Not necessarily. The traditional date of 25 December was set in 375 AD for the Western Church but the Eastern Church celebrates Xmas on 6 January. The actual date is unknown. The Nativity is unlikely to have been in Winter, since shepherds in Palestine customarily remain in the open with their flocks only from Spring to Autumn.

Further confusion was added in the 6th century AD when the Christian calender, which reckoned time before and after the birth of Christ, replaced the old Roman calender which dated from the founding of Rome (753 BC). A monk, Dionysius Exiguus (also known as Dennis the Short), miscalculated Rome's founding as 748 BC. His mistake was not detected until long after the Christian calender had become established in use. From this the date of Christ's birth must be reckoned as 5 BC.

However, the exact timing is further clouded by the Star of Bethlehem. Suggestions on its origin have included a comet or a supernova but modern Astronomy refutes these. A triple conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter did occur in 6 BC and the most likely date for the birth of Christ is now believed to be around October, 6 BC.

So why is Xmas on 25 December? It is possible that the date was chosen to coincide with days that were already public holidays for pagan celebrations. The Roman festival "Natalis Solis Invicti" (Birthday of the Unconquered Sun) celebrated the Winter Solstice (21 December) when the Sun begins to rise in the sky and the days begin to lengthen. December 25 was also the birth date of Mithras, Sun of Righteousness and god of the Iranian mystery cult. The Roman feast of Saturnalia was celebrated on December 17 and involved merrymaking and the exchange of gifts and the giving of presents at Christmas was probably adopted from the existing midwinter customs celebrating agricultural and solar observances. The Solstice has been connected with rebirth throughout the world from well before the Roman period and was a natural choice for the Christian birth celebration.

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