Because the date Easter falls on fluctuates, the April General Confe⦠Separating themselves from the Roman Catholic Church practices, Protestant Reformation leaders were generally critical of the existing âfeast and saint daysâ of the Catholic Church. 28, 2022), Mental Health Awareness Month begins (May 1, 2021), Intercultural Church Sunday (May 16, 2021), 1001 New Worshiping Communities (May 22, 2021), National Gun Violence Awareness Day (June 2, 2021), Presbyterian Men, Fatherâs Day (June 20, 2021), PC(USA) World AIDS Sunday (June 27, 2021), Celebrating Young Adult Volunteers (Aug. 1, 2021), College and Young Adult Sunday (Aug. 8, 2021), Day of Prayer for the Peaceful Reunification of the Korean Peninsula (Aug. 15, 2021), Youth in the Church and World (Aug. 15, 2021), Young Adult Volunteer Commissioning Sunday (Aug. 22, 2021), World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation (Sept. 1, 2021), National Suicide Prevention Month begins (Sept. 1, 2021), Season of Peace begins (September 5, 2021), Labor Day and A Social Creed for the 21st Century (Sept. 6, 2021), Presbyterian Higher Education (Sept. 8, 2021), September 11 Anniversary (Sept. 11, 2021), Christian Formation Week begins; Christian Formation Celebration (Sept. 12, 2021), Theological Education/Seminaries (Sept. 19, 2021), Christian and Citizen Sunday (Sept. 19, 2021), International Day of Peace (Sept. 21, 2021), Mental Illness Awareness Week begins (Oct. 1, 2021), World Communion; Peace & Global Witness Offering (Oct. 3, 2021), Domestic Violence Awareness (Oct. 10, 2021), Childrenâs Sabbath; Educate a Child, Transform the World (Oct. 17, 2021), Young Adult Volunteer Program (Oct. 23, 2021), Election Day; Honest Patriotism for Christian Citizens (Nov. 2, 2021), Transgender Day of Remembrance (Nov. 20, 2021), Matthew 25: Eradicating Systemic Poverty Sunday (Nov. 21, 2021), World AIDS Day; Presbyterian HIV/AIDS Awareness (Dec. 1, 2021). For, writing to the Galatians, he admonishes them not to observe days, and months, and times, and years. Celebrating Christmas Presbyterians have not always celebrated Christmas. The title of Easter, it is believed, is seldom used but by Britons and their descendants. The practice is found among Assemblies of Yahweh, Messianic Jews, and some congregations of the Church of God (Seventh Day). Professor of Ecclesiastical History and Church Government in the Theological Seminary at Princeton, New Jersey. Together with Christians around the world, members of the Church take the time to especially remember Christ's atoning sacrifice and His glorious resurrection from the dead. The celebration of Christmas became a point of contention among many Protestants. Presbyterians Do Not Celebrate Holy-days. Like many other observances, it was borrowed from the heathen. The Bible never exhorts Christians to celebrate Christmas or even to have such a holiday! Dr. Samuel Miller, Professor of Ecclesiastical History and Church Government at Princeton Seminary wrote confidently in 1835 âPresbyterians do not observe Holy Days.â 1 Yet some 164 years after the book in which Miller made that bold declaration was published, an informal survey of 30 churches in the Presbyterian Church in ⦠Neither the Apostles nor the Evangelists have enjoined on Christians the observance of Easter; but have left the remembrance of it to the free choice and discretion of those who have been benefited by such days. We are to worship God in the way he has commanded, and not according to our own desires. 16 and also, Galatians iv. 5, cap. We believe, indeed, and declare, in the same formula, that it is both scriptural and rational, to observe special days of Fasting and Thanksgiving, as the extraordinary dispensations of Divine Providence may direct. And this carries with it is own evidence. Here, then, is an eminent Christian writer who flourished early in the fifth century, who had made the history of the Church his particular study; who explicitly declares, that neither Christ nor his Apostles gave any command, or even countenance to the observance of festival days; that it was brought into the Church by custom; and that in different parts of the Church there was diversity of practice in regard to this matter. The real meaning of the passage is,âas the slightest inspection of the original will satisfy every intelligent reader; âintending after the passover to bring him forth to the people.â. And superstition has ever been found unfriendly to genuine obedience. Neither Christ, nor the apostles, nor any of the early Christians celebrated anything that could be described as Christmas. [Socrates, The festival of Easter, no doubt, was introduced in the second century, in place of the Passover, and in accommodation to the same Jewish prejudice which had said, even during the apostolic age, âExcept ye be circumcised, after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.