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In the fullness of time,<ref group="note"> The entry in the ''[[w:Roman Martyrology|Roman Martyrology]]'' states:<br>
:"[[w:Anno Mundi|IN the year, from the creation of the world]], when in the beginning [[w:Genesis creation narrative|God created heaven and earth]], five, thousand, one hundred and ninety-nine (5199 BC); from the flood, two thousand, nine hundred and fiftyseven (2957 BC); from the birth of [[w:Abraham|Abraham]], two thousand and fifteen (2015 BC); from [[Moses]] and the [[w:The Exodus|coming of the Israelites out of Egypt]], one thousand, five hundred and ten (1510 BC); from the anointing of [[David|King David]], one thousand and thirty-two (1032 BC); in the [[w:Prophecy of Seventy Weeks|sixty-fifth week, according to the prophecy of Daniel]]; in the one hundred and ninety-fourth [[w:Olympiad|Olympiad]]; in the year seven hundred and fifty-two from the [[w:Founding of Rome|founding of the city of Rome]] (752 BC); in the forty-second year of the empire of [[w:Augustus|Octavian Augustus]], when [[w:Pax Romana|the whole earth was at peace]], in the [[w:Six Ages of the World|sixth age of the world]], [[Jesus Christ]], eternal God, and [[w:God the Son|Son of the eternal Father]], desirous to sanctify the world by His most merciful coming, having been [[Annunciation|conceived of the Holy Ghost]], and nine months having elapsed since his conception, is [[Incarnation|born in Bethlehem of Juda]], having become man of the [[Theotokos|Virgin Mary]]. '''THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, ACCORDING TO THE FLESH.'''"</ref> our Lord [[Jesus Christ]] was born to the Holy [[Theotokos]] and Virgin Mary, thus entering into the world as a man and revealing Himself to mankind.
According to the [[Bible]] and to [[Holy Tradition]], Jesus was born in the city of Bethlehem in a cave, surrounded by farm animals and shepherds. The baby Jesus was born into a manger from the [[Theotokos|Virgin Mary]], assisted by her husband St. [[Joseph the Betrothed|Joseph]]. St. Joseph and the Theotokos were forced to travel due to a Roman census; the odd location of the birth was the result of the refusal of a nearby inn to accommodate the expecting couple ([[Gospel of Luke|Luke]] 2:1-20). Since it is known historically that dwellings were built directly over such caves housing livestock--in order to make use of the heat
==Hymns==
[[File:Byzantine Nativity (Athens).jpg|right|thumb|225px|The Nativity of Christ]]
[[Troparion]] (Tone 4) [http://oca.org/FStropars.asp?SID=13&ID=103638]
