The subject of holidays with pagan origins came up recently in our discussion on Jehovah’s Witnesses. I mentioned that I consider this a “Samaritan” issue, that is a nonessential. However, I would like to pursue this a bit in that it has value in a lesson on applying biblical principles on a subject not directly mentioned in the Bible. Not only that, this is not just a Jehovah’s Witness issue. I know of Christians who feel uncomfortable with holidays because of their pagan origins and churches that are uncomfortable with Christmas trees for the same reason. It is not the idea of holidays that are the issue, as Jesus celebrated both biblical (Passover, Tabernacles etc.) and nonbiblical (Hannukah) holidays (holy days). It is the pagan origins that are the problem.
I already mentioned that pagan influence goes deep in our culture. Even our days (Wednesday = Woden’s Day, Thursday = Thor’s Day) and months (January = Janus, March = Mars) are often named from the pagan gods. But to make things even more complicated, the Bible itself is not afraid to borrow from the pagans. A common word for the world of the dead in the New Testament is hades. Not only is Hades the place of the dead in Greek mythology, it is also the name of the Greek god of the dead. Paradise (a favourite term for the resurrection earth for Jehovah’s Witnesses) is a Persian word for garden that was used in Persian mythology to describe the hope of a blessed afterlife. Obviously the biblical authors were not afraid to borrow from the pagans. But I believe that there are two passages that are particularly applicable.
In 1 Corinthians 8 (see also 1 Corinthians 10:23-33), Paul discusses the eating of meat that had been dedicated to idols. This is the heart of pagan origins. What is interesting is that Paul does not ban the practice. Paul agrees with the group at Corinth that idols are nothing and that the gods do not exist. This means that no matter what religious dedication took place, meat is still always just meat. That does not mean that there is no limit on this freedom. Although the Corinthians are free to eat the meat, they must be sensitive to the weaker group that still believe that idols are real. The stronger group should not use their freedom to cause their weaker brothers and sisters to stumble. The application is obvious. If you have a Christian friend who comes from a Jehovah’s Witness background or who otherwise believes that holidays are bad, do not send them cards or presents or invite them to your house when it is all decorated. You are free to celebrate but do not let that cause another to stumble.
But can God really tolerate something of pagan origin? And is it just bare tolerance or can something of pagan origin actually become positive? There is a very interesting story that is found in the Old Testament.
“Moses said to the whole Israelite community, “This is what the LORD has commanded: From what you have, take an offering for the LORD. Everyone who is willing is to bring to the LORD an offering of gold, silver and bronze; blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; ram skins dyed red and hides of sea cows; acacia wood; olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece.” (Exodus 35:4-9)
We need to ask: where did the Israelites get such treasure? They were slaves in Egypt and have been on the run since then. It had to come from somewhere, so where did they get it? The answer is found in an event after the tenth plague when the Hebrews were still in Egypt.
“The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. The LORD had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians.” (Exodus 12:35-36)
This is very interesting. If you have studied anything about Egypt, you will know that very little was “secular.” It is likely that the gold and the silver that the Hebrews took was covered with images of their gods. Not only was this treasure of pagan origin allowable for personal use, this was the material that was used to construct the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle was constructed of material of pagan origin!
What is the application? Many of our holidays do have some pagan influence in their origins, as does almost every other aspect of society. The question is: what is their role now? If Christmas is used to focus on God sending his Son, Easter on the death of Jesus and his resurrection, Thanksgiving to give thanks to God, and New Years to decide to make a new start at a godly life, then God can use these things, even with some pagan origin as he did with the construction of the Tabernacle.
But I must be clear: I am not arguing that people who are uncomfortable with holidays should start celebrating them. If you are convinced in your mind that holidays are bad, then God bless you. What I am asking is that people on both sides have tolerance, for as we can see from the biblical witness, the situation is much more complicate than we thought.
First, while you may be on the right track re how to deal with pagan influences, no Xian should bother about hurting the feelings of a JW, BECAUSE JWs ARE NOT CHRISTIANS.
