Christians: Why Don't You Celebrate Easter/Christmas?

[holyhelianthus]

This isn't for debate. I am just wondering why some Christians don't celebrate Easter and/or Christmas.

Now I do have questions but I am not trying to debate I am just trying to get a feel for why and how this works.

Thanks! :

From the "Homechurchers" thread...

[HisBeautifulWife]

You asked

This is taking this thread further OT but why not just celebrate Easter without the Pagan additions? Just don't dye eggs, do an egg hunt, etc.

The reason is because the Bible says to stay away from evil and even the apperance of evil. I know the origins and I know it is not pleasing to God so I don't want anything to do with it.

Trying to "make it good" or change the meaning would be disobedient and quite selfish. What would be the purpose but for my own selfish wants?

Because I want to celebrate x-holiday I am going to find a way to ignore what I know to be true....that just doesn't sit well with me.

Ephesians 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them

1 Thessalonians 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.

[holyhelianthus]

Originally Posted by HisBeautifulWife

You asked



The reason is because the Bible says to stay away from evil and even the apperance of evil. I know the origins and I know it is not pleasing to God so I don't want anything to do with it.

Trying to "make it good" or change the meaning would be disobedient and quite selfish. What would be the purpose but for my own selfish wants?

Because I want to celebrate x-holiday I am going to find a way to ignore what I know to be true....that just doesn't sit well with me.

Ephesians 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them

1 Thessalonians 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.

Just to be clear what do you mean exactly? Like not celebrate it on the traditional day at all when everyone else is? Or just stay away from Easter imagery (re: eggs, bunny, etc) on that day? Or both?

[lilyka]

The Eastern church has actually never ever called it Easter. From the apostles on it has been Pascha and celebrated the Sunday after Passover (for obvious reasons) and still is today. and while westerners in the Easter Orthodox Church may include culturally meaningfull ways of celebrating it is not a religous thing. Baskets of non-lenten food has always been brought to the church and blessed then eaten to break the fast. Everyone says these have pagen orgins but really no matter who is celebrating what it often looks the same. : I don't know how it got to be called Easter in the West or why (perhaps a roman thing) but whatever the influence was it has nothing to do with why or when we celebrate and I don't see any real connection to paganism (like the pagans are the only people who know how to throw a party . . . )

[rhiandmoi]

I don't have a particular stake in this discussion, but Christmas as reference to the death of Christ references His sacrifice for our sins, and so yes it is a remembrance of the birth of our greatest martyr it is not a celebration of His death.

[youngwife]

I do not believe that celebrating pagan holidays is at all scriptural. I also know the origins, and do not care to participate in anything pagan.

If the Lord wanted us to celebrate his birth this way, He would have told us to. We are to remember Him through the Lord's supper. That was clearly commanded in scripture.

One more little tidbit:
Santa = Satan (Just move the t and n around and look what ya get! Hmmm....)

I love Thanksgiving, though!

Blessings,
Rebecca

[TzippityDoulah]

I'm still up in the air over this stuff.

traditions are a great tool to teach and carry on teaching. (we have many traditions we don't even think of - like birthdays for instance... but there are many more examples)

traditions can be good or bad depending on how they are used. if they are used ot point to a certain event one wants to either remember or look fwd to - it is good. but of course in cultures it can start to change and become something else. kinda how "easter break" and "spring break" somehow just became the same thing over a number of years? now everyone calls it "spring break" instead of "easter break" even in the church. (just again, for example)

This has happened with both Christmas and Easter/Pascha.

In our hosue last Christmas we took a differing Christmas approach. we've not done Santa or anything like that b/c it isn't our culture. means nothing to me. and we focused on a bit more traditional christmas ideals - like the Chrismon Tree . for Easter this year - well I was overdue and contracting like crazy so we decided next year we will start our new family Pascha-esque traditions. (I say "esque" b/c we aren't Orthodox, so we wont do every one of their traditions). We don't want to celebrate "easter" but the death and resurrection of Christ. No hoppy little bunnies and what not.

this is difficult b/c we dont' know ANYONE who sees it our way IRL and our parents are very confused. they want to do tons of presents, baskets with candy candy candy and even though they are church goers- don't seem to get it's supposed to be a remembrance of the resurrection (?!) so it's going ot take a few years ot create our own traditions, but I hope when my kids are older it will have geled and become a clear difference between what the world does.

as for the where the tree comes from... and why we dye eggs... I don't believe it stems from one culture at all. I mean all over the world where they have evergreens, people would notice and cherish them - the only tree to always stay green. that could mean something to people all over the world! the same with eggs - I can think of two very differing cultures were eggs are a big deal. one christian one not. BUT BOTH are God's creations.... so I don't think it's cut and dry.

