Christian Festivals

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,188
113
#41
My town had a Santa parade today

I heard back in the 70s there was a Jesus movement and they had Jesus parades.
 

JaumeJ

Senior Member
Jul 2, 2011
21,429
6,707
113
#42
My town had a Santa parade today

I heard back in the 70s there was a Jesus movement and they had Jesus parades.
This approach sounds much sounder regarding the faith. I like it. Too bad all do not bring this truth to the consciousness of all who believe Him.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,188
113
#43
This approach sounds much sounder regarding the faith. I like it. Too bad all do not bring this truth to the consciousness of all who believe Him.
on palm sunday the traditon here is to wave palm fronds or ribbons - some churches do this but I havent really seen any parades on the street.

I know catholics do stations of the cross.

There was also Arthur Blessit who went round the world carrying a 10 foot wooden cross I believe.
 

Blik

Senior Member
Dec 6, 2016
7,312
2,428
113
#44
Which celebrations are you taking about?
The Lord gave us the seven feasts, each celebrating something he planned for our salvation. All other celebrations are man made, or man changing what God gave us.

When Christ came, all fleshly symbols were taken away and the commandments became the spirit of the commandments. So the church said that the seven feasts were only symbols of celebrating God and shouldn't be celebrated. All the other commands were celebrated in the spirit of God. We are circumcised but the cutting of flesh is not to be done. We keep our thoughts and the things we read clean, but we eat all foods. The command to celebrate God's giving us eternal life is not celebrated at all---not in the flesh or in the spirit.
 

ResidentAlien

Well-known member
Apr 21, 2021
8,312
3,618
113
#49
Christmas? No. There's no possible way to celebrate it in a "Christian way." For one, it's not Jesus' birthday. Two, December 25th is a pagan day to celebrate the winter solstice. For these two reasons alone it's impossible to observe December 25h in a Christian way. Third, it's a purely worldly holiday. It has nothing to do with Jesus.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,188
113
#50
Jews have bar mitzvahs when a boy turns 13 though it doesnt say about this in the Bible.

Christians dont tend to have any coming of age things except for some catholics having First communion

In Mexico I think they have quincera which is 15th birthday party
In nz its 21st is the big deal, and usually a giant key is given to the birthday person as symbolic of 'keys to the kingdom'
 

hornetguy

Senior Member
Jan 18, 2016
7,114
1,743
113
#51
Most of those, I think, were initiated by the Roman Catholic Church. I tend to lean away from any appearance of my being aligned with the RCC. I don't want to be a part of that apostasy.
I know there are many good Christians in the RCC, but the whole Papal system is, to me, apostasy, and I want nothing to do with them.

In fact, I don't much like ANY church that has those types of protocols.... can you picture the first century Christians doing all that... kneel down, stand up, kneel back down, recite a prayer in unison, say a bunch of Hail Marys, wait for a priest to put a wafer on your tongue.....

All man-made dogma.

We observe Christmas and Easter, Thanksgiving... that's pretty much it.

I might pick up on St. Andrews.... who is he, the patron saint of golf? :ROFL:
 

hornetguy

Senior Member
Jan 18, 2016
7,114
1,743
113
#52
Christmas? No. There's no possible way to celebrate it in a "Christian way." For one, it's not Jesus' birthday. Two, December 25th is a pagan day to celebrate the winter solstice. For these two reasons alone it's impossible to observe December 25h in a Christian way. Third, it's a purely worldly holiday. It has nothing to do with Jesus.
I approach it from another angle... no matter what it started out as, that is not why I celebrate it. I believe we can make any day a celebration for whatever we wish. Christmas, whether it began as winter solstice day or not, has become, pretty much world-wide, a recognition, or celebration of the birth of Jesus. We know that Dec 25th is not the actual day Jesus was born, but we choose that day to remember, or celebrate it.
Personally, I don't care what the pagans did.... that is not why my family and I celebrate it.

I do agree, it has become so commercialized, that Jesus gets lost in it sometimes.... it's up to us to not let that happen.

