When was Christ Born?

History convincingly shows that December 25th was popularised as the date for Christmas, not because Christ was born on that day, but because it was already popular in pagan religious celebrations as the birthday of the sun. Though Christ is commonly known as the "Light of the World," December 25th is an unlikely date of birth.

According to "Celebrations: the Completely Book of American Holidays," Luke's account "suggests that Jesus may have been born in summer or early fall. Since December is cold and rainy in Judea, it is likely the shepherds would have sought shelter for their flocks at night." Thus, the shepherds were not in the fields during December.

On top of that, such Roman censuses, as the one Jesus' parents came to Bethlehem to register in, were not taken in winter (due to roads being in poor condition because of weather).

Since Elizabeth was in her sixth month of pregnancy when Jesus was conceived (Luke 1:24-36), we can determine the approximate time of year Jesus was born if we known when John was born. John's father, Zacharias, was a priest serving in the Jerusalem temple during the corse of Abilah (Luke 1:5). Historical calculations indicate that this course of service corresponded to June 13-19 in that year (The Companion Bible, 1974). It was during this time of temple service that Zacharias learned that he and his wife, Elizabeth, would have a child (Luke 1:8-13). After he completed his service and travelled home, Elizabeth conceived (Luke 1:23-24).

Assuming John's conception took place near the end of June, adding nine months brings us to the end of March as the most likely time for John's birth. Adding another six months (age difference between John and Jesus) brings us to the end of September as the likely time of Jesus' birth. So there you go.