holy days are sacred days of Yahweh in the Bible and Holidays are man-made observances of Pagan origin
What’s the Difference Between Holy Days and Holidays?
Hello and welcome back to Spiritual Podcast, your podcast for authentic Bible truths. I’m Elder Dan, your host. Grab your coffee, settle in, and let’s have a real conversation today about something that might challenge what you’ve always believed. I’m excited to dig into this with you.
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Hey Everyone, Let’s Talk About This
So, here’s what I want to talk about today—and I know this might ruffle some feathers, but hear me out. We need to have an honest conversation about the days we celebrate and why we celebrate them. Because here’s the thing: there’s a massive difference between Yahweh’s holy days and the holidays many people grew up with.
And I’m not just splitting hairs here. This matters. It matters to Yahweh, and if we really love Him, it should matter to us too.
What Yahweh Actually Said
Let me read you something straight from the Holy Scripture. Leviticus 23:2 says, “Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of Yahweh, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.”
Did you catch that? Yahweh says “MY feasts.” Not suggestions. Not optional gatherings. Not “here are some ideas if you feel like it.” Yes, these are divine appointments that the Creator of the universe established.
I am talking about the 7th-day Sabbath, Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Last Great Day, also known as the Eighth Day. These aren’t just ancient Jewish festivals—they’re prophetic roadmaps that reveal Yahweh’s entire plan of salvation. Each one points to something Yahshua accomplished or will accomplish.
And here’s what blows my mind: these holy days are scattered throughout Scripture, commanded by Yahweh Himself, packed with meaning. Yes, they’re authentic holy days of the Bible! Sadly, most people, including many Christians, have never celebrated them.
Now Let’s Talk About What We Actually Celebrate
Okay, here’s where it gets uncomfortable. Now, let’s talk about holidays.
Christmas. Easter—at least the way we celebrate it with bunnies and eggs. Halloween. Valentine’s Day. Even New Year’s. You know what all these have in common? They’re not in the Bible. Seriously. You can search from Genesis to Revelation, and you won’t find Yahweh saying, “Hey, make sure you put up a Christmas tree on December 25th” or “Don’t forget to hunt for Easter eggs.”
Again, these supposed “holy days” are nowhere in the Holy Scripture.
Instead, what we find is that many of these celebrations have their roots in pagan worship practices. December 25th was the Roman festival of Saturnalia and the birthday of the sun god. Easter gets its name from Eostre, a pagan fertility goddess—which explains the eggs and rabbits. Halloween? Don’t even get me started on its connection to Samhain and death rituals.
Now, I know what some of you are thinking: “But Elder Dan, we’re not worshiping pagan gods! We’re celebrating Yahshua!” I hear you. But let me ask you something—does Yahweh approve of us taking pagan practices, slapping His name on them, and calling it worship?
Yahshua Had Something to Say About This
Yahshua the Messiah confronted this exact issue. In Matthew 15:6-9, He’s talking to the religious leaders, and He says something pretty harsh: “Thus have ye made the commandment of Elohim of none effect by your tradition… But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”
Whoa. Read that again slowly. Yahshua says you can actually worship Him in vain—meaning it doesn’t count, it’s empty—when you replace Yahweh’s commands with human traditions.
That should make us pause and think. Are we doing that? Are we so focused on our traditions—the ones we learned from our parents and grandparents, the ones our culture celebrates—that we’ve completely ignored what Yahweh actually told us to do?
Elohim Warned Us About This
Listen to what Yahweh said in Deuteronomy 12:30-31. He’s warning Israel about the pagan nations around them: “Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them… and that thou inquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. Thou shalt not do so unto Yahweh thy Elohim.”
Yes, Yahweh is crystal clear: “Don’t adopt the worship practices of pagans. Don’t ask how they did things and then copy them.” Yet that’s exactly what happened in church history. Leaders looked at popular pagan festivals and thought, “Hey, if we Christianize these, more people will convert.”
But Yahweh never authorized that approach. He never said, “Just blend my truth with their traditions.” He wants pure worship, not a spiritual smoothie of truth mixed with paganism.
“But What About Christian Freedom?”
I can already hear some of you saying, “Elder Dan, aren’t we under grace? Don’t we have freedom in Messiah Yahshua? Isn’t this legalistic?”
