25 December: The Birth of Christ

1. On the first day of the year, that is on the first day of Christmas, all Christians celebrate Christ's birth. St Mary gave birth to him during that night in a rocky cave outside the town of Bethlehem; and as soon as he was born, a heavenly light shone over the entire land; and God's angel appeared to shepherds one mile to the east of the town and told them that the Saviour of all men was born; and the shepherds heard much angelic song on earth. 5199 years had passed since the beginning of the world, when Christ was born. In the year in which he was born, such portents appeared to men as there had never been before, nor since. In that year men saw three suns, and on another occasion three moons; and the Romans saw a fiery ball fall from the sky, and another time a golden ball. And in that year people saw ears of wheat growing on trees; and when in one country bread was broken at mealtime, blood flowed from the loaf, as from a human body when it is injured. And in that year people saw milk flowing from the sky, and a lamb speaking like a human being among the Egyptians. And an ox spoke to the ploughman in Rome, and said: ‘Why do you poke me? Good wheat will grow in this year, yet you will not live to eat it.’

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