I. THE NAME
The typically Roman designation is *Natale* or *Natalis Domini*, from which derive the names in the Romance languages. The modern Latin *Nativitas Domini* is of Gallican origin.II. THE DATE
As to the historical date of Jesus’ birth, no apostolic tradition exists; the earliest liturgical celebrations are those of Easter and Pentecost. The notice in the *Liber Pontificalis* (I, p. 129), that Pope Telesphorus introduced the midnight Mass of Christmas, is entirely fictitious.Noteworthy is the fact that Christmas is a fixed-date feast, unlike Easter and Pentecost. Early Christianity was uncertain about the day of Christ’s birth: cf. Clement of Alexandria, *Stromata* (ed. Sylburg, p. 340), who gives as possible dates either 25 Pachon (20 May), 15 Tybi (10 January), or 11 Tybi (6 January); Epiphany. The latter date, according to him, was accepted by most. The writing *De Pascha computus* (among the works of St. Cyprian, ed. Hartel, II, p. 266) places Christ’s birth on 28 March; St. Hippolytus (ed. Bonwetsch, I, Leipzig 1897, p. 524) in his commentary on Daniel indicates 2 April of the year 5500 from the creation, or 752 from the founding of Rome, for the birth of Jesus; another reading that places the date on 25 March is considered a later interpolation (cf. *Lib. Pont.*, II, p. 563, and L. Duchesne, *Origines du culte chrétien*, Paris 1909, p. 262). These dates were influenced by the great importance of the spring equinox (25, then 21 March), believed to be the beginning of creation, hence the date of the Conception (or even the birth) of the Creator. The equinoctial date of 21 March, more common, led, through prophetic words (*Mal.* 4:2), which present the Messiah as the sun of justice, and evangelical passages in which Christ is called light and sun, to 25 March, the fourth day of the week, Wednesday, the day of the creation of the sun, as the day of the Conception of the Saviour, resulting in 25 December as the date of His birth. Other more complex calculations are connected with the time when Zechariah, mistakenly believed to be the high priest, would have entered the Holy of Holies. In any case, the conviction prevailed that Christ was in fact born on 25 December. For St. Augustine (*Sermones*, 190, 192, 196) this is historically certain.
It must however be borne in mind that the date of 25 December may also derive from the Roman civil calendar. Aurelian, in 274, introduced on this day the celebration of *Sol invictus*, marking the end of the winter solstice (21 December); it was an influence of the Mithraic cult. Julian the Apostate, still in 362, wrote a discourse *De Sole reges* to be read in Rome on 25 December, to celebrate the sun (both real and intellectual); St. Leo the Great, noting the coincidence of Christmas with the feast of the Sun, warned Christians not to confuse Christ with the natural sun (*Sermo 22 De nativ. Domini*: PL 54, 198). At Petra, in Nabataean Arabia, the birth of the god Dousares from a virgin was celebrated on 25 December, and a Canopus Calendar (c. 239) has at the date 25 December: *Natale of the Sun*; *the light increases*. Astronomical, prophetic, and scriptural considerations of a certain symbolic nature, and the existence of a pagan civil feast of the sun on 25 December, would therefore have contributed to assigning the birth of Christ, the Sun and the Light, to this very date.
III. ROMAN ORIGIN
The purely Roman origin of the liturgical celebration of Christmas is beyond doubt; but the precise moment of its beginning remains rather indeterminate.John of Nicaea (c. 900), in urging the dissident Armenian Church to accept the feast of 25 December, among other reasons, claims that Pope Julius (337–52) introduced it in Rome following correspondence with Cyril, Patriarch of Jerusalem (Combe-fis, *Hist. haer. monoph.*, 304); but the correspondence is apocryphal and the notice unfounded. Under his successor Liberius (352–66), however, the feast appears to be attested for Rome; St. Ambrose (*De virginitate*: PL 16, 219) refers to a sermon he delivered in 352 or 353 *natalibus Salvatoris*, when in St. Peter’s he gave the veil to his sister Marcellina, and this seems indeed to refer to Christmas. In the Chronography of 354 the feast of Christmas is recorded twice: at the head of the *Depositio martyrum* and in a consular list: «VIII kal. Ian. [i.e. 25 Dec.] natus Christus in Betleem Iudaeae» (v. R. Valentini-G. Zucchetti, *Codice topografico della città di Roma*, II, Rome 1942, p. 17), and is repeated in an inscription found at Setif: «natale domini Christi VIII Kalendas Januarias» (E. Diehl, *Inscriptiones Latinae christianae veteres*, Berlin 1925, no. 2114). Now, the list of the *Depositio episcoporum* originally ended with Sylvester (336), to which were later added Mark and Julius; the *Depositio martyrum* certainly indicated the days and places of liturgical celebrations, so it can reasonably be supposed that even the first entry concerning Christmas (as well as that of the Chair of St. Peter) refers to a liturgical celebration and that the liturgical celebration of Christmas can and must be traced back to 336, and certainly existed by 354. St. Zeno of Verona (380) in the third of his sermons *De nativitate Dei* (PL 11, 407–17) also draws a clear contrast between Christ and the material sun; but some critics do not consider it proven that his sermons were delivered on an actual liturgical feast, but only as a commemoration of the Lord’s Nativity. St. Philastrius of Brescia, however, explicitly speaks of the feast of Christmas (*Liber de haeresibus*, cap. 140, composed c. 383: PL 12, 1273). At the same time Pope Siricius (letter to Bishop Imerius of Tarragona, cap. 2: PL 13, 1134) recalls the feast as already in Christian usage.
