SHOULD WE OBSERVE
HOLIDAYS
OR
HOLYDAYS? Part 1

by Jerry Healan
There are days of the year which are set aside to observe as holidays. Most people look forward to these
days with great anticipation not only for their meaning, but also because of the time of rest, relaxation and
recreation that they will experience. What is a holiday? Where do they come from? Should we observe
them?
As stated, there are certain days of the year that are looked forward to with great anticipation. These days
are looked forward to, not only because of their meaning, but because of the time given off from work. They
are generally set aside or dedicated as days of observance with rest, relaxation, celebration and recreation.
The whole year is full of these days beginning with New Year’s Day, President’s day, Martin Luther King
Day, Easter, Memorial Day, the 4th of July, Labor Day, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas, etc.
Is there anything wrong with these days? Should they be observed with such fanfare? Just what is a holiday
anyway? Here is the definition of holiday given by Webster’s New World Dictionary; n. [< ME. holidei,
with shortened first vowel < OE. haligdæg: see HOLY & DAY] 1. a religious festival: see HOLY DAY 2. a day
of freedom from labor; day set aside for leisure and recreation 3. [often pl.] [chiefly Brit.] a period of
leisure or recreation; vacation 4. a day set aside by law or custom for the suspension of business, usually in
commemoration of some event.
The dictionary further defines HOLY DAY as a day consecrated to religious observances or to a religious
festival.
Since the word “holy” is involved, we also need to look at its definition; ho·ly 1. dedicated to religious
use; belonging to or coming from G-d; consecrated; sacred 2. spiritually perfect or pure; untainted by evil
or sin; sinless; saintly 3. regarded with or deserving deep respect, awe, reverence, or adoration. (Webster’s
New World Dictionary.)
From these definitions we learn that the word “holiday” is the same as “holy day.” It is a day or period of
time that is set aside in consecration to G-d and is observed with religious rites, while business is
suspended.
THE ORIGINAL HOLY DAYS
Holidays are essentially a by-product of Holy Days that were originally commanded by Yahweh. The
complete list of these holy days is found in Leviticus 23. The very first commanded holy day was the
weekly Sabbath, “And Yahweh spake unto Moses, saying, 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. Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye
shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of Yahweh in all your dwellings,” v.v. 1-3.
The rest of the chapter focuses on enumerating the other “rest” days that were to be observed annually.
Passover and Unleavened Bread are covered in verses 5-8, Pentecost in verses 9-22, Trumpets in verses
23-25, Atonement in verses 26-32, and Tabernacles and the Last Great Day are dealt with in the remaining
verses (33-44).
Yahweh commanded the observance of these days wherein all regular business activity was to cease.
However, the majority of the world, with the exception of the Jewish community and some certain religious
organizations who have deemed the importance of these days, does not give any credence to the observance
of these days. The majority of the world observes “holidays” with much fanfare. Does this mean that
Yahweh’s commanded days are no longer in effect?
MAN’S HISTORY