Pagan Holidays

[Salluz]

What's the biblical view on celebrating pagan holidays?

I know Halloween is coming up. Is it a sin to dress up as a character from an amusing show or book? I used to love carving pumpkins as a kid but I've heard that the practice originated in trying to ward off evil spirirts

Christmas is down the line. Should we refuse to celebrate because the Christmas tree is a clearly pagan worship object and Jesus' birthday wasn't in the winter?

And then the fertility goddess symbols in Easter with the rabbit and eggs. Coloring eggs was also a fun thing for me growing up.

Are there any passages that are relevant to this sort of syncretism? I think I'm leaning personally toward not telling my kids anything about Santa or the tooth fairy or anything like that should the Lord tarry and I be blessed with children in the years to come, but I wonder where the other things like pumpkin carving and egg dying fall in this issue.

Thoughts?

 

[Tall Timbers]

I've seen a derivative of that question many times over the years, and have been in many discussions regarding the holidays. As for me, when I was a kid and went door to door for candy on halloween, I wasn't participating in a pagan holiday, I was trick or treating for the loot I knew i would get. When I took my children trick or treating, it was so they could enjoy the same blessing I did collecting that loot. I have pleasant memories of Christmas when I was a child. I believed in Santa Claus. It turned out there really was a Santa Claus: my dad. I was happy to duplicate the blessing of Christmas for my children. They now have fond memories of Christmases in our house and when the question eventually came up about Santa Claus, I told them the truth: I was their Santa Claus and fathers/parents across generations have been Santa Claus for their children. As far as I believe I've never personally celebrated a "pagan" holiday.

I guess if a person sees a holiday as being pagan... then maybe they should bow out of it. My experience celebrating holidays in the way that I did was positive for me and my family. I guess Thanksgiving was/is my favorite holiday because I enjoy a good meal, and I like preparing that meal.

 

[Kaatje]

My personal journey on this topic (which does NOT mean I begrudge anyone that thinks differently!):

Here in the Netherlands were never used to Halloween, it is something new, but embraced with a vengeance it seems, by children, their parents and most of all retailers. They all seem to love the skeletons, zombies, spiders and anything occult.

Thanksgiving is something that isn’t celebrated in our country. It passes like there is nothing to thank for. We go to church on a weekday in March for a special service in which we pray for “crop and labour”, and on a weekday in November we go again, to give thanks for the blessings bestowed on us by the Lord. Sadly “we” are an ever smaller minority.

Than comes Sinterklaas (the original Santa Claus). That used to be a pleasant childrens’ feast with presents, songs, funny poems and so on. Sinterklaas would come by boat, make an official entry in Holland and bring the gifts to all the good children with the help of his “zwarte Pieten” (Santa’s black helpers). Unfortunately, some very politicly-correct people, supported by the U.N. no less, figuered that it would not do. Those “zwarte Pieten” were a slap in the face of millions of colored people, because it would remember them of the slave-trading of yesteryear. So nowadays we have rainbow (!) colored Pieten.

After that we get to Christmas, another feast with a new doctrine of eating, drinking and being merry with lots of friends and family. You need at least christmastableware, christmasmeat, christmasbooze, christmasclothing and what have you not, all, except for the Christmas Child. He is pushed out of our society and snowed under by a lot of bling and noise.

And finally on New years Eve, we can spend our last euro’s on fireworks, to send the year off with a bang, and on champagne so we can go partying like there is no tomorrow.

I have given much thought about it and finally come to the conclusion that from now on we are going to skip the holidays and concentrate on the Holy Days wthout everything that distracts from it.

So I won't put up a christmastree, or decorate my house, but I will buy a big Advent Star, to replace the old and worn smaller one, because I want everyone to see, that we expect the Messiah.

 

[mattfivefour]

I've seen a derivative of that question many times over the years, and have been in many discussions regarding the holidays. As for me, when I was a kid and went door to door for candy on halloween, I wasn't participating in a pagan holiday, I was trick or treating for the loot I knew i would get. When I took my children trick or treating, it was so they could enjoy the same blessing I did collecting that loot. I have pleasant memories of Christmas when I was a child. I believed in Santa Claus. It turned out there really was a Santa Claus: my dad. I was happy to duplicate the blessing of Christmas for my children. They now have fond memories of Christmases in our house and when the question eventually came up about Santa Claus, I told them the truth: I was their Santa Claus and fathers/parents across generations have been Santa Claus for their children. As far as I believe I've never personally celebrated a "pagan" holiday.

I guess if a person sees a holiday as being pagan... then maybe they should bow out of it. My experience celebrating holidays in the way that I did was positive for me and my family. I guess Thanksgiving was/is my favorite holiday because I enjoy a good meal, and I like preparing that meal.

