Making up a "holiday"?

I think your friend is barking up the wrong tree. If she chooses not to commemorate Christmas Day, that is her personal right. If she wants to celebrate it on some other day, that, too is her personal right. But that's where it stops. Her rights stop when it interferes with your commemoration of Christmas Day as you see fit for your household.

Personally, I think those who eschew 12/25 because of pagan associations are, frankly, unable to see the forest through the Christmas trees. These people certainly don't have a problem drive Japanese (Shinto) cars with Arab (Muslim) gas, and likely go to church on Sunday (the sun-god), and probably shake hands when greeting others at church (a pagan-originated tradition). When they write a check fo the offering, they probably use arab (Muslim) numbers for the date and amount.

 

if she wants to celebrate on January 1st, great, no big deal....

Romans 14:5, 6a "One man esteemeth on day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it."

 

Why would you move your celebration from one pagan day to another pagan day. Jan. 1 is a day to recover from ( or continue in) a drunken stooper, and worship the god of fooyball. I don't see why she would move it to that day. I have no problem with when people celebrate, but the choice just baffles me.


By the way johnv the comment about the forest through the christmas trees was my good laugh for the day. Thanks

 

If your friend wants to do this, I think it's fine as long as she does not criticize you for celebrating Christ's birthday on Dec. 25. Just let her do it -- there's nothing wrong with it. Jesus was not born on Dec 25 anyway -- we don't know for sure the date but an earlier date for Christmas was first in May.

 

If you really want to keep this person as a friend, then I would suggest that you do not discuss your religious beliefs. You can set an example without getting into an argument about beliefs and celebrating Christmas. Just let her know that you are going to celebrate Christ's birthday not a Pagan Holiday.

You can also tell her that you believe even though you do not speak in tongues that you are filled with Holy Spirit. The Bible states that it is one of the gifts of the Spirit and not everyone has that gift.

 

That is so very sad.

Christmas is a beautiful celebration and a wonderful time of year.

Could her pastor talk to her?

 

It was changed because Santa Claus got tired of riding around in that hot, red suit in 90 degree weather.

We used to have a neighbor who would leave a note on our door on Halloween every year. We usually would put out a pumpkin, or in later years a fake, plastic, plug-in jack-o-lantern. It was mostly to let the neighbor kids know that we were a house that gave out candy. Anyway, her note would always say that, with our jack-o-lantern, we were worshipping Satan.

People like this, while I think worried 'for our souls' in their own particular way, do make me uneasy and often push people away rather than draw them in.

Why not just celebrate 'Sonshine Day' on 12/25 by not putting up Christmas lights and decorations?

 

Interesting, Bro James. The person who left that note must not have realized that carving faces in pumpkins is a relatively new custom, and originally had nothing to do with Halloween.

Sad that people give Satan credit left and right for things he didn't do. And to accuse you of worshipping something you dont, well, it takes the fuit out of the holiday fruitcake (no easy task!)

 

I think if everyone wants to say at Christmas Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas, we should change this to Happy Holy-days!

 

Pleaes don't give anyone the idea, Dr. Bob!

Well, guess it's too late now.

 

There is absolutely nothing wrong with celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ - God incarnate - on Christmas Day! The Bible records the joyful occasion and mentions several who came to rejoice and praise the Lord at the time. Why shouldn't we do so today? It doesn't have to be the exact anniversary of his birth. Few, if any holidays, actually occur on the exact anniversary. Regardless of when it happened it was certainly an important event - certainly not to the exclusion of His death and resurrection - and worthy of our remembrance. It's a good time for families to celebrate together. It's good for the children to hear and even to tell the story of the birth of our Lord and understand the miracle behind it and significance of it. It's a good time for pastors to preach the story. It's a good time to sing special songs associated with Christmas. It could be done any time of the year but December 25 is a special day set aside for it. The only problem I see is the emphasis placed on other things during this holiday that greatly overshadow its real purpose. We are still free to make it what we want it to be in our own homes and churches. I do understand why some people have decided not to celebrate the occasion at all or to minimize the celebrations. That's their choice but I don't think they should be too critical of those who choose to participate and, certainly, we need not try to associate Christmas with some pagan holiday.

 

Ask your friend where the days of the week came from. Ask her about Easter too.

Then ask her if she puts gas in her car. If she says, "Yes" then inform her that she is supporting Muslim countries with her money.

Often legalism goes quick when they see no alternative to a practice which is counter to their legalism, such as buying gas.

 

Sarah,
I have a similar friend. They came to our church for a while. But since they cant find a church that has it "right", they do home church. (as well as homeschhol and home birth.) They do not celebrate birthdays, Christmas or Easter, because that is giving in to the world and encouraging greediness (although Dad accepts a $100 bill from his parents on his birthday every year). Their nine kids do not know Christmas carols, and they don't celebrate Christ's birth on a particular day. Dad claims that births were not celebrated in the Bible (forget about circumcision celebrations). Anyway, I do not discuss these things any longer with my friend because we cannot agree.
They come to my home each week for a piano lesson for one of the kids. At holiday time I feel uneasy when they come. So I understand the issues involved with this kind of friendship.

 

Does she use a calendar??? Everytime she says the name of any day of the week, she is 'talking' pagan.

People will be so adamant about not celebrating 'pagan' holidays once a year, but think nothing about all the other 'pagan' things we use daily...

 

Actually Santa would have this problem when navigating his sleigh through Australia and New Zealand, South Africa, etc, in late December.

Let's be Baptists about it:

Santa is from heck!

HankD