Grafted-In Ministries
Articles on Christian Pagan Holidays
A Return to Orthodoxy A History of Passover vs. Easter
Written by Steve NeidermeyerI n the modern evangelical church, there are three days of special significance- Christmas, Easter, and the weekly Sunday "worship day". Many Christians do not know how these days came to be of special significance -they simply assume that they have always been- and that celebrating Christmas, Easter, and Sunday "worship" are orthodox 1. Most Christians do not know that these days were not celebrated by the early church and there is no biblical basis for them- but instead they were established later in church history by the Catholic Church. Even the Roman Catholic Church does not claim these days as biblical - but rather that the Church had the authority to establish them.2
There is nothing wrong with keeping traditions in and of themselves. The danger comes when we declare our traditions as "God-given" or even replace God-given commands with man-made traditions. So as not to be found following the "traditions of men" which oppose God's Word, we need to reexamine what is indeed orthodox and biblical regarding what is commonly called "Easter".
First, it should be noted that the word "Easter" is not found in the Bible 3. The origins of the word "Easter" are quite clear. This Anglo-Saxon word is derived from the ancient eastern religion of Ishtar. In ancient Babel, Nimrod 4 was married to Queen Semiramis. After Nimrod died, Semiramis declared Nimrod to be the Sun-god. Various cultures thereafter called him Baal, Bel, Molech etc. Semiramis named herself Ishtar (pronounced: ee- star) and claimed to be a goddess (other cultures adopted this and called her Astarte, Osaris, Wife of Baal, Ashtaroth or Ashtoreth, or Queen of Heaven 5). Semiramis gave birth to a son she named Tammuz 6, who she claimed was fatherless, and was in fact Nimrod reborn. When Tammuz was killed by a wild boar, Semiramis claimed that he was resurrected each spring in the trees and flowers on the first sun-day, after the first moon of the spring. Semiramis declared that those worshipping Tammuz should fast for 40 days prior to the celebration of the day of Tammuz' resurrection - a day known as "Easter". From this ancient mystery religion it is quite easy to see the pagan origins of Lent and Easter. Satan prepared a counterfeit to confuse men - but God's calendar had Feasts called "Passover" and "Unleavened Bread" that would not be tied to the sun - and thereby remain distinct.
EASTER - THE COUNTERFEIT PASSOVER
Written by Reb Yeshayahu HeiliczerEvery year some good Believers celebrate holidays which, although they seem to glorify Elohim1, are instead bad counterfeits originating in paganism and anti-Semitism. The purpose of this paper is to educate fellow believers about the pagan "holiday" of "Easter."Pagan Origins
The name "Easter" is the name of a pagan goddess variously called "Eostre", "Eastre", "Ishtar", "Ostarun" or "Ostera." Easter is the old Teutonic pagan Anglo-Saxon goddess of the spring. She is also referred to as "the goddess of fertility." Her name is the source from which the medical term "Estrous Cycle," which is associated with female biology, has been derived. This pagan goddess Easter then is associated with the giving of life, the regeneration of life in the spring, the giver of the fertile state to all creatures, etc.
For all these "gifts" given by this false goddess, a full month of feast and celebration was dedicated in the Spring of each year during the month of April (which was also called "Eostur-monath"). This feast and celebration was established and practiced long before the resurrection of Messiah Yeshua occurred in 33 C.E. ...
Would Yeshua Celebrate Easter?
Since Easter (with all the pagan symbols that have come with it) was adopted by the Catholic Church centuries after Messiah Yeshua's ascension, should Believers in Messiah Yehsua observe this holiday and encourage others to do so?
Would Messiah Yeshua celebrate Easter?
He certainly could have told us to. So could His talmudim, whose teaching and doctrine are preserved for us in the book of Acts and the letters written by Saul, Peter, Jacob, Jude and John. But nowhere do we find a hint of support for Easter or anything remotely resembling it. What we do find, as pointed out earlier, is clear instruction from Yeshua and Saul to keep the Passover and other biblical festivals.
Holy Scripture does not support this pagan holiday and, in fact, condemns such celebrations. Because Scripture condemns pagan practices and the worship of false gods (Deuteronomy 12:29-32), we know that God the Father and Yeshua His Son have no interest in Easter and do not approve of it.
Yeshua, in fact, is diametrically opposed to religious rituals that supposedly honor Him but in reality are rooted in the worship of false gods. He makes clear the difference between pleasing God and pleasing men: "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:
'This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men . . . All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition'" (Mark 7:6-9).
Easter is a tradition of men, not a commandment of God. But it's more than that. It is a pagan tradition of men that, like other traditions involved in the worship of false gods, is abhorrent to the true God. Yeshua and His apostles would never sanction its observance because it mingles paganism with supposedly Biblical symbolism and ritual. It is rooted in ancient pagan fertility rites that have nothing to do with Messiah Yeshua. ...
What's wrong with Easter?
Written by J.K. McKee
I
t comes every Spring, usually sometime in March or April. You know it because in stores you see the baskets, candy, rabbits, eggs, and the annoying fake grass that goes in those baskets. You see the Cadbury cream egg commercials on television with the rabbits gobbling like chickens. Its name is Easter.
Most sincere Christians celebrate the season of Easter not as a time to fawn over rabbits or eat candy, but as a serious time to remember the resurrection of Messiah Yeshua . They commemorate His death on Good Friday and His resurrection on Easter Sunday. Certainly, of all the events in our faith, the resurrection of our Lord is the most important. The Apostle Paul validly writes,
But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Messiah has been raised; and if Messiah has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain (1 Corinthians 15:13-14).
