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Holidays?

T

theleastofthese

Member
Female
I've recently joined a private church group that condemns celebrating holidays. They take issue with most holidays including Christmas, Thanksgiving, Mother and Father's Day, etc. I've listened to their reasonings and studied scripture independently, particularly the areas they referred me to.

I'm still not entirely sure I agree with them, I feel that if holidays are done correctly they aren't pagan or worldly. Is there really harm in celebrating a holiday, having dinner with family, exchanging homemade gifts, decorating your home?

Maybe this is wishful thinking on my part because I love holidays so much, especially Christmas, Halloween, and Easter.
 
That is a close to the heart subject. I grew up celebrating Christmas and Easter....never Halloween.
We have never in the 26 years we've been married celebrated anything but Thanksgiving....and the fourth of July many years ago.

I understand how the pull feels, when you have warm fuzzy feelings and memories attached to them. For many years I missed singing in church. We never felt we were missing anything in giving up the HUGELY commercial holidays you mentioned.

I'm glad too that my children don't have to overcome their feelings and attachments to those things....and I am glad I won't have to explain why we celebrated Easter....knowing that those fertility rites used to (and still do) involve human sacrifices.

Edited to add that we don't condemn people that celebrate, and if someone gives a gift we accept it.
 
Joleneakamama said:
That is a close to the heart subject. I grew up celebrating Christmas and Easter....never Halloween.
We have never in the 26 years we've been married celebrated anything but Thanksgiving....and the fourth of July many years ago.

I understand how the pull feels, when you have warm fuzzy feelings and memories attached to them. For many years I missed singing in church. We never felt we were missing anything in giving up the HUGELY commercial holidays you mentioned.

I'm glad too that my children don't have to overcome their feelings and attachments to those things....and I am glad I won't have to explain why we celebrated Easter....knowing that those fertility rites used to (and still do) involve human sacrifices.

Edited to add that we don't condemn people that celebrate, and if someone gives a gift we accept it.
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Thank you. Can you tell me some reasons why you don't celebrate? I'm looking to gain a better understanding of why people do or do not choose to participate.

I never get much information from the group I'm in other than here's a few scriptures that could be interpreted this way.

I've looked into the origins of holidays but I don't really know what to believe when it comes to those sources.
 
theleastofthese said:
I've looked into the origins of holidays but I don't really know what to believe when it comes to those sources.
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This is a fun rabbit hole! You will find out some shocking and horrifying things. Check a few different sources against eachother and isolate the consistent parts if you doubt the authenticity. Also be aware of variations of the traditions across the many many people groups that the Catholics syncretized the core patterns from.
 
theleastofthese said:
I'm looking to gain a better understanding of why people do or do not choose to participate.
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Here is a quick primer for both Easter and Christmas. (They are closely linked together in their original formation.) Read the caption for the post and use some of those key points as search terms to google the full details. Warning: to really understand these holidays and what the traditions mean, you WILL be researching paganism in some depth.

 
The Revolting Man said:
Alright Torah types, the OP posted a question. It would not violate the debate policy for you to explain why YOU don’t celebrate specific holidays.

Please avoid verbiage that condemns those who disagree with you.
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Thank you. Is being Torah observant directly related to not celebrating the holidays? Asking because the people I'm in the group with don't seem to obey any other Torah laws/rules.
NVIII said:
This is a fun rabbit hole! You will find out some shocking and horrifying things. Check a few different sources against eachother and isolate the consistent parts if you doubt the authenticity. Also be aware of variations of the traditions across the many many people groups that the Catholics syncretized the core patterns from.
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Thank you, it's very confusing and I'm sort of skeptical of everything I read.
NVIII said:
Here is a quick primer for both Easter and Christmas. (They are closely linked together in their original formation.) Read the caption for the post and use some of those key points as search terms to google the full details. Warning: to really understand these holidays and what the traditions mean, you WILL be researching paganism in some depth.

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Wow, that is shocking, I've actually never heard that until Jolene mentioned it.

I'm curious how holidays evolved into what they are today from these origins, I'll have to do some digging.
 