[HisBeautifulWife]

Originally Posted by magstphil

Just to be clear what do you mean exactly? Like not celebrate it on the traditional day at all when everyone else is? Or just stay away from Easter imagery (re: eggs, bunny, etc) on that day? Or both?

I'm not sure if I fully understand what you are asking me but I will give it my best to answer.

I mean that these celebrations are not of God, they are not pleasing to God, and they in no way honor Jesus; therefore I don't want anything to do with it.

I know I didn't really focus on Easter as much as Christmas but I feel the same way about both.

Here is more on Easter.

http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org/tracts/tract1.html

[rhiandmoi]

When you say you don't celebrate Easter, does this mean that you don't observe Ash Wednesday, Lent, Holy Week and Resurrection Day? Or does this mean that your observations don't include presents and candy?

[holyhelianthus]

Originally Posted by rhiandmoi

When you say you don't celebrate Easter, does this mean that you don't observe Ash Wednesday, Lent, Holy Week and Resurrection Day? Or does this mean that your observations don't include presents and candy?

Yes this was more or less my question, thank you!

HBW I was wondering if you still observe Easter as the time of Christ's Resurrection and just didn't do the bunny, eggs, and such or if you choose not to celebrate it at all like not even on the same day or something in between....

You said...

I mean that these celebrations are not of God, they are not pleasing to God, and they in no way honor Jesus; therefore I don't want anything to do with it.

And I am wondering what celebrations you are referring to.

[HisBeautifulWife]

Originally Posted by magstphil

Yes this was more or less my question, thank you!

I think that its hard to understand at times because we've been taught that this is good. Christmas is good. Easter is good. These things are to celebrate Jesus. So it's really hard to let go of that and see that they are one of Satan's clever tricks.

Added to that is that people in general don't really know history and we just believe everything we've been taught because of tradition; so when someone critically questions that, it's hard to accept.

But Jesus has spoken on tradition in Matthew 15:3
Jesus replied, "And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? (NIV)

What I am saying is that these celebrations (and
by that I am talking about Christmas and Easter)
have nothing to do with Christ and therefore I no longer spend my time on them.

It's not all about Easter bunnies and Satan Clause... the holidays themselves are not from God. Knowing history is key to understanding this. And believing the Bible when it says not to mix light and darkness is essential. II Cor. 6:14-17 & Luke 11:34

The link I posted above pretty much sums up what Easter is about and I want nothing to do with it. Having anything to do with it is giving place to Satan. (Research the background to understand why).

So no, I do not celebrate Easter or Lent. It's a lie thats wrapped in truth. That makes it a lie.

One of my favorite quotes is:
"The most dangerous counterfeit is the one that most closely resembles the truth."

It's time for Christians to wake up.

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Matt.24:4-5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many

2 Thessalonians 2:10-11 ...They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie.

That's all I can really say. Don't be afraid to research and look closely at the traditions you keep. May God bless you all with wisdom and discernment.

[rhiandmoi]

HBW, I think many of us are unsure how the observation of Holy Week has anything do to with mixing light and dark. Or what the lie of Lent is.

[TzippityDoulah]

yes, btu HBW - one thign to consider in those verses is that the peopel were upholding traditions OVER Christ. in other words they couldn't see past the traditions to the POINT of the traditions.

if one is to say all traditions not strictly given by God are of satan... well then would you agree that these things are too from Satan?

birthdays
anniversaries
wedding ceremonies
Martin Luther Kind Jr Day
Presidents Day
Thanksgiving

and so forth...?

I really do appreciate you and you sincerity! don't get me wrong but I'm not sure i agree with this one. I get what you are saying... btu I think you are missing to two things (if I may suggest) is that God himself instructed we use traditions for teaching things and remembering things of God. (not to replace God, but to remember and teach for the future people who did not witness certain events). and that we don't *know* where a lot of traditions come from. you can look up all about where say, the christmas tree came from - but there is no clear cut answer. if I look in one source is says "pagans". if I look in another is says denmark. etc etc.

so I suppose if you believe that any and all rememberances and celebrations not stricly given by god are wrong, then I could say "ok". I wouldn't agree, but I would say youre no hypocrite! but if you're saying some things liek Christmas are wrong b/c of pagans beliefs but then celebrate birthdays (which some also believe come from pagan roots - whatever that means) then I would have to say I REALLY don't see how that makes sense.

I'd love to know your thoughts on it.

[DahliaRW]

For me, it's because there is no Biblical authority to have specific holidays to celebrate things religously. And I feel that doing so takes away from the every day way we should remember Christ. For example, Easter. It's supposedly the day Christ was raised from the dead. But, we're commanded to remember Christ's death, burial, and resurrection when we take communion, equally, not to make it more important one day a year.