However, when we consider the pre-Messianic and pre-Christian origins of ???Easter,??? we do need to reevaluate it.
It comes as a shock to many Christians, but Messianic Believers do not celebrate Easter. We do not see this holiday mandated in Scripture as one of the Lord???s moedim or ???appointed times.??? We believe it to be a substitute holiday in place of what God has asked His people to do in the Spring. By celebrating Good Friday and Easter Sunday, we think that can communicate a view of Yeshua coming to die as a random man or a common criminal on the cross at Golgotha (Calvary), in a ???generic??? manner for the sins of humanity. He does not necessarily come as the Messiah of Israel, in fulfillment of our Heavenly Father???s appointed times. The common celebration of Easter today often downplays how Yeshua is the blameless Passover Lamb slain for our sin, and the unleavened, sinless Bread of Life who was scourged for our iniquities.
There are certainly Christians today who criticize Messianics, without mercy, for not celebrating Easter. Yet as it has sadly been the case, many Messianics usually respond to these Christians without mercy as well. They accuse Christians of participating in pagan ???fertility rites??? or that they are worshipping the Babylonian goddess Ishtar or the sun god. Likewise, because Messiah Yeshua???s death, burial, and resurrection are not emphasized at many ???Messianic??? Passover sedars, such Christians may feel that we have lost hold of this monumental event, and perhaps can rightfully say of some people that they treat Yeshua???s resurrection with disgust (cf. Hebrews 10:29).
How are we as fair-minded Messianic Believers to handle Easter? How are we to be mature, Spirit-filled, Torah obedient Believers who follow the example of Yeshua the Messiah? At what time are we to appropriately remember what He did for us on the cross 2,000 years ago? Easter or Passover?
Easter: Masking a Biblical Truth
In contrast to the general public, which considers Christmas the most important Christian holiday, many theologians regard Easter as the preeminent celebration because it commemorates Yeshua' resurrection.
Where, then, did these practices originate?
Easter - masking the Biblical truthThe Encyclopaedia Britannica tells us, "As at Christmas, so also at Easter, popular customs reflect many ancient pagan survivals—in this instance, connected with spring fertility rites, such as the symbols of the Easter egg and the Easter hare or rabbit" (15th edition, Macropaedia, Vol. 4, p. 605, "Church Year").
The word Easter appears once in the King James Version of the Bible, in Acts 12:4, where it is a mistranslation. Reputable scholars and reference works point out that the word Easter in this verse comes from the Greek word pascha, meaning Passover. Modern translations correctly translate this word this word "Passover"—as even the King James Version does in other verses (see Matthew 26:2, 17-19; Mark 14:12; 1 Corinthians 5:7).
Notice what Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words says about the term Easter here: "Pascha ... mistranslated ‘Easter' in Acts 12:4, KJV, denotes the Passover ... The term ‘Easter' is not of Christian origin. It is another form of Astarte, one of the titles of the Chaldean Elohimdess, the queen of heaven. The festival of Pasch [Passover] held by Christians in post-apostolic times was a continuation of the Jewish feast ... From this Pasch the pagan festival of ‘Easter' was quite distinct and was introduced into the apostate Western religion, as part of the attempt to adapt pagan festivals to Christianity" (1985, p. 192, "Easter").
Easter's ancient history
The roots of the Easter celebration date to long before Yeshua Messiah's life, death and resurrection. Various Easter customs can be traced back to ancient spring celebrations surrounding Astarte, the Elohimdess of spring and fertility. The Bible refers to her as "Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians" (2 Kings 23:13) and, as Vine's mentions, "the Queen of Heaven," whose worship Elohim condemned (Jeremiah 7:18; Jeremiah 44:24-28).
Francis Weiser, professor of philosophy at Boston College, provides these facts: "The origin of the Easter egg is based on the fertility lore of the Indo-European races ... The Easter bunny had its origin in pre-Christian fertility lore. Hare and rabbit were the most fertile animals our fore-fathers knew, serving as symbols of abundant new life in the spring season" (Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs, 1958 , pp. 233, 236). (For more information about these symbols, see "Fertility Symbols: Beneath the Dignity of Elohim" on page 22).
Fertility rites and customs were incorporated into religious practices early in history. After Adam and Eve rejected Elohim in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3), humanity looked for other explanations for life. Forces of nature and seasons that could not be controlled began to be viewed as elohims, goddesses and supernatural powers to be worshipped and feared. Man soon created his own elohims, contradicting Elohim's instruction against idolatry (Exodus 20:3-6; Deuteronomy 5:7-10).
"The pagan nations made statues or images to represent the powers they worshiped. Most of these idols were in the form of animals or human beings. But sometimes the idols represented celestial powers, like the sun, moon, and stars; forces of nature, like the sea and the rain; or life forces, like death and truth ...
"In time an elaborate system of beliefs in such natural forces was developed into mythology. Each civilization and culture had its own mythological structure, but the structures were often quite similar. The names of the elohims may have been different, but their functions and actions were often the same. The most prominent myth to cross cultural lines was that of the fertility cycle. Many pagan cultures believed that the Elohim of fertility died each year during the winter but was reborn each year in the spring. The details differed among cultures, but the main idea was the same" (Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary, 1995, "Elohims, Pagan," p. 508).
In pagan mythology the sun represented life. The sun supposedly died around the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. (As discussed earlier, the date set for Christmas celebrations is rooted in this myth.) Complementing the rebirth of the sun were spring fertility rites, whose surviving symbols thread their way throughout Easter celebrations.