The more "Christian" holidays I do stay away from. Since the 25th of December isn't listed anywhere in scripture I have a hard time believing anyone knows the actual day of His birth. Why celebrate what is already based on a lie, is my line of thinking. Also, why celebrate a Holy Day(holiday) that was never instituted by God. There are other issues too with the things of Christmas. Plenty you can find among the pagan line of things. But for me, it isn't make or break if someone chooses to celebrate it despite knowing those things. Most just can't break tradition, it is ingrained in them. And if someone uses it to really honor Christ then I'm all for that, as well. I personally love Christmas lights, Peanuts specials, and the Grinch. There's things I like culturally about the season, but I don't celebrate it at all from a strictly Biblical standpoint.
 
There are groups of people, both Torah keeping/Sabbath observant and others who choose not to keep the mainstream holidays.

As someone who is Torah Observant my husband and I don't celebrate most of the mainstream holidays. Especially Christmas, Halloween, and Easter. We choose not to because they are not biblically based, have pagan origins/connections, and are not the feasts which YHWH has set apart for his people to observe for all time. We choose to observe the biblical feasts/set apart times instead. If it was something which Yeshua (Jesus) did while on earth, and he fulfilled the law perfectly, so our reasoning is why should we not imitate him?

We will sometimes do things for Thanksgiving and 4th of July as we view those as American national holidays rather than having any religious affiliation.

We have no issues with family and friends who do choose to observe the mainstream holidays, we just do not participate ourselves.
 
Halloween is overtly evil, and should never be celebrated by any Christian.

Other than that though, I think people get too worked up about this. What really matters is if we are intentionally following Christ. If while doing that we do things on particular days, or don't, is detail. Now some of those details are better than others, but it's still detail.

We should value the holidays God has given us over those invented by man. But at the same time we are not commanded to stay aloof from our people's culture and be too holy to go to Christmas dinner with Mum.

Ecclesiastes 7:16
Don’t be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
 
FollowingHim said:
Halloween is overtly evil, and should never be celebrated by any Christian.

Other than that though, I think people get too worked up about this. What really matters is if we are intentionally following Christ. If while doing that we do things on particular days, or don't, is detail. Now some of those details are better than others, but it's still detail.

We should value the holidays God has given us over those invented by man. But at the same time we are not commanded to stay aloof from our people's culture and be too holy to go to Christmas dinner with Mum.

Ecclesiastes 7:16
Don’t be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
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What makes Halloween overtly evil? When I looked into the origins a while back it varied from celebrating the beginning of fall to dressing in costumes which stemmed from a belief that the dead arose for a carnival on that night. Once again I just never know what to believe.

We celebrated it by letting the kids in the family dress up and taking them trick-or-treating.
 
raulus said:
The more "Christian" holidays I do stay away from. Since the 25th of December isn't listed anywhere in scripture I have a hard time believing anyone knows the actual day of His birth. Why celebrate what is already based on a lie, is my line of thinking. Also, why celebrate a Holy Day(holiday) that was never instituted by God. There are other issues too with the things of Christmas. Plenty you can find among the pagan line of things. But for me, it isn't make or break if someone chooses to celebrate it despite knowing those things. Most just can't break tradition, it is ingrained in them. And if someone uses it to really honor Christ then I'm all for that, as well. I personally love Christmas lights, Peanuts specials, and the Grinch. There's things I like culturally about the season, but I don't celebrate it at all from a strictly Biblical standpoint.
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HomesteadWife said:
There are groups of people, both Torah keeping/Sabbath observant and others who choose not to keep the mainstream holidays.

As someone who is Torah Observant my husband and I don't celebrate most of the mainstream holidays. Especially Christmas, Halloween, and Easter. We choose not to because they are not biblically based, have pagan origins/connections, and are not the feasts which YHWH has set apart for his people to observe for all time. We choose to observe the biblical feasts/set apart times instead. If it was something which Yeshua (Jesus) did while on earth, and he fulfilled the law perfectly, so our reasoning is why should we not imitate him?

We will sometimes do things for Thanksgiving and 4th of July as we view those as American national holidays rather than having any religious affiliation.

