First Step, First innovation : December 25th, Eastern Mediterranean Basin (part 1)

At the turn of the 4th century AD, a decisive battle took place that would establish Christianity in the Roman Empire: with the end of persecutions, it had to occupy the religious terrain of the winter solstice period. This period of nature's pause, but also of hope for renewal with the lengthening of days, constitutes one of the three major cycles of festivities of the year: it is the time of the Roman Saturnalia festivals (December 17-24) but also a time of nativity already: that of Mithra, the solar god of Persian origin, born on December 25th, celebrated with the sacrifice of a bull on that day. Under Constantine’s reign, the Christian Church, whose main holiday was Easter, decided to fix the date of the Nativity on December 25th (even though the Gospels of Matthew and Luke do not particularly indicate this date).