All Saints of North America Orthodox Church · Phoenix, Arizona

Orthodox Christianity on the west side of Phoenix Arizona including Sun City, Surprise, Peoria, Glendale, Litchfield Park, Buckeye, Tonopah, and more

  • Home
  • About
    • New Visitor Information
    • How to Become Orthodox
    • Clergy & Leadership
    • For Orthodox Visitors
    • List of Activities for Orthodox Christians Desiring to Transfer to ASONA
  • Faith
    • About Orthodox Christianity
    • ASONA Mission Statement
    • Eucharist: Sacrament or Symbol?
    • Eucharistic Bread: Leavened or Unleavened?
    • Welcome Home! Evangelicals Come Home to Orthodoxy
    • Statement of Faith
    • Saints of North America
    • A List of Responsibilities of a Godparent in the Orthodox Church
  • Education
    • The Correct Understanding of Being Born Again
    • LIVE Online Catechism
    • Christian Names and Patron Saints
    • Welcome to the Orthodox Church! (Videos)
  • Catechesis
    • List of Activities to Complete Prior to Baptism
    • Online Catechism Lessons
    • Audio Lectures
    • The FAITH
    • The Mystery of Confession
    • To Sincere Converts to the Orthodox Faith, and those who are Seeking
  • Directions
  • Services
    • Calendar
    • Paschal Greetings from Around the World
    • When Someone Dies
  • Articles
  • Contact
    • Donate Now
    • About Giving to ASONA
    • The Book of Needs
  • Calendar
  • New Member Class
  • Online Catechism Class
  • Bible Survey Class
  • Bulletin
  • Ecclesioclasm
  • Ready

Calculating Christmas: The Story Behind December 25th

November 30, 2017 By All Saints of North America [edit]

William J. Tighe  Many Christians think that Christians celebrate Christ’s birth on December 25th because the church fathers appropriated the date of a pagan festival. Almost no one minds, except for a few groups on the fringes of American Evangelicalism, who seem to think that this makes Christmas itself a pagan festival. But it is perhaps interesting to know that the choice of December 25th is the result of attempts among the earliest Christians to figure out the date of Jesus’ birth based on calendrical calculations that had nothing to do with pagan festivals. Rather, the pagan festival of the “Birth of the Unconquered Sun” instituted by the Roman Emperor Aurelian on 25 December 274, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General Tagged With: christmas, december 25, William Tighe [post-edit]

All Saints of North America Orthodox Church

11234 W. Alabama Ave.
Youngtown, AZ 85363

(928) 910-2186

RSS LifeSite News

  • Premature Baby Born at 23 Weeks With Rare Condition Could Have Been Aborted, But His Parents Chose Life
  • Babylon Bee CEO Condemns Abortion: “Abortion Isn’t Health Care Like Rape Isn’t Lovemaking”
  • Judge Reinstates North Carolina Ban on Killing Viable Babies in Late-Term Abortions

A Directory of Arizona Orthodox Churches

Recent Posts

  • Weekly Bulletin for Sunday, August 14, 2022
  • Need a Reason for Embracing Orthodoxy?
  • Weekly Bulletin for Sunday, August 7, 2022
  • Historic Visit of Bishop James of Sonora to Arizona’s Satellite Missions
  • Conservative Vs. Liberal Clergy?

RSS Journey to Orthodoxy

  • Australia: Orthodoxy Fastest Growing Church amidst General Christian Decline
  • Finding the Right Holy Hospital — For Me
  • To Sincere Converts to the Orthodox Faith, and those who are Seeking
  • Kenya: Overwhelming Majority of Kisumu Diocese Priests Join Russian Church
  • Dozens of African Priests Serve First Divine Liturgy of Russian Exarchate

RSS Good Guys Wear Black

  • July 10-13, 2022 – Liturgical Practicum
  • History, Symbolism and Modern Use of Orarion
  • Priestly Priorities
  • The Biggest Challenge For Pastors Of Healthy Churches Right Now
  • To the Deniers of the Clergy

Weekly Bulletin for Sunday, August 14, 2022

Orthodox Calendar



Copyright © 2022 All Saints of North America Orthodox Church · All Rights Reserved
Designed by Fr. John A. Peck · Log in