We have no issues with family and friends who do choose to observe the mainstream holidays, we just do not participate ourselves.
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That's interesting, thank you both for explaining!
 
theleastofthese said:
What makes Halloween overtly evil? When I looked into the origins a while back it varied from celebrating the beginning of fall to dressing in costumes which stemmed from a belief that the dead arose for a carnival on that night. Once again I just never know what to believe.

We celebrated it by letting the kids in the family dress up and taking them trick-or-treating.
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What is the meaning of the phrase “Trick or Treat”?

It literally comes from “Give us a treat, or we will play a trick on you”.
Extortion, and the tricks weren’t just fun games.
People disguised themselves and went around threatening people. Just innocent fun.

That’s just part of it.
Ghosts, goblins, witches and etc.
it’s the only time of year that these are celebrated.
 
FollowingHim said:
But at the same time we are not commanded to stay aloof from our people's culture and be too holy to go to Christmas dinner with Mum.
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But we are commanded to be set apart (Levticus 11:44, Peter 1:14-17). Called to come out of her my people (Jeremiah 51:45, Revelation 18:4), and told not to be of this world nor yoked with unrighteousness (Romans 12:2, 2 Cor. 6:14). Are all Holidays bad? Perhaps not. Discernment should be exercised to make your determinations, reason with him, seek him, and ask him. (Isaiah 1:18).
 
theleastofthese said:
I've recently joined a private church group that condemns celebrating holidays. They take issue with most holidays including Christmas, Thanksgiving, Mother and Father's Day, etc. I've listened to their reasonings and studied scripture independently, particularly the areas they referred me to.

I'm still not entirely sure I agree with them, I feel that if holidays are done correctly they aren't pagan or worldly. Is there really harm in celebrating a holiday, having dinner with family, exchanging homemade gifts, decorating your home?

Maybe this is wishful thinking on my part because I love holidays so much, especially Christmas, Halloween, and Easter.
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I believe holidays are part of every religion.

Maybe they just prefer holidays of Hebrew calendar, instead of ours?
 
As for the Christmas tree,

These set of verses seems to have a relationship to our modern day Christmas tree. Therefore, I do believe this conception is likely ancient, and, pagan. Do with it what you will.

“Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭10‬:‭1‬-‭5‬
 
When it comes to this topic, I can see both sides. At one point, I was passionately against it and would have nothing to do with it.

I do believe it Is pagan at the end of the day masquerading as Christian. I came to that understanding due to it pricking my conscience and seeking to know more. But this concern does not prick everyone else's, and at the end of the day I do believe it has more to do with your heart than its content. When I'd state my case to other brothers, I was given this verse.

“Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭2‬:‭16‬

Is Christmas an holyday? I think no. But when my brothers put this verse to me, I put away the conversation. It wasn't worth the division. Let them keep their day if it means that much to them.

“As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭8‬:‭4‬

I do know that a tree is just a tree at the end of the day. Are you worshipping it as the pagans did, which would be sin? Do you not care if it has pagan origins, or is related in some way to the winter solstice? You just like the way it looks and you put gifts under it, with no further connotations? Ok then.

Some can get too worked up over it, some others may not care enough about it. Go where God leads you on the matter.
 
theleastofthese said:
What makes Halloween overtly evil? When I looked into the origins a while back it varied from celebrating the beginning of fall to dressing in costumes which stemmed from a belief that the dead arose for a carnival on that night. Once again I just never know what to believe.

We celebrated it by letting the kids in the family dress up and taking them trick-or-treating.
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I'm not talking about the origins, I'm talking about what it is today.

Dressing up as witches, ghosts and other evil beings is what I call "overtly evil" - it's overt because you can see it. Yes, I know that people also use other costumes, but honestly those are used as alternatives, we all know that the standard concept is dressing up as something evil. I'm not going to get into a debate about the origins of it, and honestly if someone is genuinely celebrating All Saints Day in a Christian fashion as per the traditions of their church denomination good on them. But Halloween in its classic, traditional / pop-culture form is "overtly" evil.
 
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