# Why is Xmas on December 25th?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-xmas-on-december-25th/45644>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [December 14, 2000, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-xmas-on-december-25th/45644 "2000-12-14T23:43:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\
**Post date:** [December 14, 2000, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-xmas-on-december-25th/45644/1 "2000-12-14T23:43:52Z")

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Shouldn’t it be on January 1st?

Okay, so these questions get answered once a year. I’m just posting these three questions because I want people to think a little more about the meaning of the holidays & learn something about them. But also, I forgot the answers.

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**Author:** ![Saint\_Zero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Saint\_Zero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Zero)\
**Post date:** [December 14, 2000, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-xmas-on-december-25th/45644/2 "2000-12-14T23:47:16Z")

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Because I said so. I couldn’t think of any place else to put it, so here it goes.

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**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\
**Post date:** [December 14, 2000, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-xmas-on-december-25th/45644/3 "2000-12-14T23:54:55Z")

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Cecil’s thoughts on [Why do we celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_034b.html), from _The Straight Dope_.

And on a related topic, from SDSTAFF Mac, [Why is Christmas abbreviated Xmas?](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mxmas.html)