NadirGP wrote:Jean-Serge,
You wrote:
“Thank you but most people here like myself are in the old calendar, in which it is today December 14th...”
Now I am off-topic here. However, may I ask where do you base the date of the Nativity of Christ, for as we know, whether Roman Catholic or Orthodox, we don’t have any historical documentation on which to base His birth date. Moreover, I do not think it was in winter for two reasons: The shepherds were minding their sheep on the hills in the night time; and Augustus the Roman Emperor would have been very unlikely to order a census for people coming from the four points of the earth during winter time.
Nadir
Perhaps the winters were a lot warmer back then, 2000 years ago. You need to consider what the people were experiencing back then, not now. Most people analyse what they know from their experiences, but don't consider that the times, back 2000 years ago were much different times. Just the same, it's still not as cold, in that area, compared to what we get here in Quebec. Today it was around -20C, your conversion -4F. For the shepherds here, they could not stay out in that cold...especially because of the Northern winds. But, in Bethlehem, I think it was a lot more balmy.
Even if they described their winters as being really cold, their location is still in a Southern region. On Wikipedia, they say that their lowest temperatures are from 33-55F. That's hardly deep freeze temperature from what we get. On Theophany (Jan. 19 n.c./Jan 6 o.c.), there was a light snow fall. Just straight down. And it was warm although it is winter. I certainly could have sat out there in that for a few hours and not feel a chill. It was such a comforting and joyous feeling; like a warm blanket.
Have you ever considered that because it was the day of Christ's birth that the weather would have been so pleasant and delightful?
When we use rationality in the wrong way, then we loose connection with God. Everything that is explained in the Holy Bible has a right place. But, we also need to keep in touch with the oral traditions and experiences of the people that continued to live their lives after the Resurrection. The events were all preserved by the lives of the people who continued to worship in Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour. They preserved the memory of the most greatest events in the world: the Nativity of Christ, the baptism of Jesus Christ, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, the Ascension and Pentecost. It's all recorded and preserved in time.
This world wants to argue semantics by rationalization. Well, they're going down the wrong path.
So, yes, it is possible that Jesus Christ was born during the winter season.
I think it was plenty warm for shepherds to be out with their sheep.