Another holiday associated with Jesus’ birth was the Dies Natalis Sol Invictus festival which took place on the first day of the spring equinox. Sol Invictus was celebrated, on December 25 from 274 AD, first started by Emperor Aurelian. Later on around. Later on Constantine, the first Christian emperor, was raised in this cult of the Unconquered Sun God, and he had a hand in turning Roman culture toward Christ and away from paganism. However, Christians were already celebrating the Birth of Christ prior to this holiday. In his book, Thomas Talley summarizes the relationship. > [!quote] Talley1991-aw >...much more likely, he argues, that the Emperor’s action was a response to the growing popularity and strength of the Catholic religion, which was celebrating Christ’s birth on December 25, rather than the other way around. (3) There is no evidence that Aurelian’s celebration preceded the feast of Christmas and more reason to believe that establishing this festival day – which never won popular support and soon died out – was an effort to give a pagan significance to a date already of importance to Roman Catholics. In ***Sol Invictus, the Winter Solstice, and the Origins of Christmas*** Author Stenven Hijmans argues that the ritual of Sol Invictus did not influence Christmas > [!quote] [[Hijmans2011-md|Stenven Hijmans]] >"Furthermore. it must be stressed, pace Usener. that December 25th was neither a longstanding nor an especially official feast day of Sol, It is mentioned only in the Calendar of 354 and as far as I can tell the suggestion that it was established by Aurelian cannot proven, In fact. there is no firm evidence that this feast Of on December 25th antedates the feast of Christmas at all (24). The traditional feast days of Sol. as recorded in the early imperial fasti. were August 8th. August 9th. August 28th and December 11th. Of these, only August 28th is still mentioned in the Calendar of 354, along with October 19 and 22, the latter being the most important. judging by the 36 chariot races with which it was celebrated ... While they were aware that celebrated a festival in honour Of Invictus on that day, this did not concern them. and it certainly did not play any role in their choice Of date for Christmas." ” The association of Jesus' birth with the Dies Natalis Sol Invictus festival on December 25 has been a topic of debate among historians and scholars. While Emperor Aurelian initiated the celebration of Sol Invictus on December 25 in 274 AD, it's argued that this date may have been chosen in response to the growing popularity of the Christian religion, which was already celebrating Christ's birth on December 25. Thomas Talley suggests that Aurelian's action aimed to give a pagan significance to a date already important to Roman Catholics. Additionally, Steven Hijmans emphasizes that December 25 was not a longstanding or official feast day of Sol Invictus, and there is no firm evidence that it predated the feast of Christmas. Scholars generally do not see a direct connection between the two holidays.