For my family, we do not celebrate holidays like Christmas or Easter religiously. But we have no issue participating in the non-religious more societal cultural traditions. For example, we do a Christmas tree and presents on Christmas as a family thing, but we refrain from putting religious ornaments and such on the tree and we in no way celebrate the birth of Christ on that day other than how we normally would on any given day of the week. For easter we do baskets with small presents and candy, but that's it.

[christianmomof3]

I was raised Jewish. So, I never celebrated Christmas or Easter.
But, we did the Santa and Easter Bunny stuff.
Now, I am a born again Christian.
And I don't do any of that Christmas and Easter stuff at all.
Easter and Christmas are not in the Bible.
Both holidays have pagan origins and customs and some incorrect teachings associated with them such as the"three wise men" - there is no number of "wise men" given - just 3 gifts - it could have been anywhere from 2 to 200 men, and the date - Dec. 25 - is of pagan origin and most likely not when Jesus was born, and the Easter pagan connections - the bunnies and eggs - none of it is biblical.
I do realize that most Christians who celebrate those holidays today do it because that is what they were taught and they are not pagans nor do they do those things to celebrate pagan holidays. But, neither are those holidays and practices necessary or are they dictated in the Bible.
As someone else suggested, we should appreciate Christ's incarnation, sinless human living, all inclusive death, resurrection and ascension every day, not just on certain days of the year. As far as "lent" and "holy week" (I have no idea what holy week is actually), they are some sort of post biblical traditions that are not necessary. I love the Lord and I appreciate all that He is and has done for us. I do not need to decorate my house or dress up myself and my children or color and hide eggs to appreciate Christ.

[rhiandmoi]

When you say that certain observances are not in the Bible, do you mean that the celebrations are not detailed in the Bible?

Because Holy Week is definitely in the Bible.

ETA: Holy week starts with Palm Sunday, and celebrates Jesus' procession into Jerusalem. Then on Wednesday there are readings about the Betrayal. Thursday is the remembrance of the Last Supper. Good Friday is the remembrance of the Crucifixion.

[DahliaRW]

There is no commandment or example of anyone celebrating "holy week" in the Bible other then when those events first happened. And at that point it wasn't a celebration or observance.

Now if somewhere in the scriptures it said "and every year holy week is to be observed in xxxx way" or examples in the Bible of early Christians observing it, then I would think differently.

[Bluegoat]

THis is a very interesting theread.

One thing that strikes me is that it seems that very very early in the history of Christianity, there were celebrations for specific/special events. Do those who don't celebrate at all feel that the church began to "go wrong" right from the beginning?

To my mind, the main reason for celebrating certain things on certain days is that we can't really do it all at once.

Of course we can always celebrate the Resurrection on Sundays, or remember the Crucifixion on Sundays. And in daily prayers we can remember these things at certain times through the day, like they do in monestaries.

But this always falls short of the ideal, which is to hold in our minds and our actions and our hearts every Christian truth at every moment.

We just can't read the whole Bible every day, and so we need to have a program for reading it (especially if we want to do it with the whole community.)

And we are biological creatures, with a kind of natural rhythm in us that relates to the year and the seasons. A year is a good amount of time to read the Bible as a group.

The celebrations, and observances like Lent or Advent, are things around a yearly cycle of remembering, learning about, and trying to live the Christian message. They aren't better or worse than doing it on a weekly or daily cycle.

As far as pagan symbols, I tend to see them as natural symbols. People think eggs represent new life because of the nature God gave them, not because pagans also observed that about them.

[mamabadger]

Originally Posted by DahliaRW

There is no commandment or example of anyone celebrating "holy week" in the Bible other then when those events first happened. And at that point it wasn't a celebration or observance.

Now if somewhere in the scriptures it said "and every year holy week is to be observed in xxxx way" or examples in the Bible of early Christians observing it, then I would think differently.

There are descriptions in the Gospels of Jesus observing the feast of Passover, which is celebrated at a particular time and in a particular way. He, at least, did not seem to object to feasts or holy days on principle.

[christianmomof3]

Originally Posted by mamabadger

There are descriptions in the Gospels of Jesus observing the feast of Passover, which is celebrated at a particular time and in a particular way. He, at least, did not seem to object to feasts or holy days on principle.

That is true. However, God commanded the Jewish people to celebrate Passover and other Jewish holy days in a particular way at a particular time. So, they did and they continue to do so. There were no commands given by God to celebrate Christmas, Easter or holy week, nor are there any examples shown in the Bible of people doing those things.
Passover, being commanded by God is considered necessary for Jewish people to observe.
The Christian holy days do not have the same necessity of observance, having not been commanded by God.
There is a difference in the two.