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My concern was more for Christians who have come from Jehovah’s Witnesses background and are still affected by that background. In those cases we should be gentle in dealing with them. I do not think that we have to be sensitive to every non-Christian group because then we would not be able to do anything.
Jerry I really have to strongly disagree with your statement, ‘no Xian (sic) should bother about hurting the feelings of a JW’. What happened to ‘Love thy neighbour’? Or ‘Treat others as you would be treated’? Or even ‘All men are created equal, they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights’? Even non-Christians (and whether the Witnesses are actually Christians or not is in my opinion debatable) should be treated with respect.
Jerry can you honestly say that your response is in the Christian spirit?
I think you guys TAKE Eeverything and make a mountain out of a mole hill NO THE BIBLE DOES NOT TELL US TO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS OR EASTER IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM INCLUDING BIRTHDAYS YOU TAKE THE ONE SCRIPTURE AND TURN IT COMPLETELY AROUND TO CONVINCE OTHERS THAT ITS WORNG TO CELEBRATE BIRTHDAYS THE HEAD OF JOHN THE BAPTIST WAS NOT A BIRTHDAY GIFT IT WASNT THE LADYS BIRTHAY IT WAS THE KING AND HE REWARDED HER FOR PLEASEING HIM SO AS FAR AS I AM CONCERN THE LADY WAS PAID FOR HER SERVICE NOT THAT IT WAS A GIFT. AS I WAS SAYING FROM THE BEGINING IT DOESNT TELL YOU TO CELEBRATE THESE HOLIDAYS AND I KNOW THE WORLD HAS MADE THEM TURN THE FOCUS OFF THE REAL MEANING, HOWEVER THE BIBLE IS VERY CLEAR AND IT DOES NOT TELL YOU ANYWHERE IN THE BIBLE TO NOT CELEBRATE AND DONT GIVE ME THIS HOGWASH WELL ITS WORSHIPING SOMEONE OVER JEHOVAH GUESS WHAT GOT NEWS FOR YOU ALL IF IT WASNT FOR HIM YOU WOULDNT HAVE BEEN BORN TO HAVE A BIRTHDAY AND IF IT WASNT FOR HIM YOU WOULDNT BE BREATHING NOW SO TKAE IT AS YOU SEE IT HE GAVE YOU LIFE HE GIVES YOU BREATH AND THAT SHOULD BE GOOD ENOUGH REASON TO CELEBRATE AND WORSHIP HIM FOR YOUR LIFE AND GUESS WHAT THE DAY YOU WERE BORN IS YOUR BIRTHDAY
Do we have to agree with you about birthdays big deal u are another yr old.Most wana forget.
Good point. No you do not have to agree with me, nor do you have to remember your birthday. At the same time, there is no biblical reason to condemn other people for celebrating them.
I genuinely was under the impression that most informed Christians were aware that December 25th was NOT Jesus of Nazareth’s birthday and was derived from the Pagan festival of Saturnalia.
If one is really interested in determining Jesus’ birthday, then begin your research with Gabriel’s announcement to Zacharias of the course of Abia, the father of John the baptist.
Gabriel appeared to Mary and said (Luke 1:36):
“Your blood relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and. this is the sixth month with her, ….”
So Mary received Gabriel’s announcement while Elizabeth was past five months, but not yet six months pregnant (“in her sixth month.”)
Compute this with the known course of Abia to perform priestly duties in the Temple, and you have John the Baptist being born on Passover 4BC.
Jesus died on Passover 30AD.
The saga of John and Jesus was not told in tandem by Luke and other disciples for no reason.
The John / Jesus saga began with John’s birth on Passover 4BC, and ended with Jesus’ death also on Passover 30AD.
From this you may compute Jesus’ birth being very close to the cusp of September / October 4BC.
Ben Lomond aka Les Kelly,
Tasmania.
= = = = = = = = = =
I have not looked into this very much and have heard a number of theories. Of course you are right about Dec. 25 as Saturnalia. The church Christianized this pagan holiday rather than trying to ban a good party.