In addition to rabbits and eggs, another popular Easter custom had pre-Christian origins: "Also popular among Europeans and Americans on Easter is ham, because the pig was considered a symbol of luck in pre-Christian European culture" (The Encyclopedia of Religion, 1987, p. 558, "Easter").
Sex rites in ancient cultures
Ancient fertility rites revolved around overt sexual immorality and perversion. Such rites are referred to throughout the Bible under a variety of names and descriptions.
The Babylonian and Assyrian fertility goddess was Ishtar, from which derives the names Astarte and Ashtoreth and very likely the Anglo-Saxon Eostre or Germanic Ostara, Elohimdess of spring, the origin of the word Easter (this also giving us the word east, the direction of the sunrise)
Easter: The Untold Story - The Neglected Truth
Every year, professing Christians celebrate the holiday known as Easter, but few understand its true origins. How is it that a day supposedly picturing the resurrection of Yeshua Messiah came to be known by the name of the pagan goddess Eostre? What are the origins of celebrating the day with rabbits and colored eggs and how did they come to be associated with it? What do these have to do with the resurrection of Messiah?
Do you realize that the Good Friday crucifixion and Easter Sunday resurrection tradition contradicts the one sign Yeshua said He would give to prove He was the prophesied Messiah? Shockingly, literally hundreds of millions profess that Yeshua Messiah is their Savior, but their very traditions deny the one and only sign Yeshua said He would give that He was who He claimed to be—the Son of Elohim. Consider what this means! Either Yeshua is not the Messiah He claimed to be, or the professing Christian tradition is wrong. It cannot be any other way!
It is time to dust off your Bible and look into the one and only true source that reveals what really happened at the time of Yeshua’ crucifixion! The truth of what happened—and what your Bible records—is not what most people think! If you are willing to look into the biblical record and the facts recorded by well-respected historians, you can know the truth about Easter and its pagan past—and you can know the truth of the crucifixion and resurrection of Yeshua Messiah.
Chapter 1
What’s in a Name?
For many professing Christians, Easter is the most sacred holiday of the year. For others, it is a time to show off a new set of clothes and perhaps a hat or bonnet. For children, it is an exciting time to search for brightly colored eggs that were hidden in the garden or around the house. Some children even receive live chickens or rabbits from well-meaning parents.
But consider: What does all this have to do with the resurrection of Yeshua Messiah? The simple answer is, absolutely nothing! Nevertheless, most people look at such customs as harmless fun for the children. But are they? Or do they obscure the truth about the most important event in the history of mankind: Messiah’s life, message, crucifixion, and resurrection?
I often tell people a true story about my uncle George. He was a colorful character, to say the least. He was a self-made man who left home at the age of 16 and went on to invent various electronic instruments used in the oil-drilling industry. I knew for many years that he was a passionate atheist, but I never knew why until a few years before his death when he explained it to me. When he was five years old, his mother, my grandmother, told him to go out and look for the eggs the rabbits laid. It was Easter Sunday. Even at this early age, he knew that rabbits did not lay eggs, because my grandmother raised rabbits for sale. He immediately protested, “Rabbits don’t lay eggs.” And she replied, “Georgie, if you look real hard you’ll find them.”
As he explained to me, he really did look, but he did not find any. He went back into the house and disgustedly informed her, “Mother, you lied to me. Rabbits don’t lay eggs.” And, as he further explained, “That’s when I began to question the whole idea of God and Christianity.”
Why is it that Christians lie to their children about such things when the Ninth Commandment tells us, “You shall not bear false witness”? Are they not aware of Revelation 21:8, which tells us that “all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death”? Maybe these “little white lies” are more serious than we realize! Maybe we should rethink what we teach our children!
What History Reveals
From where do these seemingly harmless lies and quaint customs originate? Historians reveal a great deal about the origins of Easter traditions, starting with the very name itself. Easter is nothing more than another spelling for the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre, but where did this goddess originate? The New World Encyclopedia suggests a connection between Eostre and Easter with the very popular and ancient goddess Ishtar: “Scholars likewise speculate that Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of Spring whose name later gave rise to the modern English ‘Easter,’ may be etymologically connected to Ishtar” (“Ishtar”).
Interestingly, the Melkite Greek Catholic Church admits this about the origin of the name Easter, but gives a slightly different spelling from that of Ishtar: “The word ‘Easter’ comes from Old English and refers to the Norse Goddess of Fertility, ‘Istra’—who was symbolized by a rabbit” (“Great Lent and Holy Week,” Melkite.org, August 14, 2010).
Thus the connection between Easter and rabbits, but why was Istra symbolized by a rabbit? Historians confirm that this goddess, spelled variously as Ishtar and Istra, was known as the goddess of fertility, and the rabbit is a well-known fertility symbol. Even today people can be heard using the expression “breeding like rabbits.” An example of this is seen in a November 2011 Scientific American article titled “Why Pioneers Breed Like Rabbits.”
The rabbit is not the only fertility symbol passed down from antiquity. The Oxford Companion to World Mythology explains this about Easter: “The holiday comes in the early Spring and is clearly related to ancient fertility myths of reborn heroes.… For many, Easter is synonymous with fertility symbols such as the Easter Rabbit, Easter eggs, and the Easter lily” (“Easter,” p. 111).
