All Sorts of Holidays

Well, this is a busy weekend in some respects. Valentine’s Day and Chinese New Years are on the same day, and then Monday is Presidents Day.

So, which of these would God approve of?

Let’s see…

Valentine’s Day is supposedly named after Saint Valentine. In reality, the name probably is a composite of several people named Valentine or Valentinus. Somewhat irrelevant, though, as we are not supposed to worship saints or angels. It makes you wonder why Protestants celebrate it as well. However, even more important is the fact that it is a “Christianized” version of a pagan holiday:

Historians believe that the holiday of love derives its origins from the ancient Roman feast of Lupercalia. On February 15, the Romans celebrated the Feast of Lupercus, to honor and thank the wolf god who watched over the Roman shepherds and their flocks.

~ Holidays.net. (n.d.). Amore on the Net (Valentines Day). Retrieved from http://www.holidays.net/amore/story.html.

Chinese New Year is pretty similar in some respects to the regular New Years Eve celebrations. On the one hand, marking the flipping of the page of a calendar seems harmless enough. Some of the traditions, such as forgiving and reconciling with others might even seem good. However, its origins lie in the scaring away of mythical beasts by firecrackers. In addition, there are other pagan rituals associated with the Chinese New Year, such as Farewell to the Kitchen God and the passing out of “good luck” money.

Presidents Day, on the other hand, combines the honoring of 2 previous Presidents of the United States into one holiday.

So, what does the Bible say? Should we follow the examples of pagans and their traditions, especially in their religious rites?

²⁹When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land;

³⁰Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.

³¹Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.

³²What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it. (Deuteronomy 12:29-32, King James Version)

However, the Bible has something to say about honoring those who have rule over you.

Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honour the king.

~ 1Pe 2:17 (NIV)