Just a thought, instead of nonchalantly implying that ‘the church christianized this pagan holiday rather than trying to ban a good party’, why don’t you speculate that the church christianized this (and other) holiday(s) in an effort to snuff out an older religion and wipe tradition from the minds of the people’?
I’m just sayin’…
I guess I wouldn’t say that because if that was their intention, they did not do a very good job at. A lot of those pre-Christian traditions were brought in. Nice thought though.
stephen, i would like to add to your thoughts on christians stealing pagan holidays, easter was a pagan holiday, xmas was a pagan holiday. and also while christians claim to be such an amazing religion, they were the ones that killed native american babies, they killed the first born child and they contridicte many of their words. in my views christianity is false worship and a false relgion.
Heather, thanks for your thoughts. I would not say that Christians stole pagan holidays. There really was a birth of Christ, since the date was not know, it made sense to do it on a day that people were used to celebrating. It is like the current change from Merry Christmas to Happy Holidays. Secular people are not stealing Christmas, they are simply adapting a current holiday to their own worldview. As for Christians killing native American babies, any crimes committed had nothing to do with Christianity. They may have used Christianity as a tool, but it had nothing to do with the Christian message. Besides, there have been more deaths due to atheist regimes (Hitler, Stalin, Mao) than all the religious crimes put together.
It seems that we have more people arguing an issue that they neither have knowledge of or have bothered to research thoroughly. 1st, anyone who lays claim to ANY RELIGION need to pause and consider. Religion itself is just another MANMADE institution used to segregate, separate, and confuse/lead astray. Take Christians for example. How is it possible for there to be so many different groups (Baptists, Methodists, Pentecost, etc.) under one “Logo” that read from the same book but practice different things? Doesn’t make sense. Guess the same thing can be said about the Governing bodies of this country.??? Ponder??? Bottom line is God said not to worship ANY false gods, to test every spirit, do not follow the ways of man celebrating their creations (false gods both wood and stone, holidays, etc.), and live by every word of the Lord. Once you all read the bible for what it says and stop trying to INTERPRET and REASON, ask The MOST HIGH GOD for UNDERSTANDING EARNESTLY and it shall be revealed.
We keep all these false, pagan rituals and holidays because of tradition and lack of Faith, yet we can’t keep the HOLY DAYS outlined in the Torah (Old Testament) and reiterated by Christ and the testament to the law (New Testament). Sounds backwards to me. Not one jot or tittle shall pass away from the word.
So many people try to seem wise without knowledge and understanding. Read up on Constantine, 321 A.D., Christ’s age of 33, and the murder of the 1st born sons ages 2 and under and maybe some of your answers shall be questioned as to how much you really understand about pagans, holidays, birthdays, and true FEAR OF GOD!
Thanks for your thoughts. Unfortunately for your position, the Bible does not tell us to avoid non-biblical holidays or birthdays. As for pagan influence, No one consistently avoids them. If you are using the standard names of months and days, you are compromising with pagan origins. If you use arabic numbers or use algebra or drink coffee, you are accepting the gifts from our Muslim friends. Even the Bible takes words and concepts from pagan myths. Look sometime at the origins of the words paradise or hades.
Questions: Do you keep any of the Holy Days? Do you believe that the Torah( Old Testament) Laws were given to the jews and no one else? Do you believe that once The Anointed One, The Messiah, Jesus Christ, Yahoshua, or whatever name/title you wish to address him by, was crucified, that we were no longer under the laws of Moses? Who gave the laws and ordinances to Israel in the Old Testament? Have you honestly read your bible all the way through from Genesis-Revelations? What does the old testament have to say about circumcision (Not Paul’s words of the New Testament on circumcision)? Is Easter or Christmas even mentioned in the Bible that we associate with The Most High God and Jesus Christ? Do you cover your head when you pray or not? Who were the Israelites cursed in the Old Testament and how do they compare to the Israelites today? Is it better to Love God or to Fear God? What did Jesus say about one jot or tittle of the law? What does the bible say about false prophets, the contrast of the rich and a camel, and serving other gods (wood and stone)? What does the word “fulfill” mean? What does a wicked and adulterous people do? Can you honestly and mathematically get 3 days and 3 nights from Friday to Sunday?
