One of my favorite quotes says:  “The New is in the Old contained, the Old is in the New explained.”  To have a true, meaningful understanding of the New Testament, one must study the Old Testament.  One of the beautiful things about the Old Testament is the detail and history of holidays and celebrations.  God gave His people feast days and days of celebration to remind them of His devotion and love.  God used holidays and feast days to teach his people about the value of remembrance.  Scripture tells us:  You shall love Adonai your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.  And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children and you shall speak of them when you are sitting at home and when you go on a journey, when you lie down and when you rise up.  You shall bind them as a sign on your hand they shall be jewels between your eyes.  You shall inscribe them on the doorpost of your house and on your gates.“  God gave us special occasions to help us remember all that He has done for us. 

Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, although the timing of the holidays and many of the secular attributes are derived from pagan holidays, are days set apart for Christians to celebrate the ultimate gift that God gave us in sending Jesus Christ, His son.   These days are days for us to demonstrate our thanksfulness for Christ and remember all the ways that God has blessed us.  Holidays are important to Christians because they give us the opportunity to demonstrate our faith and to teach our children why we are Christians, what it means to truly be saved, and about the ultimate sacrifice that Christ made for each of us.

As Christians, we should never be afraid to celebrate our faith and celebrate God’s blessings.  Everyday of our lives should be a celebration of our faith, but what a blessing and a joy it is to have three special days to openly and outwardly celebrate and rejoice the Good News of Jesus Christ.  In keeping traditions and days of celebration, we afford ourselves an opportunity to enjoy and rejoice in God’s devotion to us.  We also have the privilege of sharing the sacred message of our Faith with our children, passing on our joy and blessings to them.

How you celebrate, what you celebrate, and why you celebrate is a matter of heart, as for me and my house….we will serve the Lord.