â Hence, it was generally called, Few festivals are celebrated in the Romish Church, and in some Protestant Churches, with more interest and zeal than Christmas. For others, however, it is a sad time as the sense of loss and loneliness is especially intense. Having said that, we have to acknowledge that the application of the regu⦠The Christian Church, seeing the unhappy moral influence of this festival; perceiving her own members too often partaking in its licentiousness; and desirous, if possible, of effecting its abolition, appointed a festival, in honour of her Masterâs birth, nearly about the same time, for the purpose of superseding it. Volunteer with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Volunteer for Elected Service at the General Assembly Level, Your gift without restrictions goes where it is needed most. The festival of Easter, no doubt, was introduced in the second century, in place of the Passover, and in accommodation to the same Jewish prejudice which had said, even during the apostolic age, âExcept ye be circumcised, after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.â Hence, it was generally called pascha, and pasch, in conformity with the name of the Jewish festival, whose place it took. Reformation Day is a Protestant Christian religious holiday celebrated on 31 October, alongside All Hallows' Eve (Halloween) during the triduum of Allhallowtide, in remembrance of ⦠Yet when Origen, about the middle of the third century, professes to give a list of the fasts and festivals which were observed in his day, he makes no mention of Christmas. 3. Northern Irish Protestants, who are mainly Free Presbyterians, celebrate the Anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne on the 12th of July, also known as The Twelth. And unto the Colossians, he is as plain as may be, declaring, that the observance of such things was but a shadow. Summer months are usually relaxing, so it makes sense to celebrate: Drawing or Pencil Day; Camera Day; More focus on the family this month is during National Family Week. Its votaries, like the Jews of old, have ever been found more tenacious of their own inventions, of traditionary dreams, than of Godâs revealed code of duty. But is it so? 4. 17, 2022), Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day (Apr. From this fact, Sir Peter King, in his âInquiry into the Constitution and worship, &c. of the Primitive Church,â, Reformed Presbyterian Church (Covenanted) - "Steelite" Covenanters. In doing this, the policy was to retain as many of these habits which has prevailed in the Saturnalia as could in any way be reconciled with the purity of Christianity. Presbyterians celebrate many of the same holidays and celebrations as the Catholic Church. Note: The Scriptures of the Revised Common Lectionary are related to the first category (Christian year). Thus did the Romish Church borrow from the Pagans some of her most prominent observances; and thus have some observances of this origin been adopted and continued by Protestants. Their origin was ignoble. It being evident, then, that stated fasts and festivals have no divine warrant, and that their use under the New Testament economy is a mere human invention; we may ask those who are friendly to their observance, what limits ought to be set to their adoption and use in the Christian Church? 9, 10, 11; and then say whether these passages do not evidently indicate, that the inspired Apostle disapproved of the observance of such days. On the four Sundays before Christmas, we celebrate Advent. As there were no holy-days, excepting the Lordâs day, observed in the Christian Church while the Apostles lived; and no hint given, that they thought any other expedient or desirable; so we find no hint of any such observance having been adopted until towards the close of the second century. The observance of uncommanded holy-days is ever found to interfere with the due sanctification of the Lordâs day. We believe, and teach, in our public formularies, that âthere is no day, under the Gospel dispensation, commanded to be kept holy, except the Lordâs day, which is the Christian Sabbath.â. Such holidays give Christians plenty of reason to celebrate. There is no hint in the New Testament that such days were either observed or recommended by the Apostles, or by any of the churches in their time. These are related to the mission and ministry of this denomination and are promoted and resourced by various offices at the national level of the church. Celebrating Christmas, as Protestants do, sure sounds like a tradition to me.Although it is based on a story in the Bible, celebrating it on December 25, or at all, is not found in the Bible. It is expressed in the Westminster Confession of Faith (XXI:1) like this: "The acceptable way of worshiping the true God is instituted by himself, and so limited by his own revealed will, that he may not be worshiped according to the imaginations and devices of men." Protestants face a dilemma, however. The celebrate Christmas, Easter, and the Tritium. Few festivals are celebrated in the Romish Church, and in some Protestant Churches, with more interest and zeal than Christmas. But the motives and manner of introducing Christmas into the Christian Church, speak more strongly against it. It was only in the 4th century AD that the Church of Rome introduced the idea of a mid-winter ceremony, the Another important note for those who choose to celebrate birthdays is to do so in a way that honors God. No, we can do it any day we choose, like say February 29th. ... the Amish, Presbyterians and Baptists. The Faithful of every generation An excerpt from the Companion to the Book of Common Worship (Geneva Press, 2003, 150-151) All Saintsâ Day has been celebrated on November 1 since the year 835. And this carries with it is own evidence. WHY DO PRESBYTERIANS OBSERVE HOLY DAYS? 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