I ask you these questions knowing that if you have no knowledge of your bible, then you cannot answer these questions, and if you cannot answer EVERY question that has been asked, then you are not fit to minister to even yourself let alone others. This is not hate of any kind but you must realize that any prophetic, ministering soul that leads God’s people astray shall receive his reward in the Lake of Fire (or hades as you may have read before). You are straddling a line that has no safety net. I come into contact with many of the inhabitants of the Valley of Dry Bones.
Please, if you don’t know, just say you don’t. There is humility in acceptance of ignorance. A willful sinner, however, has no place in God’s coming kingdom.
Oh and for the record, your comments on days of the week and specific words you should’ve gathered from my original post that the likelyhood of me being IGNORANT to this information is relatively slim. Maybe you should try looking at the origins of those days of the week, false god holidays, common practices such as celebration of birthdays, wedding rituals, etc. and perhaps apply a little bit of common sense and not your own opinionated interpretation to GOD’s word. Add not nor Diminish from the word of God. Bottomline is, God gave us the Holy Days we should keep and knew that others would come and try to change the ordinances in his worship. He knew many would try to come in his name. He knew of the rituals and false gods that could not speak, hear, eat, or move (read Deuteronomy) and he knew the weak at mind and heart spiritually and physically would perish and fall to the crafty counsel of Satan’s team of fallen angels. Sad thing is, most will continue to go the way as you seemingly have gone and will play devil’s advocate because of the lack of Faith to let go of such Heathenous Traditions.
Prophecy is REAL.
“They may make dollars, but the Bible makes SENSE!” ~WhenKnowledgeHelps
Just to make things clear, I am not Jewish. The Old Testament Law was given to the nations of the Hebrews. I am not a Hebrew. I see no evidence in the Bible that non-Jews are expected to follow the Jewish Law. Are you Jewish?
Well as expected, you were unable to answer any of the initial questions asked. And as expected, you asked me a question without answering any of the ones I presented to you. Funny thing is when you deal with the same type of soul over and over, you can predict every time what their response will be, or lack there of rather.
So if the Old Testament Law was given to the Hebrews (Israelites, which it was 1st as GOD’s chosen through covenant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) only, then Why Do You Believe In the Bible? It is obvious that you don’t read it but why would you believe in one part and not the other? Was the New Testament given only to Christians? Let’s say for sake of argument it was. Where does the word Christian even appear in the bible and how many times for that matter? Did Christianity begin with Christ? Who created it? Are you Polytheistic? If Not, How could you not believe in the Old Testament and Jesus Christ was predicted in the Old Testament to come and He himself said that he came in his father’s name? Oh maybe you’re not Christian. My apologies. What are you and how do you lay claims to this belief system regarding Jesus Christ?
I think if you do read any part of your bible, maybe you should look up where it says the stranger/foreigner may be adopted into Israel. The Word and Old Testament was not just meant for Israel. If you did perhaps pick up your bible and read in Numbers, you will see that The Most High God did not just speak to Israel. He was known by others as well and they were expected to obey him and keep his laws. I guess you are one of those New Testament Christians that believe that we are no longer under the law but under grace huh?
It is very offensive for anyone to try and speak on the word of God having not any understanding of the simplest of scriptures. So I challenge you whether you be Christian, Muslim, Roman Catholic, Hindu, Buddhist, etc. Before you begin to speak on matters of the world, ask for help 1st. Truthfully, all the things that I asked you previously should get you on your way but just as the bible explains, Israel’s job initially was to teach the word. Israel failed. The Gentile was given an opportunity. Israel (modern day colored people/blacks/afro-americans and other colored people of other countries) was to be lead captive into the lands of their oppressors. Hence, today is happening as it predicted in Deuteronomy. But, also when Jesus Christ returns he shall gather all of Israel (physical and spiritual) into the wilderness. Much havoc shall reign on this earth but in the end, Israel (physical and spiritual/bloodline and adopted) shall inherit God’s Kingdom.
