The issue of whether Christians should celebrate holidays or not is a complex one that requires careful examination of scripture. There are good arguments on both sides of this debate among believers. Ultimately, celebrating holidays is a matter of personal conviction that each Christian must decide for themselves before God. However, there are some biblical principles that can help guide our thinking on this matter.
Old Testament Holidays
In the Old Testament, God instituted specific holidays that the nation of Israel was commanded to observe. These included festivals like Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23). These were national feast days that commemorated God’s goodness and provision for Israel. Strict observance of these holy days was an important part of Israel’s life and worship as God’s chosen people.
However, the New Testament teaches that Christians are not under obligation to observe the Old Testament law in the same way Israel was (Romans 10:4). The Old Covenant has been superseded by the New Covenant inaugurated by Christ. While there may be value in understanding the meaning behind ancient Jewish holidays, Christians are not bound to ritualistically observe these days. The strict regulations concerning the timing, sacrifices, and celebrations specific to these Old Testament holidays do not apply to Christians who have entered the new covenant of grace.
Principles for Christian Holidays
When evaluating holiday celebrations, Christians should be guided by biblical principles rather than cultural popularity. Here are several key considerations:
- Focus on Christ – Is Christ the centerpiece of this holiday? Or has the original meaning been lost in secularization? (Colossians 3:1-2)
- Avoid pagan associations – Does this holiday have roots in pagan ritual that displease God? (Jeremiah 10:2-3)
- Maintain Christian liberty – Don’t judge others for celebrating or not celebrating certain days. Respect differing views on disputable matters. (Romans 14:5-6)
- Avoid materialism – Be careful that holiday celebrations do not feed selfishness and consumerism. Focus on spiritual things rather than materialism. (Matthew 6:31-33)
- Consider cultural impact – Will participating in this holiday help or hinder gospel witness in my cultural context? (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)
- Glorify God – Does celebrating this holiday glorify God or self? Does it reveal Christ or obscure Him? (1 Corinthians 10:31)
With these biblical filters in place, Christians have liberty to celebrate holidays in ways that enrich their faith rather than detract from it. Not every holiday celebration has pagan roots or leads to materialism. Believers must thoughtfully examine each holiday and determine how to observe it in a God-honoring, gospel-advancing manner.
Examining Popular Holidays
When evaluating major holidays, Christians should carefully examine their origins and modern practices according to biblical standards. Here is a brief overview of some major holidays and how they tend to align with Christian principles:
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving draws believers’ hearts back to gratitude for God’s provision. The original celebration in 1621 engaged both the Pilgrims and local Native American tribes in thanking God for His bounty that enabled their survival and peace. While the holiday has been commercialized, its original spirit invites thanksgiving to God for blessings.
Christmas
The celebration of Jesus’ birth offers Christians an opportunity to focus on Christ’s incarnation. However, many of the traditions associated with Christmas – trees, wreaths, mistletoe, yule logs, and the date of December 25 – have pagan origins. Christians differ on celebrating Christmas, with some avoiding pagan trappings while others use them to point to Christ.
Easter
Easter commemorates the most important event in Christian history – the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Some of the secular Easter traditions – such as bunnies and pastel eggs – have pagan roots. But the holiday remains focused on honoring Christ’s victory over death, making it a potentially significant commemoration.
Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day has fully secularized and commercialized origins focused on romantic love. However, Christians can potentially redeem the day by emphasizing biblical love, relational discipleship, and service to others. Still, the pagan roots may lead other believers to avoid the holiday.
Halloween
Halloween has strong pagan origins focused on witchcraft, darkness, and fear. Some believers see opportunities to use the day for gospel outreach or emphasizing light over darkness. But others avoid the holiday for exalting elements at odds with Scripture. Halloween requires wisdom to discern if good can overcome evil origins.
St. Patrick’s Day
While St. Patrick is remembered for bringing Christianity to Ireland in the 5th century, the holiday bearing his name has been secularized with parades and drinking. Christians may appreciate remembering his missionary legacy, but the carousing culture surrounding the day gives many believers pause.
Personal Convictions
Devout believers can reach different conclusions about holidays after examining them biblically. Each Christian must follow their conscience. If a believer feels a holiday has wrong origins or promotes immoral behavior, they should avoid observing it (Romans 14:23). But those who see redeeming value in a holiday for spiritual enrichment may celebrate it with thanksgiving.
Christians should not judge one another over disputable matters like holiday celebrations (Romans 14:3-4). Whether participating or abstaining, believers should always aim to honor Christ in their choices. Love and unity in the church should be maintained, even when convictions differ on holidays.
Cultural Considerations
The cultural context also impacts how Christians discern holiday decisions. In some regions, holidays may be so secularized that any redeeming spiritual value has been drained away. In this case, avoiding holidays as spiritually hollow events may be preferable.
However, in strongly religious cultures, major holidays may still retain spiritual significance. Christmas in Latin America or Easter in Eastern Europe, for example, resonate differently than in secularized Western culture. Christians in these societies may continue celebrating holidays meaningfully rather than abstaining.
Believers must carefully discern each situation to determine if holidays can serve gospel purposes or if they promote immorality. Christians should aim to be salt and light by making wise, nuanced decisions about holidays in their cultural context.
Family Considerations
When a family has members with differing convictions about holidays, love and mutual understanding must prevail. Romans 14 provides helpful principles – the “stronger” believer who sees nothing wrong with holidays should be sensitive and not pressure others to violate their conscience. Likewise, the “weaker” believer abstaining from holidays should not judge those celebrating but respect differing views.
Open communication, mutual submission, and earnest study of scripture while seeking the Spirit’s wisdom can help families with divergent holiday beliefs maintain harmony. The main goal should be glorifying Christ, not demanding uniformity. Grace and patience with loved ones is needed on disputable holiday matters.
Church Policy
Establishing formal policy on holiday celebrations requires wisdom and theological reflection by church leadership. Some considerations include:
- – Congregational preferences – Unity is served when policy fits majority opinion.
- – Cultural context – What practices best engage the local community?
- – Theological convictions – Conscience concerns must be honored.
- – Gospel witness – Will policy hinder or advance evangelism?
Ideally, church policy draws people to Jesus rather than alienating them over disputable matters. Policy should also leave room for those with opposing holiday convictions to abstain without judgment.
Biblical Wisdom
In the end, biblical wisdom – not mere personal preference or church tradition – should guide decisions on holidays. Christians must thoughtfully examine celebrations through the lens of Scripture and aim for decisions that glorify Christ and advance the gospel in their cultural context.
Absolute uniformity on applying biblical principles to holidays is unlikely. But in issues of conscience like this, Christians should grant one another grace. Whether celebrating or abstaining, the main goal should be proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord over all of life.