Today is Halloween. That reminds me of my childhood in Missouri, walking in the rain along country roads, where my brothers and sisters and I carried our pillowcases and wore sheets to be ghosts. At other times I was Zorro, or the Wolfman, or Dracula, but the goal was the always same—lots of candy to eat the next day.
The word “holiday” originally was a “holy day,” a day set aside to honor God and what He has done for us in Jesus Christ. I do enjoy good family times around holidays and the joy of being with loved ones. But have you ever noticed the major holidays we celebrate in the United States are pretty “sweet”? Many months have one of them. And here are a few things they have in common: religious themes (mixed with non-Christian legends), lots of sugar for the kids, and fermented sugar (alcohol) for adults.
Take a look at this chart to see what I mean:
| Holiday | Month | Religious Theme | Non-Christian legend | Sugar and Alcohol |
| New Year | January | the Magi visit the young child Jesus, who is between one and two years old | Roman deity Janus, the god of beginnings, hence “resolutions” for new year | Cake and candy at parties; alcohol at New Year’s Eve parties |
| St. Valentine’s Day | February | Valentinus was a Roman Christian in the 3rd Century | Roman fertility festival Lupercalia, celebrated February 15, dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, and also to Romulus and Remus, “founders” of Rome. | Boxes of gooey candies; alcohol and dating for modern “fertility” rites? |
| St. Patrick’s Day | March | Patrick, a Roman Britain missionary , was sent to Ireland in the 5th century | Patrick single-handedly drives all the snakes from the island of Ireland | Sugar shamrocks and green icing; green beer and Irish whiskey |
| Easter | April | the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead in 28 A.D. | “Easter” from the Sumerian fertility goddess “Ishtar,” who along with her husband, Tammuz, go from death to life | Fertility candy bunnies, chickens, eggs; adult parties with alcohol and feasting |
| May Day | May | Crowning of Mary as “Queen of Heaven” (contrary to Bible truths) | Floralia, festival of Flora, Roman goddess of flowers, on April 27 | Sweets for children around Maypole; alcohol for adults |
| No major religious holiday | June to September | FYI, the months “July” and “August” were added later for Julius Caesar and his adopted son, Octavian (Caesar Augustus). | ||
| Halloween | October | “All hallows’ e’en”—the evening (e’en) before All Saints’ (Hallows’) Day | Celtic festival of Samhain; Roman Parentalia, festival of the dead | Bags of candy for kids; costumes and alcohol at adult parties |
| No major religious holiday | November | Thankfully, both Presidents Washington and Lincoln set aside national days to thank God, the foundation of our modern Thanksgiving holiday. | ||
| Christmas | December | Birth of Jesus (who may have been actually born in September of 3 B. C.) | Roman festival, Saturnalia, in honor of the god Saturn; December 17-23 | Candy, cakes, sweets; alcohol at parties |
Getting Back to God’s Word
If you would like to study the Bible on the subjects celebrated at each holiday, here is a list of scriptures to help.
New Year (Magi visit young Christ):
Matthew 2:1-23; background of Magi: Daniel was made their leader and taught them about the coming Messiah as declared in the stars (Daniel 4:9; 5:11; Psalms 19:1-6)
St. Valentine’s Day (True Christian love):
I Corinthians 13:1-13; I John 3—5
St. Patrick’s Day (Overcoming Satan, that old serpent):
II Corinthians 2:11; Ephesians 6:12; James 4:7; I John 4:4;5:4,5
Easter (Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead):
Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-13; Luke 24:1-49; John 20:1-29; I Corinthians 15:3-8; Ephesians 1:19-21
May Day (who Mary the mother of Jesus really was)
Matthew 1:18; 2:11-13; 12:46-50; 13:55; Mark 3:31-35; Luke 1:26-56; 2:1-52; John 2:1-12; 19:2-27; Acts 1:14
Halloween (the hope of Christ’s return when the dead are raised):
I Corinthians 15:1-58; Philippians 3:20,21; I Thessalonians 4:13-18
Thanksgiving (thankfulness to God): See scriptures in the blogs “Give Thanks in Everything” and “Thanskgiving”
Christmas (birth of Christ was in September) :
Matthew 1:1-24; Luke 2:1-20; John 1:14
Let’s continue to enjoy good times together with those we love. And let’s get the “holy day” back into “holiday” by keeping God and His Word first in our lives. We have fellowship with our Father and one another through the works of our lord and savior Jesus Christ. Now, that’s a really “sweet” time with one another!
Psalms 133:1:
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
2 replies on “What Ever Happened to Christian Holidays?”
I am so thankful to know the truth and I am not swept away by the world’s view of celebration. Thanks for posting this and how wonderful it is to walk with our Father EVERY day. With Him, everyday is holy! We don’t have to wait for a special day to praise and glorify Him.
Nancy, you are SO right! Reminds me of one of our previous blogs: https://www.freedomlifelight.com/every-day-is-a-holiday/ Love you, sister!