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<v Speaker 1>Hi, this is Steve Webb, your OG Godcaster.

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<v Speaker 1>You're about to hear the LifeSpring Advent Calendar, which was recorded in 2006.

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<v Speaker 1>It's a daily show which will run right up to Christmas Day,

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<v Speaker 1>so be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode.

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<v Speaker 1>Now, the story of Advent and Christmas is a timeless story, so it doesn't age.

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<v Speaker 1>However, the links and the phone numbers mentioned on the podcast have all changed but one.

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<v Speaker 1>WhyChristmas.com is still current and active,

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<v Speaker 1>and it's the best Christmas information website on the Internet.

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<v Speaker 1>Lifespringpodcast.com now forwards you to Lifespringmedia.com.

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<v Speaker 1>And the phone number you'll hear on the show is changed to plus 1-951-732-8511.

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<v Speaker 2>Hi, I'm Steve Webb, your host, and welcome to Day 2 of the LifeSpring Advent Calendar.

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<v Speaker 2>I wonder what we'll find behind the door today.

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<v Speaker 2>Ah, now this is a very interesting question today.

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<v Speaker 2>why do we celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December?

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<v Speaker 2>It's a really good question.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, the Bible doesn't set a date for the birthday of Jesus,

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<v Speaker 2>so how did we come up with the 25th of December?

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<v Speaker 3>Well, Christmas was first celebrated on the 25th of December in the 5th century,

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<v Speaker 3>in the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine.

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<v Speaker 3>The date of the 25th was chosen because it was also the time of the winter solstice

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<v Speaker 3>and the ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia.

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<v Speaker 3>The winter solstice is the day when it's the shortest time between the sun rising and the sun setting.

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<v Speaker 3>Pagans and the Romans celebrated that the winter was more than half over and that spring was on the way,

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<v Speaker 3>and they worshipped the sun for winning over the darkness of winter.

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<v Speaker 3>Saturnalia took place between the 17th and the 23rd of December.

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<v Speaker 3>So in choosing a date around this time, Constantine took over the pagan celebrations

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<v Speaker 3>and used them to celebrate Jesus, the Son of God and the light of the world instead.

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<v Speaker 3>The early church also adopted many old customs associated with the solstice and Saturnalia,

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<v Speaker 3>including holly, mistletoe and even Christmas carols,

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<v Speaker 3>and I suppose we might find a bit more about those later on in the calendar.

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<v Speaker 3>There's also another good reason why the 25th of December might have been chosen,

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<v Speaker 3>because the 25th of March is also a sacred day to the pagans,

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<v Speaker 3>when they celebrated the coming of spring and new life.

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<v Speaker 3>The early church took over this day as the day when Mary had been told that she would have Jesus.

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<v Speaker 3>It's called the Annunciation and is still celebrated by many Christians today on the 25th of March.

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<v Speaker 3>And what's nine months after the 25th of March?

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<v Speaker 3>Yep, you got it, it's the 25th of December.

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<v Speaker 3>But that's not the only day that Christmas is celebrated around the world.

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<v Speaker 3>Most of the world uses the Gregorian calendar,

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<v Speaker 3>which was implemented by Pope Gregory VIII in 1582.

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<v Speaker 3>Before that, the Roman or Julian calendar,

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<v Speaker 3>which was named after Julius Caesar had been used.

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<v Speaker 3>The Gregorian calendar is much more accurate than the Roman one

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<v Speaker 3>because that had too many days in the year.

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<v Speaker 3>And when the switch was made, 10 days were actually lost

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<v Speaker 3>so that the day that followed the 4th of October 1582

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<v Speaker 3>wasn't the 5th, but the 15th.

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<v Speaker 3>Many Orthodox churches still use the Julian calendar

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<v Speaker 3>and so they celebrate Christmas on the 7th of January

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<v Speaker 3>and the Armenian church actually celebrates it on the 10th of January.

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<v Speaker 3>But we're in the year 2006

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<v Speaker 3>so that means that Jesus was born 2006 years ago, right?

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<v Speaker 3>Well, no.

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<v Speaker 3>The monks in the Middle Ages who tried to work out the date of Jesus' birth

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<v Speaker 3>got their maths wrong.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, it's very complicated.

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<v Speaker 3>So Jesus was probably born slightly earlier in 5, 6 or 7 BC.

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<v Speaker 3>So we know about the date

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<v Speaker 3>But what about the name? What does Christmas mean?

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<v Speaker 3>Well the name Christmas comes from the term Mass of Christ or Jesus.

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<v Speaker 3>A mass service, or as it's sometimes called communion or Eucharist,

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<v Speaker 3>is where Christians remember that Jesus died for us and then he came back to life.

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<v Speaker 3>The Christ Mass Service was the only service in the year that was allowed to take place after sunset,

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<v Speaker 3>which is when the church day officially starts and ends.

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<v Speaker 3>So people held the service at midnight.

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<v Speaker 3>and the term Christ Mass was shortened to Christmas.

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<v Speaker 3>You'll also hear Christmas referred to as Xmas.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, some people don't think it's correct to call it Xmas

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<v Speaker 3>as it takes the Christ or Jesus out of Christmas.

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<v Speaker 3>But actually, in the Greek language and alphabet,

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<v Speaker 3>the letter that looks like an X is pronounced Christos

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<v Speaker 3>and actually means Christ.

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<v Speaker 3>So Xmas can also mean Christmas.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, James, you are a fount of information.

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<v Speaker 2>Thanks so much for filling us in.

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<v Speaker 2>I'll see you tomorrow.

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<v Speaker 2>I hope you enjoyed that brief history lesson

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<v Speaker 2>and that your brain isn't hurting too much.

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<v Speaker 2>Please come back tomorrow to find out what's under the next door.

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<v Speaker 2>The beautiful piano music today was from Doug Bolt with Deck the Halls with We Wish You a Merry Christmas,

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<v Speaker 2>found at the Podsafe Music Network at music.podshow.com.

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<v Speaker 2>And of course our theme music is Brian Duncan and the Neo Soul Band with This Christmas, available at brianduncan.com.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm Steve Webb.

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<v Speaker 2>And I'm James Cooper.

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<v Speaker 2>And this has been Day 2 of the Lifespring Advent Calendar.