My Account Wish List Shopping Cart Log In
Store Location

Holidays

Celebration isintrinsic to human nature. As God's image bearers we are compelled to celebrate—just as He did when He called His creation good, just as He did when He exalted His Son on top of a mountain, just as the angels and elders do around His throne. God even commanded celebrations in His name, providing the Jews specific instructions for feasts and holidays.

With the coming of Christ things changed a bit. God's people were no longer required to hold specific holy days above all others, because that was a feature of the Law that Christ fulfilled in our place and freed us from. The apostle Paul summarizes in Romans 14:5: One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.

That's not to say there aren't good reasons to observe certain holidays, especially those memorializing key events or elements of the Christian faith. We look to the Sabbath, or Lord's Day, as our day of worship, and the Christian calendar is a good guide to those days traditionally observed by the Church, with special emphasis on Advent and Christmas, Easter and Lent, and Pentecost. If you're so inclined, there are a bajillion saint days in honor of famous and lesser-known champions of the faith.

Many will argue that Christians should celebrate none of these holidays. The point isn't that the events commemorated aren't central to the Christian faith, but that their formalized celebration by the Church was simply a "christianization" of similar pagan holidays in the Roman and Near Eastern worlds. For instance, Christmas as observed on December 25th is really a Christian version of the Roman Saturnalia, a festival devoted to the sun; Easter is named after the Babylonian fertility goddess, and celebrates her union with the god Tammuz.

The similarities between the Christian holidays and their pagan counterparts are indeed fascinating. However, we take this as affirmation of God's sovereignty, not as a reason to avoid holiday celebrations. Through His death and resurrection, Christ redeemed all things and reclaimed them in His name.

"All things" includes holidays. Indeed, what Christ has done and what He gives us should be celebrated every day of the year, but to choose specific days for observance can help re-center our all-too-often selfish existences on Him. We do need to be careful not to simply accept worldly standards for our holidays (the commercialization of Christmas, the nonsense Easter bunnies, etc.), but we need to be equally sure we aren't refraining from genuine celebration just because those standards exist. God has given us all cause for joy, and it's our duty and pleasure to thank Him.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here. 

 