Great questions. Let me answer them.
Yes, we’re under grace. Yes, we have freedom. But freedom doesn’t mean we can ignore what Yahweh clearly established as holy! The Apostle Paul addressed this in Galatians 4:9-11. He’s actually concerned about believers who are going back to observing man-made holidays that Yahweh never commanded. He writes: “But now, after that ye have known Elohim, or rather are known of Elohim, how turn ye again to the weak and beggish elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.”
Yes, Paul’s worried that they’re going backward, embracing man-made observances instead of moving forward in truth. If anything, this passage challenges us to examine whether we’re holding onto traditions that Yahweh never approved.
And before anyone says Yahshua did away with the holy days—remember what He said in Matthew 5:17: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” It’s very crucial to note here that fulfilling doesn’t mean canceling. It means bringing to completion, revealing the full meaning.
Here’s My Challenge to You
I’m your church elder, and I love you. So, I’m going to be straight with you. I can’t force you to celebrate Yahweh’s holy days. I can’t make you stop celebrating holidays that are not in the Bible. But I can challenge you to do something:
Search the Holy Scriptures for yourself. Don’t just take my word for it. Don’t just follow tradition because “that’s what you’ve always done.” Yes, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth.
If you love Yahshua Messiah—and I know you do—then doesn’t it make sense to honor Him the way He asked? Yahshua said in John 14:15, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” Not the commandments that feel comfortable. Not the traditions that are culturally acceptable. Yes, His teachings, Yahweh’s commandments!
Imagine This
Imagine what it would look like if we actually celebrated what Yahweh established. Imagine gathering for Passover and deeply understanding Yahshua as our Passover Lamb who was sacrificed for us. Imagine observing the Day of Atonement and truly grasping what it means to be reconciled to Yahweh. Imagine celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles and looking forward to when Elohim will tabernacle—dwell—with us forever.
These aren’t dusty rituals from the Old Testament. They’re living, breathing pictures of Yahshua and His work. They’re Yahweh’s appointed times that His people must follow.
The Hard Truth
Here’s the bottom line, and I’m going to say it with love: Yahweh’s holy days are biblically based, ordained by Him as the Almighty, and filled with prophetic significance. In contrast, man-made holidays—no matter how popular, how commercialized, how deeply embedded in our culture—are not found in the Bible and are not approved by Yahweh.
I know that’s hard to hear. I know some of you are thinking about childhood memories, family traditions, the joy you’ve experienced around these holidays. I’m not minimizing those feelings. But we have to decide: are we going to follow what Yahweh said, or what man invented?
Yahshua promised in John 8:32, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Real freedom comes from truth, not tradition!
So What Now?
Friends, I’m not here to beat you up. I’m here as your elder to point you to Scripture and let the Holy Spirit do His work. Pray about this. Study your Bible. Be willing to let Yahweh challenge your assumptions.
And here’s what I know: when we align ourselves with Yahweh’s Word, even when it’s uncomfortable, even when it goes against the culture, even when it’s inconvenient—that’s when we experience real breakthrough. That’s when worship becomes authentic.
You might be the only person in your family who stops celebrating certain holidays. You might get criticized. People might think you’re extreme. But you’ll have something more valuable than their approval—you’ll have the peace that comes from obeying Elohim.
So that’s what I wanted to share with you today. Maybe you’re wrestling with this. Maybe you’re angry. Maybe you’re intrigued. Whatever you’re feeling, bring it to Yahweh Almighty. Let Him lead you to the right spiritual path. And remember—truth isn’t always comfortable, but it’s always worth pursuing.
Friends, if you’d like to continue this conversation or share your thoughts on this topic, leave a comment below or reach out to me directly. You are welcome to peruse our previous podcast episodes on this website and also visit our sister website by clicking here to read and learn more genuine truths from the Bible.
Thank you for listening, folks. Until next time, keep seeking, keep studying, and keep following Yahshua the Messiah—no matter where He leads you in your spiritual journey.
Brethren, before I go, let me pray this prayer for you: May Yahweh bless you and keep you; may Yahweh make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; may Yahweh lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. I humbly pray all these things to Yahweh through Yahshua the Messiah, our Master and coming King, amen. Kindly keep praying for the shalom of Israel. Take care. Halleluyah!