Regarding the OP, I believe we can keep holidays like Thanksgiving as long as we don't use the pagan origins or thoughts. I always thought Thanksgiving was our being thankful to God. I don't participate in Christmas, Easter, Halloween and Valentines Day. I do observe Passover instead of Easter (The modern English term Easter, cognate with modern Dutch ooster and German Ostern, developed from an Old English word that usually appears in the form Ēastrun).