But, each person must follow their own conscience, and I respect your views on it...
 
Jan 14, 2021
1,599
526
113
#53
Jews have bar mitzvahs when a boy turns 13 though it doesnt say about this in the Bible.

Christians dont tend to have any coming of age things except for some catholics having First communion

In Mexico I think they have quincera which is 15th birthday party
In nz its 21st is the big deal, and usually a giant key is given to the birthday person as symbolic of 'keys to the kingdom'
Baptism, first communion, and confirmation are the big ones. Confirmation is the Christian equivalent of bar/bat mitzvahs. It denotes the point in time when a person stops being a child and becomes full fledged member of the church.
 

Eli1

Well-known member
Apr 5, 2022
4,759
2,054
113
46
#54
Most of those, I think, were initiated by the Roman Catholic Church. I tend to lean away from any appearance of my being aligned with the RCC. I don't want to be a part of that apostasy.
I know there are many good Christians in the RCC, but the whole Papal system is, to me, apostasy, and I want nothing to do with them.

In fact, I don't much like ANY church that has those types of protocols.... can you picture the first century Christians doing all that... kneel down, stand up, kneel back down, recite a prayer in unison, say a bunch of Hail Marys, wait for a priest to put a wafer on your tongue.....

All man-made dogma.

We observe Christmas and Easter, Thanksgiving... that's pretty much it.

I might pick up on St. Andrews.... who is he, the patron saint of golf? :ROFL:
You sir are a true Protestant. :D
My way or the highway.

But I like most of your posts because you show good reason and you gave me a very reasonable response on a gun topic many months ago.

God bless you.
 

hornetguy

Senior Member
Jan 18, 2016
7,114
1,743
113
#55
You sir are a true Protestant. :D
My way or the highway.

But I like most of your posts because you show good reason and you gave me a very reasonable response on a gun topic many months ago.

God bless you.
Made me laugh... thanks... I try to be reasonable about things, but I freely admit to being hypocritical in some of my "doings"....
God is still working on me.... (y)
 

ResidentAlien

Well-known member
Apr 21, 2021
8,312
3,618
113
#56
I approach it from another angle... no matter what it started out as, that is not why I celebrate it. I believe we can make any day a celebration for whatever we wish. Christmas, whether it began as winter solstice day or not, has become, pretty much world-wide, a recognition, or celebration of the birth of Jesus. We know that Dec 25th is not the actual day Jesus was born, but we choose that day to remember, or celebrate it.
Personally, I don't care what the pagans did.... that is not why my family and I celebrate it.

I do agree, it has become so commercialized, that Jesus gets lost in it sometimes.... it's up to us to not let that happen.

But, each person must follow their own conscience, and I respect your views on it...
Why don't you participate in other holidays and festivals that had Catholic origins? I mean, if origin is irrelevant? Aren't you simply justifying Christmas and Easter for personal reasons?
 

hornetguy

Senior Member
Jan 18, 2016
7,114
1,743
113
#57
Why don't you participate in other holidays and festivals that had Catholic origins? I mean, if origin is irrelevant? Aren't you simply justifying Christmas and Easter for personal reasons?
Good question.... to me, Christmas and Easter are considered more "generic" Christian holidays... at least from my observation... they are not tied so tightly to the RCC in "the world's" view.... Most of those others are generally viewed (again, at least to ME) as being RCC holidays.

That may be a fine line to draw, but, see my post #55 above. :)
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,188
113
#59
Baptism, first communion, and confirmation are the big ones. Confirmation is the Christian equivalent of bar/bat mitzvahs. It denotes the point in time when a person stops being a child and becomes full fledged member of the church.
in baptist churches its full immersion baptism, they dont have 'first communion' or 'confirmation' but they usually have 'Easter Camp'!
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,188
113
#60
Easter camp is put on for children to spend time away from their parents, and they often get baptised there.

Some churches have revivals or they put on worship concerts/festivals. They are three day outdoor gatherings of worship band music, but its like a rock concert with Christian lyrics in tents.