I respect other Christians' decisions in these matters. But personally I'm in sync with Tall Timbers on this.

 

[Mountain Hills]

I grew up in a church that did not celebrating any holidays with the exception of Thanksgiving. Other Christians can't seem to believe that I a Christian do not celebrate Easter or Christmas. There is a passage in the Old Testament that does mention something about a tree adorned with silver and gold and that it has no place in the house. Forgive me, I do not exactly remember where the passage is located. Even thou I no longer attend that church I still do not observe the holidays. I honestly can't for consciousness sake, I grew up with the concept that they originated from pagan holidays. I approach this as a Romans 14 situation, we each have our consciences and decisions.

 

[lightofmylife]

I grew up in a church that did not celebrating any holidays with the exception of Thanksgiving. Other Christians can't seem to believe that I a Christian do not celebrate Easter or Christmas. There is a passage in the Old Testament that does mention something about a tree adorned with silver and gold and that it has no place in the house. Forgive me, I do not exactly remember where the passage is located. Even thou I no longer attend that church I still do not observe the holidays. I honestly can't for consciousness sake, I grew up with the concept that they originated from pagan holidays. I approach this as a Romans 14 situation, we each have our consciences and decisions.

You are referring to Jeremiah 10:4.

 

[lightofmylife]

You are referring to Jeremiah 10:4.

Here is an article from Rapture Ready on the Christmas tree. https://www.raptureready.com/faq-is-it-wrong-to-have-a-christmas-tree/

 

[Salluz]

Reading Tall Timbers's post, I really should have asked the question as something more like "holidays with pagan origins" because of the way my OP sounded accusatory. Sorry about that; it wasn't what I had in mind, but reading back over I see how it sounds

I find Christmas lights very pretty and like I mentioned I love carving pumpkins and dressing up, I'm just questioning the role these things have in my life. With things like Santa and the Tooth fairy and the Easter bunny I feel like it's lying if my little sister asks me if they're real and I say yes, so I just don't respond to her.

I like TTs idea of the parents "being santa" and that making him real, but at the same time there are other parents who overdo it and have the "elves" watch their kids so they are never bad (or Santa will put them on the naughty list)

I'm not sure how comfortable I am with these things or what to think

 

[Tall Timbers]

Reading Tall Timbers's post, I really should have asked the question as something more like "holidays with pagan origins" because of the way my OP sounded accusatory. Sorry about that; it wasn't what I had in mind, but reading back over I see how it sounds

I find Christmas lights very pretty and like I mentioned I love carving pumpkins and dressing up, I'm just questioning the role these things have in my life. With things like Santa and the Tooth fairy and the Easter bunny I feel like it's lying if my little sister asks me if they're real and I say yes, so I just don't respond to her.

I like TTs idea of the parents "being santa" and that making him real, but at the same time there are other parents who overdo it and have the "elves" watch their kids so they are never bad (or Santa will put them on the naughty list)

I'm not sure how comfortable I am with these things or what to think

I don't think your OP came across as accusatory. It's more likely my response led you to think maybe that was so. I just saw you as throwing the topic out there so added my two cents worth (as I'm very prone to do). It's a good topic to discuss, especially this time of year.

I do think that at the end of the discussion it comes down to Romans 14 as Mountain Hill shared.

 

[mattfivefour]

I do think that at the end of the discussion it comes down to Romans 14 as Mountain Hill shared.

Indeed.

 

[ehbowen]

I agree with the conscience position. For me it comes down to this: Did German-Americans celebrate Oktoberfest (as such) in the middle of World War II? For the most part, as I understand it, they didn't...they postponed it, renamed it or otherwise minimized its German character while the conflict was in progress. Afterwards...Prost!

And that's why I think it's inappropriate to "celebrate" a holiday which our enemies have claimed for their own during the middle of what is a nasty and open spiritual and cultural conflict. Fifty years ago when a truce was more or less in place, or some years hence when Jesus has triumphed and this world is once again under the uncontested Lordship of its legitimate King...have at. But not now.

 

[puddleglum]

Not all holidays are the same. Easter is intended to celebrate the resurrection of Christ and Christmas his birth. There is nothing wrong with celebrating these events as long as we don't take part in the pagan customs by which some people observe them. We should focus on the resurrection rather than Easter bunnies or colored eggs. Christmas should be about the birth of Jesus and not about Santa Claus. (Manger scenes should be Biblical and not show the Wise Men being present.)

Holidays such as Halloween should not be observed but they may sometimes present opportunities to share the gospel. I used to give gospel tracts as well as candy to the trick or treaters who came to my home.

