Does Christianity have any original holidays?

As with almost all "Christian" holidays, Easter has been secularized and commercialized. The dichotomous nature of Easter and its symbols, however, is not necessarily a modern fabrication.

Since its conception as a holy celebration in the second century, Easter has had its non-religious side. In fact, Easter was originally a pagan festival.

The ancient Saxons celebrated the return of spring with an uproarious festival commemorating their goddess of offspring and of springtime, Eastre. When the second-century Christian missionaries encountered the tribes of the north with their pagan celebrations, they attempted to convert them to Christianity. They did so, however, in a clandestine manner.

It would have been suicide for the very early Christian converts to celebrate their holy days with observances that did not coincide with celebrations that already existed. To save lives, the missionaries cleverly decided to spread their religious message slowly throughout the populations by allowing them to continue to celebrate pagan feasts, but to do so in a Christian manner.

As it happened, the pagan festival of Eastre occurred at the same time of year as the Christian observance of the Resurrection of Christ. It made sense, therefore, to alter the festival itself, to make it a Christian celebration as converts were slowly won over. The early name, Eastre, was eventually changed to its modern spelling, Easter.

The Date of Easter

Prior to A.D. 325, Easter was variously celebrated on different days of the week, including Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. In that year, the Council of Nicaea was convened by emperor Constantine. It issued the Easter Rule which states that Easter shall be celebrated on the first Sunday that occurs after the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox. However, a caveat must be introduced here. The "full moon" in the rule is the ecclesiastical full moon, which is defined as the fourteenth day of a tabular lunation, where day 1 corresponds to the ecclesiastical New Moon. It does not always occur on the same date as the astronomical full moon. The ecclesiastical "vernal equinox" is always on March 21. Therefore, Easter must be celebrated on a Sunday between the dates of March 22 and April 25.

The Lenten Season

Lent is the forty-six day period just prior to Easter Sunday. It begins on Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras (French for "Fat Tuesday") is a celebration, sometimes called "Carnival," practiced around the world, on the Tuesday prior to Ash Wednesday. It was designed as a way to "get it all out" before the sacrifices of Lent began. New Orleans is the focal point of Mardi Gras celebrations in the U.S. Read about the religious meanings of the Lenten Season.

The Easter Bunny

The Easter Bunny is not a modern invention. The symbol originated with the pagan festival of Eastre. The goddess, Eastre, was worshipped by the Anglo-Saxons through her earthly symbol, the rabbit.

The Germans brought the symbol of the Easter rabbit to America. It was widely ignored by other Christians until shortly after the Civil War. In fact, Easter itself was not widely celebrated in America until after that time.

The Easter Egg

As with the Easter Bunny and the holiday itself, the Easter Egg predates the Christian holiday of Easter. The exchange of eggs in the springtime is a custom that was centuries old when Easter was first celebrated by Christians.

From the earliest times, the egg was a symbol of rebirth in most cultures. Eggs were often wrapped in gold leaf or, if you were a peasant, colored brightly by boiling them with the leaves or petals of certain flowers.

Today, children hunt colored eggs and place them in Easter baskets along with the modern version of real Easter eggs -- those made of plastic or chocolate candy.

preaching to the choir here

lol

So actually if one likes celebrating a holiday one should actually thank a pagan?

yes



yes they should


in fact, its my opinion that all women should date pagans first <Wink>

I agree but Christians aren't interested in truth, two things that scare the Church are History and Science!

Here Here

When you research the word 'church' in the Bible it isn't until Christianity until the word is used. Before that the word 'tabernacle' was used so theorhetically you are right.

Every day is a holiday in my book. I go into a church to worship the Lord, bottom line. Not for what I'm gonna get out of it. Not for a holiday. Not for the sermon. Not for communion.

It's for what I can give.

Anything I happen to get out of it after that's icing on the cake.

Pagan holidays? Don't care.

History and science. Love 'em. They work for me.

God's the man, no matter what we say and no matter what we do. Check out the Bible and the Purpose Filled Life. There's all kinds of holidays there.

Happy Easter.

But what about this?

1 John 2:3-8

Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of Yahweh is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

7 Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. 8 Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.
NKJV

Thier was no NT at this time. So just was John speaking of when he said "Walk as he walked"

Blessings....Miles

NT extant or not, I believe John was talking about Jesus in the passage and in verse six there. I have a different translation I was looking at. Sometimes the different translations'll give you another slant on particular verses and passages. Kind of helps me because I get puzzled by scripture a lot.

I believe though he is saying if Yahshua did it and he abides in you then you should do it.That he did nothing new. And what is sad to me is people who say they are believers. Do not know how or what he walked at all. If they did then thier walk would not be following Pagan customs....Blessings...Miles

You Lost Me! What are You saying?

Those verses from John are written to the brethern when thier was no New Testament. They only used the Old Testament as Yahshua did. I am saying if people who call themselves believers knew and did what Yahshua our messiah did. Then they would not be celebrating Pagan Holidays... Sorda like the wwjd bracelets...Shalom...Miles

Gotcha, Blessed Be

--John

aside from holidays like Lent

did you think about St Patricks Day?

The modern secular holiday is based on the original Christian saint's feast day also thought to be the date of the saint's death.

where several holidays are based on pagan beliefs or jewish beliefs...Christians have holidays as well that are widely celebrated

I wouldn't lump others into the same catagory by saying I can't appreciate where a holiday originated from.

I am fully aware that alot of religions came from pagans...but they also came from jewish beliefs as well. not to mention other countries religions....but yes Christians Have had original thoughts as well.

I am a history buff as well as a Christian. I fully respect and appreciate how we came about different beliefs and holidays etc

again...not all Christians

OH and I love holidays

I learn the origins of them, celebrate them and do the fun stuff

ex: Easter started from the pagan beliefs...learn all about it. Chrisitans took it over to celebrate the Resurrection. I know the origins...but I celebrate it for the Chistian aspect. That is my choice though. I have a good friend who IS pagan that celebrates it for the pagan beliefs.

and we both enjoy making memories with our children by dying easter eggs and having chocolate bunnies.

I DO know the history and respect and appreciate them...so please don't assume all christians can't see truths. If this is the case...should non-christians not celebrate st pattys day? or should they thank christians for it? I will thank pagans for the history of holidays.

But the fact is, yes, holidays are changed into different than how they started.

St Pattys day wasn't about green beer or Leprechaun, but I can enjoy those parts as well

Nicely put. Different people see different parts of the whole. Just because it isn't the part I see does not mean that either party is wrong.

:)

Drew

Reason I say that is Because my Sister, Aunt Mother and Grandmother are Christian and they won't have Esater (or Eastre or Ostara as it is also called) having anything to do with Pagans. they are Ignorant, those are three that I know and having gone to church Myself Growing up and going to their church recently I can see why. so it is with that that I say Christians aren't interested in Truth......I agree not all are that way, but today enough People have been Brainwashed to think that everything Christianity has to Offer is Original.