Easter and the Egg
While the egg is clearly a fertility symbol, many historians trace the origin of the Easter egg back to the Babylonian myth of a large egg falling from the sky into the Euphrates River, from which the goddess Astarte was hatched. Astarte was revered by the ancient Phoenicians as goddess of the moon and the measurer of time. But who was Astarte? Is there any connection with this goddess and Easter traditions? Historians tell us Astarte is merely another name for Ishtar: “The name Ishtar is likely Semitic in origin, and was identified in ancient times with Canaanite goddess Ashtoreth or Astarte” (“Ishtar,” New World Encyclopedia).
As we are beginning to see, this goddess—from which we derive the name of what is supposed to be a most solemn Christian celebration—has quite a past. She was no obscure figure, but was known by different names in different languages and cultures. The highly respected Encyclopaedia Britannica confirms the connection between Astarte and Ishtar: “Astarte was worshiped in Egypt and Ugarit and among the Hittites, as well as in Canaan. Her Akkadian counterpart was Ishtar. Later she became assimilated with the Egyptian deities Isis and Hathor (a goddess of the sky and of women), and in the Greco-Roman world with Aphrodite, Artemis, and Juno” (“Astarte,” Britannica.com).
These all refer to the same goddess, either with different spellings or with different names in various cultures. Here is a quote tying Ishtar with another important name: “Ishtar, a goddess of both fertility and war, is the Akkadian name of the Sumerian goddess Inanna and the Semitic goddess Astarte, the three names referring to the same deity in different cultural contexts. She inspired great devotion in the ancient Babylonian empire, as evidenced by the many grand temples, altars, inscriptions, and art objects devoted to her” (“Ishtar,” New World Encyclopedia).
Interestingly, just as there came in ancient cultures to be a connection between the moon and the various goddesses of fertility, the rabbit became entwined in many of these myths. Why the rabbit? With a gestation period of just about one month, the rabbit’s cycle came to be associated with the lunar cycle across a number of cultures.
With our modern understanding of biology we may laugh at this today, but many in the ancient world believed the rabbit to be a hermaphrodite—an animal that could reproduce without losing its virginity. This led to an association between the supposedly virgin rabbit and the Virgin Mary, as typified by the painter Titian’s Madonna of the Rabbit. When former goddess-worshipers discovered Christianity, it was easy for them to take their old reverence for a goddess and transfer it to Mary, in contradiction to Scripture and actual Christianity. Thus the various myths expanded and prevailed.
Halloween: Trick or Treat?
Written by Reb Yeshayahu HeiliczerW ell, it's that time of year again! People rush to find that special orange pumpkin, search for the scariest costume, clothe the outside of the house in an eerie arrangement of glowing monsters, sticky spider webs, and a vast array of haunting, seasonal decor. All of this effort for the innocent fun of Halloween--perhaps? We certainly don't want to take away anyone's fun, but hundreds of years have totally changed the real truth behind the masked disguise of Halloween. Many people are not even aware of Halloween's historical origins, nor do they care. Whether or not you choose to participate in the celebration, you still might consider reading some historical highlights on how it all began--the story behind the celebration ----And yes, Halloween is a seasonal celebration connected to the movements of the heavens!---
Long ago, the festivals of the Lord were changed into Church "holy days" (holidays). The changes begn with Constantine (around the year A.D. 325), when Christianity and Paganism united. It was Constantine's efforts to appease the masses. A unification, of sorts, that united all people of various backgrounds and beliefs into one system that appeared to make everyone happy. The Christians were no longer persecuted but accepted, the Jews tolerated but ignored, and the Pagans? Well, they had their god(s), too, and so, in the name of peace, followed the blending of all types of beliefs, religions, philosophies, and cultures into one harmonious union that was intended for the good of all.....
Should Believers in Messiah Celebrate Halloween?
Written by Amir Tsarfati As a Jewish man, who was born in Jerusalem, I never found it exciting to deal with pure pagan rituals that have to do with dead people. While people around the world call it Halloween, in Israel, we call it “The All Saints’ Night”. Saints? Is there anything holy here? In the past few years, while investigating the pagan roots of Christmas, I stumbled upon the unholy alliance of pagan holidays with catholic traditions that gave birth to something even more destructive – the “godly” appearance of a pure satanic ritual. The verse that came to mind, even though it wasn’t necessarily written for cases like this, was:
“…having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” (2 Timothy 3:5)
Halloween’s origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago, mostly in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. The Old Testament reveals to us a sad and similar account of Israel during the days of the prophet Ezekiel. In Ezekiel 8:14, Elohim supernaturally revealed to the prophet some of the secret sins of the nation of Israel. One of these sins is their lamentation for a pagan god named Tammuz. Who was Tammuz, and why would women be weeping for him?
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The New Encyclopedia Britannica
wrote in the article titled “
Tammuz
“: “in Mesopotamian religion, god of fertility embodying the powers for new life in nature in the spring” (Vol. 11, p. 532).The cult of Tammuz centered around two yearly festivals, one celebrating his marriage to the goddess Inanna, and the other lamenting his death at the hands of demons from the netherworld. During the 3rd dynasty of Ur (c. 2112—c. 2004 BC) in the city of Umma (modern Tell Jokha), the marriage of the god was dramatically celebrated in February—March, Umma’s month of the Festival of Tammuz. What does the worship of Tammuz have to do with the sign of the cross? According to historian Alexander Hislop, Tammuz was intimately associated with the Babylonian mystery religions begun by the worship of Nimrod, Semiramis, and her illegitimate son, Horus. The original form of the Babylonian letter T was † (tau), identical to the crosses used today in this world’s Christianity. This was the initial of Tammuz. Referring to this sign of Tammuz, Hislop writes:.....