 

[lightofmylife]

Not all holidays are the same. Easter is intended to celebrate the resurrection of Christ and Christmas his birth. There is nothing wrong with celebrating these events as long as we don't take part in the pagan customs by which some people observe them. We should focus on the resurrection rather than Easter bunnies or colored eggs. Christmas should be about the birth of Jesus and not about Santa Claus. (Manger scenes should be Biblical and not show the Wise Men being present.)

Holidays such as Halloween should not be observed but they may sometimes present opportunities to share the gospel. I used to give gospel tracts as well as candy to the trick or treaters who came to my home.

We don't observe Halloween I don't like anything about it. It isn't a good idea to take candy from strangers any way. I remember them doing things to candy apples back in the 60's. We don't participate in handing out candy!

 

[Brother Albert R.]

What's the biblical view on celebrating pagan holidays?

I know Halloween is coming up. Is it a sin to dress up as a character from an amusing show or book? I used to love carving pumpkins as a kid but I've heard that the practice originated in trying to ward off evil spirirts

Christmas is down the line. Should we refuse to celebrate because the Christmas tree is a clearly pagan worship object and Jesus' birthday wasn't in the winter?

And then the fertility goddess symbols in Easter with the rabbit and eggs. Coloring eggs was also a fun thing for me growing up.

Are there any passages that are relevant to this sort of syncretism? I think I'm leaning personally toward not telling my kids anything about Santa or the tooth fairy or anything like that should the Lord tarry and I be blessed with children in the years to come, but I wonder where the other things like pumpkin carving and egg dying fall in this issue.

When Christianity took over many parts of the world it supplanted their pagan holidays with Christian holidays. I think it was both wise and practical for the church to do this through out its history. Even though there are many different beliefs in pagan lore and myths, many of them are similar to Christian beliefs, C.S. Lewis said it best when he said "“Now the story of Christ is simply a true myth: a myth working on us the same way as the others, but with this tremendous difference that it really happened: and one must be content to accept it in the same way, remembering that it is God’s myth where the others are men’s myths: i.e., the Pagan stories are God expressing Himself through the minds of poets, using such images as He found there, while Christianity is God expressing Himself through what we call 'real things'.”
I think that C.S. Lewis who taught, wrote and loved mythology as a child and as an adult, hit the nail on the head.
I hope this helps,
God Bless
Brother AL
P.S. Lore is a body of knowledge or tradition that is passed down among members of a culture, usually orally. It's the lore in "folklore," and responsible for spreading the word on mythical figures like Santa Claus, Paul Bunyan, and even Uncle Sam.
Myth is a traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events.

When Christianity took over many parts of the world it supplanted their pagan holidays with Christian holidays. I think it was both wise and practical for the church to do this through out its history. Even though there are many different beliefs in pagan lore and myths, many of them are similar to Christian beliefs, C.S. Lewis said it best when he said "“Now the story of Christ is simply a true myth: a myth working on us the same way as the others, but with this tremendous difference that it really happened: and one must be content to accept it in the same way, remembering that it is God’s myth where the others are men’s myths: i.e., the Pagan stories are God expressing Himself through the minds of poets, using such images as He found there, while Christianity is God expressing Himself through what we call 'real things'.”
I think that C.S. Lewis who taught, wrote and loved mythology as a child and as an adult, hit the nail on the head.
I hope this helps,
God Bless
Brother AL
P.S. Lore is a body of knowledge or tradition that is passed down among members of a culture, usually orally. It's the lore in "folklore," and responsible for spreading the word on mythical figures like Santa Claus, Paul Bunyan, and even Uncle Sam.
Myth is a traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events.

 

[Jan51]

To add a biblical perspective, the Lord gave the church no instructions on celebrating His birth or the annual date of His resurrection, nor do we read about the early church doing so. But He gave very clear instructions on what we ARE to celebrate, and how. His death and the blood that paid for our sin, and His resurrection, and His coming for us in the rapture.

1 Cor._11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.

 

[sara ann]

long long ago I ask a Methodist preacher why he didn't tell the church what eggs etc. is all about...his reply was ""you tell them".....that was the last time I saw him.just saying...

 

[annieforjesus]

I remember when my daughter was about 6 years old that I began thinking about Santa Claus and other holidays..I became convicted that I did not want to be a part of the deception of Santa Claus...it was personal for me, I felt it was wrong because I wanted Jesus to be honored..so that year my daughter asked me if there was a Santa Claus and I told her no...we had people in the family going to church 3 times a week, but Christmas was all about santa with their kids..I didnt say a word about their choice, but J made mine..

 

[sherryh]

we gave our boy's 1 small gift from santa and the rest were from dad and mom. Our money was tight and i wanted our kids to know that christmas was about saving and giving, other family members got handmade gifts.