QuestionIs it all right to celebrate Chr-stmas with my family? I have been doing it for my whole life and I don't want to alienate my family.Answer Family is very important but Yahweh is more important. It is interesting how over the years Chr-stmas has become the most important day of the year for so many people. The true believer doesn't celebrate Chr-stmas because it is not specified in the Bible. Yahshua said remember my death but never asked us to remember his birth. If Yahshua wanted us to remember his birth then it would be written in the scriptures. Yahshua wants us to remember the sacrifice that he gave. Yahweh commands us to keep His feast days as a solemn assembly but never allows for us to keep our own feasts. No to the Pagan Holiday It is often argued that Chr-stmas is just for the kids. Years ago a Chr-stian instructor at the university told us a story of why we should never tell our children a lie. There was a grandmother and her grandson talking about Chr-stmas. The grandson was maybe five or six and the child's parents just informed him that Santa wasn't real and that the reindeer weren't real. So naturally the child wanted to know where all those presents had been coming from and the parents explained that they had been giving the child the presents. So anyway the grandmother asked her grandson what was wrong and why he looked so sad. The child gave details of what his parents just told him and he asked if Santa is not real then is Yahweh real. The grandmother told my instructor that this hurt her and she wasn't sure how to answer the child. Chr-stmas is destructive both physically and spiritually and for no reason should the true believer ever celebrate such a thing. Jeremiah wrote about tree based idol worship hundreds of years before the Messiah. Lets read Jeremiah: "For the customs of the peoples are futile; For one cuts a tree from the forest, The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax. They decorate it with silver and gold; They fasten it with nails and hammers So that it will not topple. They are upright, like a palm tree, And they cannot speak; They must be carried, Because they cannot go by themselves. Do not be afraid of them, For they cannot do evil, Nor can they do any good." (Jeremiah 10:3-5 NKJV)
This idol sounds exactly like a Chr-stmas tree even though it was written long before the Messiah. This tradition of cutting a tree out of the forest and covering it with gold and decorating it must have been very tempting to Israel. The trees must have symbolized power in the pagan religions of Jeremiah's time but Yahweh tells Israel to not be afraid of the trees because they are not alive. They can't do anything of their own accord. Yahshua's only link to a tree may be that it was the implement of death used by the Romans to impale the condemned. What did Yahshua want us to remember? Yahshua never asked that we remember his birthday but he did ask that we remember his death. (Luke 22:19, I Cor. 11:24-26) We would not have the forgiveness of sins at Baptism with out Yahshua's sacrifice. Passover is the time where we remember Yahshua's sacrifice not on his birthday. Every Biblical reference to a birthday celebration is negative. We don't find a single happy birthday celebration in all the scriptures. Lets start by looking at Herod's birthday: "But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod. Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask. And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger. And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her. And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison. And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother. And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Yahshua." (Matthew 14:6-12 AV)
This is one of three examples that can be read in the scriptures. The other is said by scholars to be the birthday of one of Job's sons in Job 1:4-5. Satan killed Jobs three sons while they were at this celebration. The reason most scholars say that this was probably a birthday celebration is because in verse 4 of Job 1 it talks about "his day" which they think may mean his birthday. The third example is of Pharaoh's birthday in Genesis 40:20-23 where the chief butler was hanged and Joseph's interpretation of the dreams was proven correct. It is important to realize that nowhere in the Bible is it written that we are to celebrate birthdays but to celebrate our own feasts is strictly forbidden. Yahweh is passionate when he says that he doesn't like our feasts. "I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies." (Amos 5:21 AV) "They shall roar together like lions: they shall yell as lions' whelps. In their heat I will make their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith Yahweh. I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams with he goats." (Jeremiah 51:38-40 AV) "And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of Yahweh, neither consider the operation of his hands. Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst." (Isaiah 5:12-13 AV)