I probably have said to much already. It’s obvious you don’t consider and you don’t read. 1st comes knowledge, then understanding, then wisdom, then Fear of God. Unfortunately sir, you have none.
Lastly, Please do not respond back if you have no intentions of RESEARCHING before you Answer. Your credibility on this matter is very shaky without any clear cut scriptural sources to back up your allegations.
Try http://www.Biblos.com if you need a bible, they have several to choose from although be cautious of the NIV and NLT for they are very misleading. Also, if you are a Social Network-abled person then Youtube is surprisingly a great source. If you truly want to learn more, http://www.theisraelofgod.com is the place to receive wisdom.
“No need to sweat; Just read your Bible!”
If you want full answers, perhaps you should not put twenty or so questions in every post. I believe in the Bible, Old and New Testaments. I believe that the Mosaic covenant was between God and Israel. I believe that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law, in that the spiritual principles foreshadowed in the Law found their fulfillment in Jesus. I do not follow the OT holy days, the OT food laws, nor do I have shirts made of only one material. I have never stoned any of my children for disobeying me, nor have I sought to stone adulterers in my community. I am sure that is not all of your questions, but it is a start. You may have better luck if you only ask a few at a time.
You’re supposed to have a degree or degrees of theology right? Based off your background info, you actually went to school to answer these types of questions. How can you as a professor of the word be taken aback by an innumerable amount of questions? Well I’ll tell you why. Because you neither read the bible with your heart or your eyes for that matter. All these questions are basic and need no formal training to answer. When The Most High God delivers you from your ignorance and reveals the True and Living Word that was in the beginning and that was with God and WAS GOD, then that trumps any attempt at Satan’s Ministry to attempt at leading or directing the path of a true believer.
And for the record, I want to commend you on attempting at trying to prove your knowledge of the OT by answering, FALSELY by the way, questions that were neither asked of you nor relevant in disproving any of the obvious beliefs I may have. And Please Don’t say that was not your purpose for there is only 1 right and a million wrongs and interpretation is not good enough for God. You false prophets “…make broad your phylacteries and enlarge the borders of your garments…woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! ! Because you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men; for you don’t enter in yourselves, neither do you allow those who are entering in to enter.”
I shall let you respond on your own accord. The price of eternal life lies in the Word. I urge you to find what it is.
No need to respond to my initial questions for I received my answer in your last post. One last question however: If God only meant for Israel to keep his laws, and Jesus came to NOT do away with the Law but to FULFILL it, why would God spend all that time making the law in the 1st place just for Jesus to come and die for our sins and to ultimately give way to sin as long as we believe on Christ? I guess all that was unclean was made clean with Jesus. I guess Jesus had no purpose in coming and living by every law of God without flaw if the OT prophesied that a Messiah would come and ultimately be a sacrifice for our sins. No need to answer. The only law that was done away with was the law of animal sacrifice because you know that Veil in the temple of the old testament that sin offerings were brought behind…? Well, when Jesus died, it ripped. and BOOM! No more sin offerings for animal sacrifice could never take away the sins of a man which is why a man had to be sacrificed for the remission of sins. Hence the reason why we eat the bread and drink the wine and keep the PASSOVER. Now we no longer can kill innocent animals on behalf of our willful and sinful actions. We are held responsible.
Hebrews 10: 26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which will devour the adversaries. 28 A man who disregards MOSES’ law DIES without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will he be judged worthy of, who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant with which he was sanctified an unholy thing, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “Vengeance belongs to me,” says the Lord, “I will repay.” Again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
“I heed you to ask God for forgiveness, for you are responsible for the sheep that you lead astray. I envy not the ways of the teacher, but humble thyself to the ways of the needy. “
I have not answered your many questions not because of a lack of knowledge about the Bible but because I do not have time to answer dozens of questions shot at me at once. I am always happy to respond to a question at a time sent in honest interest.