Why I Don't Celebrate Halloween
Written by Rabbi Henry MorseI realize this is late. I did this on purpose because so many people I know celebrated Halloween in some way shape or form, pastors and lay people alike. People I would consider strong believers. Many of them continued to make an unbiblical excuse as to why it was all right for them to participate in trying to redeem this day and recognize it. So I thought writing in the middle of this mess wouldn't be received at all. I am sure I will get protestations even after the fact, but here goes…
We're not celebrating Halloween. They say it's just a harvest party. We're not celebrating Christmas. They say it's Jesus' birthday. We're not celebrating Easter. They say it's the resurrection. It's not a graven image, no, it's just a picture that helps us focus on Jesus. What do all these responses have in common? They are all said in direct disobedience to the Word of Yehovah because each of these are pagan in origin in every way. What makes us think that Yehovah has given us a pass on redeeming paganism when that is absolutely forbidden by the Word? Scripture is pretty clear on how we are to handle things of this nature.
I find it rather curious that those who defend their right to celebrate these pagan festivals always seem to use the New Testament as a defense for their celebration. They cite that we have been set free from the Torah and therefore can now redeem these pagan celebrations for Yehovah. Yet it is absurd to come to this conclusion when Rav Shaul (the Apostle Paul) quotes Tenach (the First Testament) as his source. So if it's good enough for Paul to use the Tenach as his source of authority, then it's good enough for me. He doesn't seem to have a problem recognizing its authority. Why should we?
Jeremiah 24:7
And I will give them a heart to know me, that I am Yehovah: and they shall be my people, and I will be their Elohim; for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.
Jeremiah 31:33
But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith Yehovah: I will put my Torah in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it; and I will be their Elohim, and they shall be my people.
Jeremiah 32:38
And they shall be my people, and I will be their Elohim:
Ezekiel 11:20
That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their Elohim.
Ezekiel 37:23
Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will save them out of all their dwelling-places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their Elohim.
Ezekiel 37:27
My tabernacle also shall be with them; and I will be their Elohim, and they shall be my people.
Ezekiel 8:8
And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be my people, and I will be their Elohim, in truth and in righteousness.
What do these verses have in common? Yehovah is calling His people to walk in His commandments, to not defile themselves, to retain His Torah in their hearts and return to Him......
CHRISTMAS, or PAGAN-MASS?
Written byReb Yeshayahu HeiliczerEach year in December, Messianic Jewish congregations must deal with the question of whether it is right or wrong for members to celebrate the "traditional" holiday of "Christmas." This paper seeks to explore the origins, traditions, and applications of this "holiday" in the life of believers, both Jewish and non-Jewish.
Man-made
Is it acceptable for a man-made "religious" holiday to be celebrated? In Judaism, both traditional and Messianic, we celebrate both Chanukah and Purim, which are holidays which were instituted by people. The fact that they were each created to celebrate a miracle of God (Chanukah the miracle of the rededication of the Holy Temple, and Purim the miracle of the redemption of the Jewish people from death in Persia) and that they were both celebrated during Bible times helps to give them legitimacy as religious events. But where does one draw the line between what Yehovah has ordained and commanded (like Yehovah's own festivals commanded in Leviticus 23) and ones created by mankind to celebrate His goodness?
There is nothing inherently wrong with celebrating the coming of the Messiah to earth (if one knew when that was). In fact, through the prophetic cycle of Biblical festivals, the coming of Messiah to earth and his ultimate plan of sacrifice for the sins on mankind is repeatedly celebrated in the Messianic community. A "right" reason for creating a holiday would be to remember what our Heavenly Father did in the past for us. But what about a holiday created for "wrong" reasons?...
When Was Yeshua Born?
Written by John O. ReidWe are approaching the time of the year when the world celebrates the supposed birth of Yeshua the Messiah. The jingles on the radio and television invade our sanity earlier every year, and the decorations now go up before Halloween! Anywhere we go, Christmas "cheer" is inescapable. For most of us, this is a season we struggle through, wishing it would rush by and be over.
Yet it is also a season that requires us to be on our guard. Since we do not celebrate Christmas, we often stick out in a crowd. Such a difference piques the curiosity of some, and they may ask why we do not keep it. If we respond, "Christ was not born on December 25," can we prove it? If He was not born on that date, then when was He born? What are the facts?
When this subject is broached, many Protestants and Catholics become quite emotional, often becoming firmly entrenched concerning the December 25 date in spite of the facts. Many simply enjoy the season and feel that the actual day of Christ's birth is irrelevant. Biblical and historical scholars are equally divided over this question as well. Christmas, however, is founded on the premise that Yeshua was born on December 25, and a person who is truly striving to follow the Bible will see that the celebration of Christmas is based upon falsehood....
Yeshua Was Not Born in December
When was Yeshua Born?Best Guess: September 29, 5 B.C.E.
Want the details? Read more below.
Biblical scholars readily tell us that it was most likely NOT on December 25th, C.E. 0. Why?
When were shepherds in the fields?
Israeli meteorologists tracked December weather patterns for many years and concluded that the climate in Israel has been essentially constant for at least the last 2,000 years. The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible states that, "broadly speaking, weather phenomena and climatic conditions as pictured in the Bible correspond with conditions as observed today" (R.B.Y. Scott, Vol. 3, Abingdon Press, Nashville, 1962, p. 625).
