CHRISTMAS (Dies natalis). — The Romans commemorated the dead on the day of their birth; in fact it is read that “Private feriae vocantur sacrorum pro-priorum, velut dies natalis”; thus, the Chronography (v.) of 354 preserves the natales Caesarum (CIL, I, p. 356). Christians, instead, have always commemorated the day of their earthly death. The exception is the date of 25 Dec., on which the Church of Rome has celebrated the birth of the Redeemer since the first half of the 4th century.
The day of martyrdom is the μυξας γενεθλιος, the true dies natalis of the martyrs (v. Martyrdom and Martyr). St. Peter Chrysologus teaches the faithful that the dies natalis of the saints is not that of their human birth on earth, but of their birth from earth to heaven (Sermo 129: PL 52, 555). Therefore, in the Hieronymian Martyrology and in the Sacramentaries, the anniversary day to be commemorated is called dies natalis. In the Acts of the holy martyrs Perpetua and Felicity, the author begins the narration of the day of their martyrdom with the words: “inluxit dies victoriae illorum et processerunt de carcere in amphitheatrum quasi in caelum” (P. Franchi de’ Cavalieri, La Passio SS. Perpetuae et Felicitatis, 5 Supplem. del Röm. Quartalschr. [Roma 1896], p. 138). Likewise, the deacon Pontius, writing of the day of the martyrdom of the bishop St. Cyprian of Carthage, says: “inluxit denique dies ille, ille promissus, ille divinus” (CSEL, 3, 3, pp. cvi, 16).
The Calendar of the Church of Carthage contains the dies nataliciorum Martyrum (G. B. De Rossi, L. Duchesne, Martyrologium Hieronymianum, in Acta SS. Novembris, II, p. LXX). In a homily on the dies natalis of St. Cyprian, St. Augustine teaches how the Church “natales vocet pretiosas martyrum mortes.” And he adds: “Where today can one find, I do not say in our city, but throughout all Africa and even in regions overseas, not only a Christian, but even a pagan or Jew or heretic who does not, with us, say the dies natalis of the martyr Cyprian? And what does this mean, O brothers? We do not know when Cyprian was born, but since on this day he suffered martyrdom we today celebrate his dies natalis. Instead, we would not celebrate the day of his birth even if we knew II. For on that day he contracted original sin; on this day, instead, he overcame every sin” (Sermo 310: PL 38, 1412-13). These concepts were later repeated in a homily on the dies natalis of St. Eusebius, bishop of Vercelli, formerly attributed to St. Ambrose (PL 17, 745). On a marble slab found in the cemetery of Priscilla was written the date VI idus iulius natale sanctorum martyrum, with the names of the seven martyrs commemorated on the same day in the depositio martyrum (E. Le Blant, D’un nouveau monument relatif aux fils de Ste Felicité, in Mél. d’archéol. et d’hist., 8 [1888], tav. VIII). In St. Paul’s, the baker Batlia was buried on 11 Feb. 401 on the dies natalis of domna Siteris (St. Soter: V. Diehl, Inscr. latin. christ. veteres, Berlin 1925, no. 2115); in Salona, an inscription indicates on 8 Apr. the dies natalis of Septimius the martyr, i.e., the deacon martyr Septimius (id., loc. cit., no. 2116). On a capital of the basilica of Djemila are commemorated on 1 Oct. the dies natalis of domnus Claudius and on another day the dies natalis of domnus Pascentius (id., loc. cit., no. 2117). Near Tebessa there is an inscription indicating on 11 June the dies natalis of St. Varag or Guarag and his companions (id., loc. cit., no. 2118). A. Bosio read in a cemetery on the Via Salaria the epitaph of a Principalis, buried on the dies natalis of St. Sixtus II, i.e., 6 Aug. (id., loc. cit., no. 2121). Of a deceased buried in the Agro Verano it is said that he died on the dies natalis of St. Lawrence (id., loc. cit., no. 2122), as is read in the Hieronymian Martyrology on 10 Aug.: dies natalis of St. Lawrence. A certain Felicitas was buried on the dies natalis of domna Thecla (id., loc. cit., no. 2123); a Pascasius died on the day before the dies natalis of domnus Asterius (id., loc. cit., no. 2124). Tertullian already attests in his time the use of the anniversary of the dead calling it natalicium: “oblations pro defunctis pro nataliciis annua die facimus” (De corona, 3: PL 2, 99); St. Ambrose writes that we Christians forget the day of the birth of the dead, but solemnly venerate that of their death (De fide resurrectionis, 5: PL 16, 1516). On the inscription of a Claudia Agrippina in the cemetery of Callixtus is read cuius dies inluxit, just as in the Passio ss. Perpetuae et Felicitatis and in the life of St. Cyprian (G. B. De Rossi, Paralipomeni del cimitero di Callisto, in Bull. di archeol. crist., 3a serie, 6 [1581], pp. 160-61). F. de Winge read in St. Mary Major the epitaph of a Laurence of whom it is said that on the day of his death “natus est in aeternum” (id., Inscr. Chr. Urbis Romae, I, Roma 1861, no. 36).