CHRISTMAS – Grace of the Nativity – Bethlehem.
IV. DIFFUSION OF THE FEAST
In Africa the Donatists, who rejected Epiphany as an Eastern novelty, admitted instead the feast of Christmas, as noted by the aforementioned Philastrius. Optatus of Milevis has a homily for Christmas, c. 360, the oldest known for this feast (G. Morin, *S. Aurelii Augustini tractatus sive sermones inediti*, Munich 1917, app. tr. 1, pp. 170–77; cf. also A. Wilmart, in *Revue des sciences relig.*, 11 [1922], pp. 271–302). St. Augustine delivered several sermons on this solemn occasion, also drawing a comparison between Christ and the sun (*Sermo* 190: PL 38, 1007; *Sermo* 203: ibid. 1035; *De Trinitate*: ibid. 42, 89).For the Gauls it suffices to cite canon 18 of the Council of Agde (506), presided over by St. Caesarius (*Opera omnia*, ed. G. Morin, II, Maredsous 1942, p. 45). As for Egypt, John Cassian (*Collationes*, X, 2: PL 49, 821, written after 420) attests that at his time it celebrated with a single feast, on 6 January, both the birth and the manifestation of the Lord, while in the West two distinct feasts were observed. But in 432 Paul of Emesa preached in Alexandria, in the presence of St. Cyril, on the feast of Christmas, 25 December. Jerusalem and Palestine proved difficult in accepting the feast of Christmas. From Egeria (c. 381) we know that the two principal feasts were Easter and Epiphany (*Peregrinatio*, cap. 26, ed. Gamurrini, Rome 1888, p. 84). The appearance of the feast of Christmas under Patriarch Juvenal (424–58) seems to have been short-lived (S. Vailhé, *Introduction de la fête de Noël à Jérusalem*, in *Échos d’Orient*, 8 [1905], pp. 212–18), since Cosmas Indicopleustes in his *Topographia christiana* (c. 550) asserts that in Jerusalem they had remained with only the feast of Epiphany, in memory of Christ’s birth, while elsewhere two distinct feasts were celebrated, that of 25 December and that of 6 January (lib. V: PG 88, 198). Finally, however, under Patriarch Sophronius (634–38), it is known from one of his sermons that even in Jerusalem the feast of Christmas had taken hold (Phokylides, in *Ekklesiastikos Pharos*, Alexandria 1918, 319–36).
For Mesopotamia, it is known from St EFREM THE SYRIAN (373) that at his time only the feast of 6 January (13 days after the solstice) was considered as the feast of the Lord’s birth. In northern Syria, however, St EPHRAEM held a homily for the Nativity (25 December; cf. C. Erbes, *Nachträgliches zum syr. Martyrologium u. dem Weihnachtsfestkrois*, in *Zeitschr. f. Kirchengesch.*, 5 [1905], pp. 463, 464). As for Cappadocia, St GREGORY OF NYSSA, in the opening of his two sermons in honour of St STEPHEN the Protomartyr (26 December), expresses the idea—later so dear to St AUGUSTINE, St MAXIMUS and others—that the feast of the first martyr, which follows that of the Saviour’s birth, demonstrates its fruit (PG 46, 701-2). Even in his funeral oration for his brother St BASIL (379), he makes mention of the double feast of the Nativity and Epiphany (PG 46, 790).
At Constantinople, St GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS, probably in 380, delivered a homily for the first celebration in that capital of the feast of the Nativity (*Hom.*, 38: PG 36, 311-54). At Antioch, under Patriarch FLAVIAN (386), St JOHN CHRYSOSTOM, still a deacon, announced to the people in his discourse on the feast of St PHILOGONIUS (20 December: PG 49, 752 sgg.) that on the following 25th the birth of Christ would be celebrated for the first time as a proper feast, and on that day he then delivered his great Christmas sermon (PG 38, 353 sgg.); noteworthy is his statement that the feast had been known for about ten years, but not celebrated. Finally, in 425 Arcadius and Honorius included the Nativity among the days on which circus games were forbidden (*Cod. Theod.*, II, 8, 27), and Justinian declared it a civil feast (*Cod. Just.*, III, 12, 6).