The question you ask (thank you for limiting it to one), which also say I need not answer is a good one. I believe the Law was important. It helped prepare the way for the messiah, it taught about righteousness, holiness and points us to Christ. I like what Paul says:
“And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.
I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” (Galatians 3:29–4:5 ESV) The Law was our guardian until we came of age as children of God. This came through Christ.
One thing for you to consider. Do you follow the OT food laws? The OT seems quite clear on them. Yet we read this in the Gospels:
“Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him,since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.)” (Mark 7:18–19 ESV) Interesting.
Shofarman
You mentioned that you don’t celebrate the OT Holidays. Did you not know that these Moedim (Feasts) Tell the story of the messiah’s coming?
Pasach (passover) his marching into Jerusalem, Unleavened bread, his dead, First Fruits, his resurrection, Shavout (pentecost) the birth of the church, Sukkot (Tabernacles) the final gathering which is mentioned in Zechariah 14:16-18 in the last days is required by gentiles to celebrate.
I live in Miami Florida where the occult is very common place among Hatians and the hispanic communities. I’ve seen what evil is and what it does to people. I dealt with witches and warlocs who will asks the question, why do Christians celebrate our holiday’s? If you have dealt with these issues, you would fully understand why some believers find it asinine that believers in Yahshua the Messiah would advocate celebrating pagan holidays. 1 Cor. 10 says when you as a believer do so, you open yourself up for demon attacks. I have seen and dealt with demon possessed people including children who were exposed by parents with your thinking that nothing prohibits us from pagan holidays, and the Bible uses paganism to get it’ point across. The word Hades; It’s greek not hebrew. Paradise is greek, EDEN is the hebrew word. So the Bible in it’s syntax langauge does not use greek gods.
Hades is both the Greek name for the god of the dead and the place where he dwells. I am not suggesting that the biblical authors borrowed the idea of an afterlife from pagans but they certainly borrowed the word. By the way heaven comes from the Greek word ouranus (from which we get the planet Uranus) who was a Greek sky god.
Persons interested in truth, (John 17:17)
Do you agree that when death and Hades are thrown into the “lake of fire” that they both, death and hades, would be consumed the fire and cease to exist? (Revelation 20:14)
Intrestinglyly the and revealing the KJV (1611) renders this verse “death and hell” :
Click hre to simultaneously see 3 differnert translations of Revelation 20:14:
http://xchg.com/bible-verses/rev%2020:14/
Kind regards and bearing thorough witness to the good news,
Randy Nagel
Wow. I feel like I might be pouring fuel on something here, but…
The fact that biblical authors use pagan terms, that Paul quotes pagan poets, and that the Israelis regularly used pagan materials in Hebrew ritual may give rise to some other thought as well — perhaps God is not as “exclusive’ as we are when it comes to human efforts to express and explore the divine mystery of God. Both in the OT, and again in Romans (where Paul talks of the potency of the “divine power and invisible attributes” of God being made SO clear in nature that humanity is ‘without excuse’) the Bible seems to object to anything that we put in God’s place, but does not object to non-Hebrew or ‘non-Christian” ways of expressing / celebrating God as creator. (Perhaps Jesus’ comments about leaving alone those who were preaching the gospel, but were not “of us” is also telling in this regard).
“Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God – or rather are known by God – how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.” ~Galatians 4:8-11 (NIV)
Christians are not to celebrate holidays as the heathen do…
Have you looked at the context of Galatians? Paul’s concerns is that the Galatians are going to compromise the grace of God by taking on the Jewish law. The special days they are tempted by are not pagan holidays but rather Jewish feasts that they think will add to their salvation. If they think they can earn God’s salvation by celebrating the right feasts, they are just as bad as when they were pagans. This has nothing to do with any sinfulness with regard to enjoying a holiday. The problem is only when you think this is a work necessary for salvation.