Edward DeVries

A Christian Understanding of the Jewish Festivals Edward DeVries

In the Old Testament, God gave His people days of feasting and celebration. He gave them as days of remembrance. Many of our modern-day Jewish holidays are those same days of remembrance that we read of in the Bible. The Christian faith is deeply rooted in the Old Testament tradition. Jesus and His Apostles were practicing Jews who faithfully observed all of the days of feast and celebration that we now know as Jewish holidays. As they observed the holidays, Jesus and His Apostles were intimately familiar with their symbols, and with their significance (both historical and spiritual). The same cannot be said for many if not most of our Lord's modern-day followers. Should Christians Celebrate Jewish Holidays?The short answer is no. The Bible places no requirement upon Christians to celebrate Jewish holidays. There is, however, a beauty, a richness, and a historical and spiritual understanding that comes from them. As Christians, while we are not bound to Judaism, we do well to at least understand and respect the traditions that Our Lord Himself observed. As you read you will not only discover the rich tradition in each of these Jewish holidays, you will realized that, as Christians, you may already be observing some of them without even realizing it.