The feasts of Yahweh are commanded and are laid out over the year to celebrate the different times of the harvest and the symbolisms of the future kingdom of Yahweh on earth. So how do we connect the birth of Yahshua to a celebration? The birth date of the messiah is vague and for good reason. It is untrue that Yahshua was born on December 25. He was actually born during an appointed time, the Feast of Tabernacles according to most scholars. The Bible is vague on when the Messiah was actually born. This may be because Yahweh inspired the writers of the New Testament not to mention the time of birth to stave off birth worship. The birth of the messiah is well documented except for the time and day of birth. This can't be an accident. We cannot let our emotions get in the way of our worship of Yahweh. Who would say that they were not happy the day their child was born however Yahshua asked to be remembered for his sacrifice. He would not be the Messiah with out the sacrifice of death for our sins, the sacrifice that no animal could ever give. Yahweh has given us abundant joy in His feast days. We should never look for replacements with our own man made feasts. Anything that is not for Yahweh draws our attention away from Yahweh so when we decide not to keep the pagan holidays and keep Yahweh's feasts we should rejoice. Following Yahweh Yahweh's feasts are a great time of joy and learning. When brethren from all parts of the world come together to worship before Yahweh and fellowship together. Passover is the first observance of the Biblical year. Passover is observed on the 14th of Abib at the beginning of the day after the sun has set from the 13th. Passover is a time where we remember the sacrifice that Yahshua has made for us. We read of the false trial, the wrong judgement, his execution, and partake of the emblems. Yahshua gave up his life so that we may live. As we read of his trial we learn how much he had to endure and never did he deny Yahweh. The first feast of the year is Unleavened Bread, which is observed on the 15th of Abib at the setting of the sun on the 14th through the 21st day of Abib at the setting of the sun. The feast of Unleavened Bread is a time where we clean false doctrine from our lives. This is our first chance of the Biblical year to spend with our brethren working out differences and fellowshipping with brethren of like faith. The next feast, Feast of Weeks, is only a day long never the less it is also vital because it represents the pouring out of Yahweh's Holy Spirit at baptism. This can be found in Acts 2 where the disciples had come together and the Holy Spirit came upon them as a rushing wind. There were 3000 people baptized into Yahshua's name that day. The Feast of Trumpets is the beginning feast of the seventh month feasts. The Feast of Trumpets keeps us watching for Yahshua's return. Trumpets is the only feast that falls directly on a new moon day. This means that if we are not watching for the new moon we will not know when Trumpets is or even when the Messiah may return. Then ten days later we humbly observe the Day of Atonement. Atonement is a day when our high priest Yahshua asks for forgiveness of our sins before Yahweh. On Atonement we fast to afflict our souls and show our love and obedience to all mighty Yahweh. The Feast of Tabernacles comes on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. The Feast of Tabernacles lasts for seven days. This is a joyful time for all brethren because this is the time where we live together as brethren and sisters. We realize that with this we are experiencing something that is as close to the kingdom as we can get before Yahshua returns. This is a time where we can get closer with our long distance brethren and make plans for the coming year. The Feast of Tabernacles concludes and we celebrate the Last Great Day, which may symbolize the end of the thousand-year reign and the coming of Yahweh's kingdom on earth. This may seem simplistic but the gift of giving has to be to our entire body of messiah. The whole idea of love can be found in the following: "Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Yahshua said unto him, Thou shalt love Yahweh thy Elohim with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Matthew 22:36-40 AV)
We must decide to follow Yahweh with all our heart. Yahweh has given us so much with out attachments and if we truly appreciate everything that we received we must show Yahweh our love for Him. At the same time we must be careful to do all things in a manor that represents Yahshua's love. We must deal with all people in a loving manor not to be over bearing and pushy. We must be the example that people will want to follow. Family Interaction Dealing with people on this issue doesn't mean that we attack them. It means that we answer their questions with scripture. This is what Yahshua did and this is what we should do. Yahshua didn't go around stirring up trouble. When he was asked about different things he would respond. It is too bad that some people go out of their way to correct people who may not be called right now because it may deter them from ever accepting the truth. Yahweh calls so many and as you talk to people they will ask if they are called to ask. That doesn't mean walking around telling people they are stupid because they are celebrating Chr-stmas even though this may be what you are thinking. If your family sends you presents explain to them in a kind manor why you no long want presents for this pagan celebration. It is truly a shame that people don't understand our beliefs but some day everyone will be given that chance to understand Yahweh's will. Our family shouldn't be treated with any less respect than anyone on the street. This change if handled correctly will be respected sometimes and put down others but as long as we continue in Yahweh's word we know Yahweh will have the last say. Conclusion The benefit of following Yahweh's word is vast and beyond our total understanding, however there are many references to those who forsake all others and follow Yahweh. "And Yahshua, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him." (Matthew 4:18-20 AV)
We must have this will to follow almighty Yahweh. We must be willing to drop everything to follow. There are so many reasons why we forsake Chr-stmas and follow Yahweh that we must ask for what purpose would we support our families in such a pagan tradition? If we don't take a stand for righteousness we will not be a beacon of light. Brethren and sisters let your light shine so that all nations may know that Yahweh is your master and you serve no other. | 
