By: Elder Vista Jeffries

We know that the Holiday season is fast approaching. Many are about to embark upon all the festivities and stresses of the season. As you prepare for these days, I would like you to consider the righteousness of the holidays. The main holidays celebrated in the United States are Halloween, Christmas, and Easter. We would like to discuss the origin, history and righteousness of these days and allow you to be fully persuaded by your own mind as to celebrate or not.

Halloween is at hand. Parents will be preparing or purchasing costumes and buying extra treats for those who will ring their doorbells on October 31st. The origin of this dates back to over 2000 years ago and is a pagan holiday, honoring the dead.  The history on Halloween is traced to the Celtic culture of Ireland, Britain and North Europe. Many of the practices of this celebration are fed on superstition. They believed that the dead walked the streets at night. Gifts and treats were to be given out because all the spirits were not friendly. These gifts were to pacify evil spirits and help to ensure a good crop. This
is what we know today as trick or treat. Paul attempted to correct the men of Athens on Mars' hill, saying, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. (Acts 17:22) I wouldn't want to pretend to be a witch or a sorcerer, for they shall have their part in the lake of fire. (Revelation 21:8)

Christmas is the day that many celebrate the birth of Christ. It is said that it is the day he was born.  That is not recorded in the scriptures. The scripture states, for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:11)  Many will celebrate this day by hanging wreaths on their doors and putting up trees in their homes. The Lord taught the people not to learn the way of the heathen through the prophet Jeremiah. He stated, 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. (Jeremiah 10:1-4) We see many churches, pastors and members following the custom of heathens as they worship Christmas with the Christmas tree, reveling and many other vain things. The Lord did not tell us to worship his birth but he did tell us to remember his death and suffering and told us how to do it. Many will go into debt trying to buy gifts for family and friends and won't give to the one all this is said to be in behalf of, Jesus Christ. If it were to be about Jesus, the people should present their bodies to the Lord as living sacrifices and be holy according to Romans 12:1. Many will tell their children lies about a large white or black man who goes all over the world in one night delivering toys to boys and girls. He comes down everyone's chimney and lands on the housetops, with his flying reindeer. This lie has been pass down from generation to generation. The scripture declares that all liars shall have their part in the lake of fire and they will not tarry in the Lord's sight. (Revelation 21:8 & Psalms 101:7)

Easter is the day many will celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. They will have egg hunts and show rabbits with eggs. There was a man who testified he didn't know a rabbit didn't lay eggs until he was grown and married with children. Rabbits and eggs have nothing to do with each other and certainly have nothing to do with the resurrection of Christ. Many have taken on the way of the heathens concerning this day too.  According to history that day was establish before Jesus' death and resurrection and was a worldly pagan day. In the scriptures the only time the word Easter was mentioned was in Acts 12:1, where Herod the king had stretched forth his hands and vexed certain of the church, killed James with the sword and would have killed Peter also. He captured Peter and was intending after Easter to kill him. The point is we don't see where the saints were worshipping this day, but a murderer who persecuted the church Jesus died and rose the third day for. We should remember his death and suffering the way he told his disciples to do. I have received of the Lord that which I also delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, take eat this is my body which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the New Testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. (I Corinthians 11:23-26)

In closing, we should examine our deeds and how we view these days. Halloween, Christmas and Easter are highly commercialized days to get our hard earned dollars for vanity. Let's put difference between holy and unholy, clean and unclean. Many don't understand why saints don't participate in the ungodly deeds and customs of these days. Saints are
a peculiar people. They are a holy people who are different from the world. Those who have been called out of darkness into the Lords marvelous light. (I Peter 2:9) One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. (Romans 14: 5)

May God bless you to understand his will concerning these days.