Details on Jesus’ birth the Bible doesn’t tell you

Commuters traveling to different parts of the country scramble and others wait patiently for available transportation at Machakos Country Bus in Nairobi on December 22, 2018. [David Njaaga,Standard]

When I was growing up, Christmas meant everything. It was that time when you got a new shirt and pair of shoes, when you had the best meal and when joy was all over town. As the years have progressed, I hear people lamenting that Christmas has lost meaning and that it is now no longer what it used to be.

It could be true that Christmas has lost meaning and that, other than the profligate merry-making and family reunions, it does not mean much anymore. These last few days, I have been obsessing over what Christmas really is all about. If the subject at the heart of this festivity is Jesus Christ himself, what do we know about his birth and the circumstances that led to the nativity? What really happened on that starry night that we are told about and how were the first hours preceding his birth and the few days and months after his birth?