The temperature in the area of Bethlehem in December averages around 44 degrees Fahrenheit (7 degrees Celsius) but can drop to well below freezing, especially at night. Describing the weather there, Sara Ruhin, chief of the Israeli weather service, noted in a 1990 press release that the area has three months of frost: December with 29 F. [minus 1.6 C.]; January with 30 F. [minus 1.1 C.] and February with 32 F. [0 C.].
Even Christians see errors in Christmas
Okay, I admit it. October 14 is a little early to be sending a Christmas greeting. But I have a good reason. Over the past year I've accumulated a pile of evidence pointing to the likelihood that we celebrate Christ's birth at the wrong time of year. For one thing, the gospel of Luke tells us that on the night Jesus was born shepherds were out in nearby fields with their sheep (2:8). In Israel, shepherds bring their flocks in from the field no later than the third week of October.
But if not December, when? I've found reason to believe Jesus was born in late September or early October.
When God gave Moses the commandments, He also gave him a social calendar that included seven holidays. Three of them were called "pilgrimage" festivals--Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles--which everyone was to celebrate together in the place where God chose to put His Name (later identified as Jerusalem)....
Should Christians Celebrate Christmas?
Written by Charles HalffU p until some 30 years ago, I used to celebrate Christmas as much as-or even more than-any Gentile. You might think that is strange since I was born and raised in a Jewish home. But my family always had a Christmas tree every year, because it was the popular thing to do. We had ornaments, mistletoe, holly wreaths, presents, and everything else that goes along with the Christmas celebration.
You see, Jewish people celebrate Christmas today, not because of Christ's birthday, but because it is a popular tradition and part of our present-day culture. It's as American as apple pie and hamburgers. And I observed Christmas for nearly 22 years of my life, until God opened my eyes to see the falseness of this pagan holiday.
It's not because I'm a Jew that I don't celebrate Christmas now. That has nothing to do with it. Let me tell you the real reasons why I no longer observe this pagan holiday.
Christmas Not A Bible Doctrine
In the first place, Christmas is not a Bible doctrine....
CHRISTMAS AND PAGANISM
Written by Yamar Yonah
Holidays are given to us to in order to remind us who we are. We remember the history and the importance of the day and use it to develop and mold us into better people so we can serve God better.
Growing up in the West, where people are steeped in a xmas atmosphere with trees, lights, mistletoe, Santas and manger scene decorations, I decided to do some research to find out more about the symbols of xmas. Don't get me wrong, some of the holiday decorations are very beautiful, but I believe that one should know the truth behind these symbols in order for them to be true to themselves and serve God the best they can. We should not be deceived by 'cosmetics' or decorations, if behind these symbols lies darkness and leads people away from truth.
And so, below are some questions posted on the internet asked by people wanting to know more about their own holiday, and some of the answers posted by their own fellow holiday celebrators.
Question: Why do we celebrate Christmas in December when Yeshua was born in March (or even around the feast Of Tabernacles (sukkot) in the Fall)? Why did the Catholic Church choose December 25 for the birth date of Yeshua?
Answers: "It was chosen in order to compete with the pagan winter solstice festivals. It was not chosen because it is the correct historical date!"
"The idea to celebrate Christmas on December 25 apparently originated in the 4th century. The Catholic Church wanted to eclipse the festivities of a rival pagan religion that threatened Christianity's existence. The Romans celebrated the birthday of their sun god, Mithras during this time of year. Although it was not popular, or even proper, to celebrate people's birthdays in those times, church leaders decided that in order to compete with the pagan celebration they would themselves order a festival in celebration of the birth of (their god).
Christmas was slow to catch on in America. The early colonists considered it a pagan ritual. The celebration of Christmas was even banned by law in Massachusetts in colonial days ...
Why I Don't Celebrate Christmas
Written by Tim Hegg
Erything is right at Christmas. I quickened my pace and studder-stepped around the last corner for home. Stooping, I looked through the trees toward the house with hopes of seeing Grandpa???s 1950 Buick. Being a Junior Higher, I fettered the little-boy impulse to run and maintained my ???grown-up??? stride. It seemed a long time since I had been with Grandma and Grandpa and I could already taste Grandma???s German pastries and breads. Excitement shivered deep inside me at the thought of being with them again. Reaching the level ground of the city park I could see my house at the far end of the open field.And parked in front was Grandpa???s car they had finally arrived.
Breaking into an easy trot, I crossed the open, grassy play field. Our house was across the street from a beautiful city park known for its array of trees from all over the world -Japanese Apple, Dogwood, Oak, and Maple of every variety, as well as evergreens. The colors were magnificent at fall, and even with the light dusting of snow falling that day, the few triumphant leaves which were clinging to the otherwise naked limbs burst forth in their earthy colors. I crossed the street and bounded up the stairs to the front door of our house, my finger aimed at the doorbell. As soon as the door was opened, I called out for Grandpa and Grandma who emerged from the kitchen with smiles, hugs and kisses. It was Christmas time again, and everything was right.
Mom had decorated the house with all of her usual touches???the tree was decked with the once-a-year ornaments, each having its own story to tell. The blinking lights enhanced the tinsel which we had hung, a piece at a time, blanketing the branches with the illusion of snow. Already the number of presents under the tree had grown to an embarrassing heap, and Mom did what she could to keep the pile from usurp-ing too much of the floor. The nativity scene was on the hutch as usual, and the little angel candles which made the chimes revolve were working their special magic. The house was fragrant with pine boughs, the mistletoe hung in the kitchen doorway, red bows adorned candles of every size, and the lights on the tree gave a special glow to the fast approaching darkness. Outside the falling snow become wonderfully distinct against the emerging street lights.