V. LITURGY OF THE FEAST OF THE NATIVITY
The Nativity, like all the principal feasts, has a vigil (now a privileged vigil of the 1st class) and, what is characteristic, three festal Masses: one for the night, the second at dawn, the third during the day. The liturgical rank is of the 1st class with a privileged octave of the 3rd order, arranged to frame the feasts of the *comites Christi* within the same solemn octave.
The vigil must begin very early; for St AUGUSTINE it is an ordinary matter. The so-called Leonine Sacramentary has preserved an entire *libellus Missarum* for the Nativity, with 9 different formularies, not all complete, of which at least two are for the vigil. The Gregorian Sacramentary already contains the complete formulary of the present Roman Missal. For the vigil it is noted as the time of the 9th hour, i.e. three in the afternoon, and as the place S. Maria Maggiore. The nocturnal celebration follows, still at S. Maria Maggiore; then, without a specified hour, the station at S. Anastasia; finally, the festal Mass at S. Peter. It should be noted that at S. Anastasia the primary celebration was for the said saint, and only secondarily for the Nativity. After St GREGORY THE GREAT, at an unspecified time, the parts were reversed: the memory was made at his title, while the formulary became a festal Nativity one.
The celebration of the great Nativity vigil at S. Maria Maggiore is explained above all by the fact that there a particular chapel with a representation of the crib was erected, perhaps already in the time of Sixtus II (cf. R. Valentini-G. Zucchetti, *Codice top. cit.*, II, 119-120). It is well to recall that in Palestine, as attested by the well-known Egeria, the celebration of Epiphany (in which the birth of Christ was also commemorated) began precisely at Bethlehem, in the basilica of the crib (of the Nativity), thence proceeding in procession to the basilica of the Anastasis in Jerusalem; we would thus have one of the various imitations of Palestinian customs in Rome. Perhaps already in the time of Sixtus III, and certainly still in the time of Amalarius (early 9th century, *Liber de Ordine antiphonari*, ed. I. M. Hanssens, in *Amalarii Ep. Opera liturgica omnia*, III, Vatican City [Studi e testi, 140], 1950, pp. 49 sgg.), and until the Avignon exile (as attested by the relevant Ordines Romani), the Pope would go to S. Maria Maggiore to celebrate the afternoon Mass of the vigil, in the evening the solemn Vespers at the crib, then, towards midnight, a brief Matins, with the Midnight Mass, still considered as part of the vigil (it would be better to say of a “watch”); from there, towards the first light of day, he would go to S. Anastasia for that feast. Meanwhile, in the basilica of St Peter the full Matins (the 4th watch) was sung during the night, concluding with the papal Mass during the day. After Avignon, the vigil was transformed from a true “watch” into a “vigil”, i.e. Office and Mass in the morning, as on all other days, while the other Masses—of the night, of dawn, of the day—remained as festal ones. The station, however, was transferred from St Peter’s to S. Maria Maggiore. As for the Nativity Office, it suffices to say that it is among the most lyrical and profound Offices, with many Eastern influences, direct or indirect (A. Baumstark, *Byzantinisches in den Weihnachts-texten des römischen Antiphonars Officii*, in *Oriens christ.*, 11 [1936], pp. 163-87; H. Frank, *Das Alter der römischen Laudes und Vesperantihomen der Weihnachtsoktav u. ihre griechischen Originale*, ibid., 14 [1939], pp. 14-18).
The notice of the Roman Martyrology, to be sung in choir with a special melody, was inserted by Baronius, who took it from earlier Martyrologies, such as those of Molanus or Bellino. The Georgian Martyrology has only the notice of the birth of Christ, and then many other names of saints. Of these, only Eugenia is a Roman martyr, but her liturgical memory was supplanted by that of the martyr Anastasia of Sirmium. The same very brief notice of the birth at Bethlehem is found in the so-called historical Martyrologies (Bede, Lyonese, Ado; cf. H. Quentin, *Les martyrologes historiques du moyen âge*, 2nd ed., Paris 1908). It was Usward who first introduced, from the Chronicle of Eusebius, in the Latin version of St Jerome (*Chronicon lib. II*: PG 19, 529-32), the years of Augustus and the Olympiad (*Acta SS. Iunii*, VI, p. 654). The chanting of this chronology serves to highlight the solemn announcement of the Lord’s birth into the world, but it deserves to be revised (cf. C. M. Perrella, *De emendando Martyrologio romano votum*, in *Ephem. liturg.*, 55 [1941], pp. 150-54).
Around the feast of the Nativity were grouped the dates that depended on it: 25 March for the Conception of Christ (Annunciation), 24 June (VIII Kal. Jul.) for the birth of the Baptist, and the Presentation (Occursus Domini, Purification), on the 40th day after Nativity, i.e. 2 February. For the octave of the Nativity, on 1 January, V. CIRCUMCISION, III.