from history of the feast
On this day, more than two thousand years ago, a momentous event occurred: the Nativity of the Lord and Saviour of the world, Jesus Christ. "The appearance of the Son of God into the world took place in Bethlehem, the city of King David, from whose lineage descends the Most Holy Theotokos, the Virgin Mary, and the elder Joseph, to whom She was betrothed. They arrived in the city, which was overcrowded due to the census; and, unable to find room at an inn, they stopped for the night outside the city in a manger. Here the Lord was born and, wrapped in swaddling clothes, was laid in a manger. The shepherds of Bethlehem were the first to learn of the Saviour's birth from an angel who appeared to them, followed by an angelic choir praising God: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!"Archpriest S. Slobodskoy.
"God's Law"