We talked and laughed and reminisced and did what families do at Christmas???gave way to the wonderful spirit of the season. Even the little things that often disrupted family times were ignored. The wonderful mood which Christmas brings easily dulled Grandpa???s sharp tongue and quick temper. It was, indeed, a time for peace and good cheer. ...
Christmas Before Messiah?
Written by Jerold Aust
The Surprising Story
Most people know the Bible doesn’t direct us to celebrate Christmas. Does it make any difference as long as it’s intended to honor Elohim and bring families together?
A
t this time of year it’s fairly common to see programs like the one titled “Christmas Unwrapped: The History of Christmas,” which aired on the A&E (Arts & Entertainment) cable television channel. The promo for the program read:
“People all over the world celebrate the birth of Messiah on December 25th. But why is the Savior’s nativity marked by gift-giving, and was He really born on that day? And just where did the Christmas tree come from?
“Take an enchanting journey through the history of the world’s favorite holiday to learn the origins of some of the Western world’s most enduring traditions. Trace the emergence of Christmas from pagan festivals like the Roman Saturnalia, which celebrated the winter solstice.” This program addressed the fact that Santa Claus is fictitious and that Christmas and its trappings emanate from pagan Roman festivals, as many other sources corroborate.
Is there more to these ancient traditions and practices than meets the eye? And, more important, does it make any difference whether we continue in them?
Celebration of the sun Elohim
It may sound odd that any religious celebration with Messiah’s name attached to it could predate Christianity. Yet the holiday we know as Christmas long predates
Yeshua Messiah. Elements of the celebration can be traced to ancient Egypt, Babylon and Rome. This fact certainly calls into question the understanding and wisdom of those who, over the millennia, have insisted on perpetuating its observance throughout the Christian world.
Members of the early Church would have been astonished at the customs and practices we associate with Christmas being incorporated into a celebration of Messiah’s birth. Not until centuries after them would His name be attached to this popular Roman holiday.
As Alexander Hislop explains in his book The Two Babylons: “It is admitted by the most learned and candid writers of all parties that the day of our Lord’s birth cannot be determined, and that within the Christian Church no such festival as Christmas was ever heard of till the third century, and that not till the fourth century was far advanced did it gain much observance” (1959, pp. 92-93).
As for how Dec. 25 became associated with Messiah’s birth, virtually any book on the history of Christmas
will explain that this day was celebrated in the Roman Empire as the birthday of the sun Elohim. For example, the book 4000 Years of Christmas says: “For that day was sacred, not only to the pagan Romans but to a religion from Persia which, in those days, was one of Christianity’s strongest rivals. This Persian religion was Mithraism, whose followers worshiped the sun, and celebrated its return to strength on that day” (Earl and Alice Count, 1997, p. 37).
Not only was Dec. 25 honored as the birthday of the sun, but a festival had long been observed among the pagan nations of celebrating the growing amount of daylight after the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. The precursor of Christmas was in fact an idolatrous winter festival characterized by excess and debauchery that predated Christianity by many centuries.
Pre-Christian practices incorporated
This ancient festival went by different names in various cultures. In Rome it was called the Saturnalia, in honor
of Saturn, the Roman Elohim of agriculture. The observance was adopted by early Roman church leaders and given the name of Messiah (“Christ mass,” or Christmas) to permit pagans converting to Christianity to continue in their former practices, helping to swell the number of nominal adherents of Christianity.
The tendency on the part of third-century Catholic leadership was to meet paganism halfway—a practice made clear in a bitter lament by the Carthaginian theologian Tertullian.
In A.D. 230 he wrote of the inconsistency of professing Christians, contrasting their compromising practices with the pagans’ strict adherence to their own beliefs: “By us who are strangers to Sabbaths, and new moons, and festivals once acceptable to Elohim [referring to the biblical festivals spelled out in Leviticus 23, which they failed to embrace], the Saturnalia, the feasts of January, the Bruilmalia, and Matronalia are now frequented; gifts are carried to and fro, new year’s day presents are made with din . . . Oh, how much more faithful are the heathen to THEIR religion, who take special care to adopt no solemnity from the Christians” (Hislop, p. 93, emphasis added throughout).
Failing to make much headway in converting the pagans, the religious leaders of the Roman church began compromising by dressing the heathen customs in Christian-looking garb. But, rather than converting them to the church’s beliefs, the church largely converted to non-Christian customs in its own practices.
Although the early Catholic Church at first opposed this celebration, “the festival was far too strongly entrenched in popular favor to be abolished, and the Church finally granted the necessary recognition, believing that if Christmas could not be suppressed, it should be preserved in honor of the Christian Elohim. Once given a Christian basis the festival became fully established in Europe with many of its pagan elements undisturbed” (Man, Myth & Magic: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Mythology, Religion, and the Unknown, Richard Caven-dish, editor, 1983, Vol. 2, p. 480, “Christmas”).
Celebration wins out over Scripture
Some resisted such spiritually poisonous compromises, but it was not enough: “Upright men strove to stem the tide, but in spite of all their efforts, the apostasy went on, till the Church, with the exception of a small remnant, was submerged under Pagan superstition. That Christmas was originally a Pagan festival is beyond all doubt. The time of the year, and the ceremonies with which it is still celebrated, prove its origin” (Hislop, p. 93).
The aforementioned Tertullian wasn’t alone in objecting to compromise. “As late as 245 Origen, in his eighth homily on Leviticus, repudiates as sinful the very idea of keeping the birthday of Messiah as if he were a king Pharaoh” (The Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th edition, Vol. 6, p. 293, “Christmas”)...
