Christian and Pagan Holidays

  It’s that time of the year. Where do we draw the line between “Christian” and “pagan” customs, such as Halloween, Christmas, and Easter? These three more popular special days all have a connection to some “pagan holiday” in terms of time of the year and the kind of celebration. The only holy day (holiday) that is nearly pure in its Christian origin is Pentecost (A Jewish Holy Day), which celebrates the birth of the first church.

  So what should I do about these pagan slanted days and my own faith? Should I support them, boycott them vigorously, ignore them, or keep them in perspective with my faith and ethics?

  In my youth I understood from my particular church that they were against a or any special day for celebrating Christmas, and if I recall, it also felt the same about Easter. I don’t recall anything big about Halloween. Our town always had a great big Halloween party on Front Street with awards for best kinds of costumes, vats to dunk for apples, cider and powdery donuts, and lots of pumpkin jack-o-lanterns.

  But even though our church didn’t celebrate Christmas and Easter, almost all of the members did. We just looked upon it as a cultural holiday. As I have matured, I have seen how that distinction has greatly expanded. Christmas and Easter are Special Marketing seasons for American retailers. Their coffers have benefitted from these celebrations. Our economy depends upon them.

  When was Jesus born? Exactly what happened at Easter? Neither question is of concern to the retailers celebration. That is why in most Churches we take a special evening and a special morning to celebrate these events within the walls of our church. That is my major separation.

  Paul taught the followers of Christ that they are in the world, but not of it. So my special religious events are celebrated with my own people, and I don’t impose them on others.

  In turn I can pick and choose within my own society or culture which special days I want to celebrate and which ones I don’t. It is the same option I had when I lived in or visited other countries. I found some of the Greek, Mexican, German, and Israeli holidays to be great fun! I enjoyed getting to know the people in the places where I traveled. I never once took on their celebrations as my own.

  The same is true in my own country. When I walk around and feel surrounded by the retail Christmas, which starts in early October, I don’t take them on as my own. They are popular, so somebody must like them.

  I don’t believe there can ever be a culture totally based on one set of religious standards. Ever where I look, I see “religious based countries” with deep religious divisions within themselves. Unfortunately the religious bullies try to reign over the others, and ruin it for all. I see this today in the major Muslim movements throughout the world. They don’t care to share their space with anyone different.

  So where do I draw the line between religious and cultural celebrations? I keep the religious ones within my religious body, and pick and chose which cultural ones I will celebrate. Let’s see I love chocolate bunnies, powdered donuts, and cider. I hate the loneliness and stress I see in people around our retail orientated Christmas, because suicides increase and people go deep in debt to satisfy children seduced by clever marketing tools. It is a season of depressions of all kinds.

  In my life there is no line needed between pagan and Christian, because they are two separate worlds. In my spiritual world a man’s word is honored. It ain’t so in the one where I now live.