Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Holidays or Holy Days - Does it Matter Which Days We Observe?

Table of Contents

Crucial Questions
Many people are shocked to discover the origins of our most popular religious holidays. They are also surprised to find that the days God commands us to observe in the Bible—the same days Jesus Christ and the apostles kept—are almost universally ignored. Why? Also, why are today's supposedly Christian holidays observed with so many rituals and customs that are not sanctioned anywhere in the Bible? In this booklet you'll discover detailed answers to these questions.

Christmas: The Untold Story
Christmas is one of the world's most popular holidays, celebrated by people of many faiths. Yet the holiday has a strange and convoluted past, one hinted at in such puzzling symbols as decorated trees, holly wreaths and mistletoe.

How Christmas Grew

Christmas vs. the Bible

Biblical Evidence Shows Jesus Wasn't Born on December 25

Easter: Masking a Biblical Truth

Many millions of people believe Jesus Christ rose from the dead on a Sunday morning. But do the Scriptures tell a different story? And how did rabbits and colored eggs come to be associated with Christ's resurrection?

The Resurrection Connection

Fertility Symbols: Beneath the Dignity of God

The Chronology of Christ's Crucifixion and Resurrection

Halloween: A Celebration of Evil
Why would anyone celebrate a holiday emphasizing the morbid and macabre? Where did such strange customs originate?

What About Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Purim?
An important distinction between acceptable holidays and those rooted in paganism (like Christmas and Easter) is that they do not alter, replace or distort the meaning of a festival of God or other biblical truths.

God's Days of Worship
Many are surprised to learn that the Bible nowhere encourages us to celebrate Easter and Christmas. It does, however, show that God revealed a series of festivals that teach mankind about His great plan for all of us!

God's Festivals in the New Testament

Does It Matter to God?
History shows that religious authorities systematically set aside the Bible's days of worship and substituted other practices and celebrations with distinctly non-Christian origins. Is God pleased and honored with such worship?

An Ancient Cultural Clash

The Delights of Obedience