The Pagan Origin of New Year’s Day
Evelyn Fonseca
Here we are again, on the eve of another new year. And with it, the second round of celebrations before the year is over. Before I knew the origin of New Year’s Day, it was one of my favorite holidays, and celebrated it with gusto. For one, it is a fresh start; a new page.
How does the adage go? “Out with the old, in with the new?”
My favorite thing about the New Year was being able to better myself, grow, and not repeat the mistakes from the year before. Little did I know that far from being refreshing and about newness, New Year’s Day is a holiday steeped in pagan rituals and traditions, some of which are still practiced today.
They say ignorance is bliss, however, this is one instance when ignorance is not bliss. If you desire to fix that ignorance, read along to find out the pagan origin of New Year’s Day. If not, won’t you at least stay out of curiosity?
Okay, here we go!
The Pagan Origin of New Year's Day. What Christians need to know before celebrating these traditions. Click To Tweet
The Origin of New Year’s Day
Humans have celebrated the start of the new year for thousands of years. In most cases, these celebrations were linked to agricultural and astronomical events.
The earliest recorded New Year’s day celebration was 4,000 years ago in Babylon. It took place during the first new moon following the vernal equinox. Yes, the New Year actually begins in spring, not winter. This was so because there was an equal amount of sunlight and darkness heralding the start of a new year and representing the rebirth of the natural world.
Akitu
To mark the new year, the Babylonians celebrated a festival called Akitu. It derives from the Sumerian word for “barley.” The festival lasted 11 days and a different ritual was conducted on each day. Statues of the gods were paraded throughout the streets as rites were conducted to symbolize their victory over the forces of chaos.
They believed that through these rites, the world was cleansed and recreated by the gods in preparation for the new year and the return of spring....
The True Origins of Valentines Day
T oday, candymakers unload tons of heart-shaped red boxes for February 14, while millions of the younger set are annually exchanging valentines. Florists consider February 14 - St. Valentine's Day - as one of their best business days. And young lovers pair off - at least for a dance or two - at St. Valentine's balls. Why? Where did these customs originate? Where do we find any such practices in the Bible? How did we come to inherit these customs?
A Christian Custom?
Did you know that centuries before Christ, the pagan Romans celebrated February 15 and the evening of February 14 as an idolatrous and sensuous festival in honor of Lupercus, the "hunter of wolves"?
The Romans called the festival the "Lupercalia." The custom of exchanging valentines and all the other traditions in honor of Lupercus - the deified hero-hunter of Rome- was also linked anciently with the pagan practice of teen-agers "going steady." It usually led to fornication. Today, the custom of "going steady" is thought very modern. It isn't. It is merely a rebirth of an old custom "handed down from the Roman festival of the Lupercalia, celebrated in the month of February, when names of young women were put into a box and drawn out by men as chance directed." That's the admission of the Encyclopedia Americana, article, "St. Valentine's Day."...
The Truth Behind St. Valentine’s Day
St. Valentine’s Day is the world’s “holiday of love.” Since the Bible states that God is love (I John 4:8,16), does He approve of the celebration of this day? Does He want His people—true Followers of Messiah Yeshua —partaking of the candy and cards, or any customs associated with this day?
When God says He wants you to live life abundantly "(John 10:10), does that include celebrating a festive, seemingly harmless holiday like Valentine’s Day? The God who gives us everything—life, food, drink, the ability to think for ourselves, etc.—surely approves of St. Valentine’s Day, the holiday for lovers to exchange gifts—right?
Do not be so certain. Do not assume anything. Do not even take this article’s word for it. Go to history books and encyclopedias. Go to the Bible. Then you will know the real truth behind St. Valentine’s Day. And you will know what God expects you to do about it!
Valentine’s PastLike Christmas, Easter, Halloween, New Year’s and other holidays of this world, St. Valentine’s Day is another attempt to “whitewash” perverted customs and observances of pagan gods and idols by “Christianizing” them.
As innocent and harmless as St. Valentine’s Day may appear, its traditions and customs originate from two of the most sexually perverted pagan festivals of ancient history: Lupercalia and the feast day of Juno Februata.
Celebrated on February 15, Lupercalia (known as the “festival of sexual license”) was held by the ancient Romans in honor of Lupercus, god of fertility and husbandry, protector of herds and crops, and a mighty hunter—especially of wolves. The Romans believed that Lupercus would protect Rome from roving bands of wolves, which devoured livestock and people.
Assisted by Vestal Virgins, the Luperci (male priests) conducted purification rites by sacrificing goats and a dog in the Lupercal cave on Palatine Hill, where the Romans believed the twins Romulus and Remus had been sheltered and nursed by a she-wolf before they eventually founded Rome. Clothed in loincloths made from sacrificed goats and smeared in their blood, the Luperci would run about Rome, striking women with februa, thongs made from skins of the sacrificed goats. The Luperci believed that the floggings purified women and guaranteed their fertility and ease of childbirth. February derives from februa or “means of purification.”
To the Romans, February was also sacred to Juno Februata, the goddess of febris (“fever”) of love, and of women and marriage. On February 14, billets (small pieces of paper, each of which had the name of a teen-aged girl written on it) were put into a container. Teen-aged boys would then choose one billet at random. The boy and the girl whose name was drawn would become a “couple,” joining in erotic games at feasts and parties celebrated throughout Rome. After the festival, they would remain sexual partners for the rest of the year. This custom was observed in the Roman Empire for centuries...