 The purpose of these festivals is not to celebrate the exact dates of these events, but simply to commemorate them in an interlinking way.The Nativity of John the Baptist anticipates the feast of Christmas.The Nativity of John the Baptist is one of the oldest festivals of the Christian church, being listed by the Council of Agde in 506 as one of that region's principal festivals, where it was a day of rest and, like Christmas, was celebrated with three Masses