The real Christmas story

Here is an old material I have kept for some time credited to anonymity. I guess this is the best time for me to share this with you.

- FRANCIS J. KONG

Much about Christmas remains veiled and puzzling. It harbors a mystery of faith and has a somewhat checkered history.

More than 300 years after Jesus’ time, Christians celebrated his resurrection but not his birth. The later Christmas festival was banned in 17th century England and early America.

The observance begins in fourth-century Rome, timed to coincide with a midwinter pagan festival honoring the imperial army’s sun god, Mithra.

The December date was taken over to celebrate Jesus’ birthday.

But the day he was born is unknown. Even the precise year is uncertain. However, it was not in the year AD 1, as the calendar’s Anno Domini (Year of the Lord) suggests.