 months later on December 25. Finally, the earliest known record of Dies Natalis Solis Invicti is 354 AD, long after the birth of Christ. While Christmas was not celebrated until after this date, it is possible that records placed Jesus' birth at December 25 and had nothing to do with Dies Natalis Solis Invicti or the winter solstice.
The title of "Sol Invictus" comes and goes throughout the history of Rome, sometimes as part of a relatively minor cult and sometimes being risen up to be the premier object of Roman worship, such as during the reigns of both Emperors Elegabalus and Aurelian. While it is an object of debate whether these various instances of Sol, Invictus, and Sol Invictus are actually referring to the same subject of worship, they share a common thread of being a sun god. During the reign of Emperor Aurelian, however, worship of Sol Invictus reached its highest point, when a festival of the name "dies natalis Solis Invicti," or "birthday of the undefeated Sun," was possibly created. The earliest known recording of this festival is in 354 AD in the Calendar of Filaclus, where it is placed during the winter solstice, which at that time was December the 25th.
There are a great number of potential connections between Christian traditions and the festival of Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, and the debate as to whether Christmas was intended to replace this festival tends to focus on the intentionality of these connections. Jesus Christ is very frequently depicted with features that were previously associated with sun gods, such as a halo or a radiating crown of light appearing on his head. The festival of Dies Natalis Solis Invicti is sometimes associated with another pagan festival, Saturnalia, which is said to have ended on December 23, just before Dies Natalis Solis Invicti. Saturnalia consisted of a great deal of celebration and partying, as well as a good deal of traditions such as gift giving and reversal of slave and master roles. It is possible that some of these traditions, such as gift giving, were incorporated into Christmas traditions. Other aspects of Saturnalia, such as the partying and debauchery, may have been intentionally replaced by Christianity by shifting the focus of the season towards the birth of Christ.
The placement of Christmas at the winter solstice may have also been just a coincidence, as the winter solstice was a prominent date for many peoples regardless of Sol Invictus's influence. If this was the case, then the Christians were likely aware of Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, but it was not a deciding factor in the placement of Christmas. There are also beliefs that it was placed on December 25 for more esoteric reasons. One such example is the traditional Jewish belief that great men lived for a whole number of years. Jesus Christ died on March 25, which would mean that he was created on March 25 as well. Rather than that making March 25 the day of his birth, it may have been thought to be the day of his conception, making his birth 9 months later on December 25. Finally, the earliest known record of Dies Natalis Solis Invicti is 354 AD, long after the birth of Christ. While Christmas was not celebrated until after this date, it is possible that records placed Jesus' birth at December 25 and had nothing to do with Dies Natalis Solis Invicti or the winter solstice.