Did you find this review helpful?
Parent Categories
Holidays
Subcategories
91 Items found Print
Filter
Active Filters: 3rd grade (Ages 8-9), Trade Paperback
Aaron and the Green Mountain Boys
by Patricia Lee Gauch, illustrated by Margot Tomes
from Betterway Books
Historical Fiction for 3rd-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
Adventures of Munford: The American Revolution
by Jamie Aramini
1st edition from Geography Matters
for 2nd-4th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
AIO Imagination Station Book #06
by Marianne Hering & Marshal Younger
from Focus on the Family
for 1st-3rd grade
in Imagination Station (Location: SER-AIO)
$5.99
AIO Imagination Station Book #12
by Marianne Hering, Nancy I. Sanders
from Focus on the Family
for 1st-3rd grade
in Imagination Station (Location: SER-AIO)
$5.99
AIO Imagination Station Book #13
by Marianne Hering, Nancy I. Sanders
from Focus on the Family
for 1st-3rd grade
in Imagination Station (Location: SER-AIO)
$5.99
AIO Imagination Station Book #14
by Marianne Hering, Nancy I. Sanders
from Focus on the Family
for 1st-3rd grade
in Imagination Station (Location: SER-AIO)
$5.99
AIO Imagination Station Book #15
by Marianne Hering, Nancy I. Sanders
from Focus on the Family
for 1st-3rd grade
in Imagination Station (Location: SER-AIO)
$5.99
Almost Home
Daughters of the Faith
by Wendy G. Lawton
from Moody Press
Historical Fiction for 3rd-6th grade
in Daughters of the Faith (Location: SER-DAU)
$7.99 $5.00 (4 in stock)
America's Paul Revere
by Esther Forbes
from Sandpiper Books
Biography for 2nd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$12.99
American Twins of the Revolution
by Lucy Fitch Perkins
from Salem Ridge Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
Amon's Adventure
by Arnold Ytreeide
from Kregel Publications
Historical Fiction for 2nd-6th grade
in Easter & Lent (Location: HOLIDAY)
$18.99 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Benjamin Franklin
by Edgar & Ingri D'Aulaire
from Beautiful Feet Books
Picture Book Biography for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$17.95
Boston Tea Party
from Troll Communications
for 2nd-5th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
Chicken Sunday
by Patricia Polacco
from PaperStar Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Christ in Christmas: A Family Advent Celebration
by James Dobson, Charles Swindoll, et al.
from NavPress
for Preschool-4th grade
in Christmas & Advent (Location: HOLIDAY)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Christmas Compass
by Alta Halverson Seymour
from Purple House Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$10.99
Christmas in the Big House, Christmas in the Quarters
by Fredrick & Patricia McKissack
from Scholastic Press
for 3rd-6th grade
1995 NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book
in 19th Century America (Location: HISA-19C)
Cranberry Thanksgiving
by Wende & Harry Devlin
from Purple House Press
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Famous Figures of the American Revolution
from Figures in Motion
for Kindergarten-6th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$12.00 (3 in stock)
First Thanksgiving
Step into Reading Level 3
by Linda Hayward
from Random House
for 1st-3rd grade
in Step into Reading (Location: EAR-STEP)
$4.99
Fourth of July Story
by Alice Dalgliesh
2nd edition from Aladdin Paperbacks
Historical Non-fiction for 2nd-4th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$8.99
George vs. George
by Rosalyn Schanzer
Reprint from National Geographic
for 3rd-6th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$6.95
George Washington
by Edgar & Ingri D'Aulaire
from Beautiful Feet Books
Picture Book Biography for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$17.95
George Washington
by Cheryl Harness
from National Geographic
for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$8.99
Gingerbread Baby
by Jan Brett
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Giving Thanks
by Kate Waters
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-3rd grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
Hallelujah
by Cindy Rollins
from Blue Sky Daisies
for 1st-Adult
in Christmas & Advent (Location: HOLIDAY)
$9.95
Hallelujah
by Cindy Rollins
from Circe Institute
for 1st-Adult
in Christmas & Advent (Location: HOLIDAY)
Hank the Cowdog #09
Hank the Cowdog #9
by John R. Erickson
Reprint from Maverick Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Hank the Cowdog (Location: SER-HANK)
$6.99
History News: Revolution
by Christopher Maynard
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-7th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
How Many Days to America?
by Eve Bunting
for 1st-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
If You Lived at the Time of the American Revolution
If You Were There
by Kay Moore
from Scholastic Inc.
Non-Fiction for 2nd-5th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
If You Lived in Colonial Times
If You Were There
by Ann McGovern
from Scholastic Inc.
Non-Fiction for 2nd-5th grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
$4.00 (4 in stock)
If You Sailed On the Mayflower in 1620
If You Were There
by Ann McGovern
from Scholastic Inc.
Non-Fiction for 2nd-5th grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
If You Were at the First Thanksgiving
by Anne Kamma
First Edition from Scholastic Press
for 2nd-4th grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
Jesse Tree
by Geraldine McCaughrean
Reprint from Eerdmans
for Preschool-5th grade
in Christmas & Advent (Location: HOLIDAY)
Jotham's Journey
by Arnold Ytreeide
from Kregel Publications
for 1st-6th grade
in Christmas & Advent (Location: HOLIDAY)
$18.99
Journey to Monticello
Adventures in Colonial America
by James E. Knight
from Troll Communications
Non-fiction for 1st-4th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
Legend of the Poinsettia
by Tomie dePaola
from Puffin Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Liberty!
by Lucille Recht Penner
from Random House
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$8.99
Life of Washington
by Josephine Pollard
from Beautiful Feet Books
Biography for 3rd-8th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$10.95 $7.50 (1 in stock)
Lilies, Rabbits, and Painted Eggs
by Edna Barth
from Houghton Mifflin
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Easter & Lent (Location: HOLIDAY)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Little Drummer Boy
by Ezra Jack Keats
from Puffin Books
for Preschool-6th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Madeline's Christmas
by Ludwig Bemelmans
from Puffin Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$8.99
Mayflower Secret
Trailblazer Books
by Dave Jackson, Neta Jackson
from Bethany House
for 3rd-7th grade
in Trailblazer Books (Location: SER-TRAIL)
Mayflower Secret
Trailblazer Books
by Dave Jackson, Neta Jackson
from Castle Rock Creative
for 3rd-7th grade
in Trailblazer Books (Location: SER-TRAIL)
$8.99
Midnight Clear
by Katherine Paterson
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
New England Soldiers of the American Revolution
by Marko Zlatich, Illustrations by Donna Neary
from Bellerophon Books
for 2nd-6th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$1.50 (1 in stock)
Night Before Christmas
by Clement Moore, illustrated by Jan Brett
from Scholastic Press
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.50 (2 in stock)
Night Before Christmas - Coloring Book
by Clement C. Moore, illustrated by John O'Brien
81st edition from Dover Publications
for 3rd-5th grade
in Literary & Fantasy Coloring Books (Location: COL-LIT)
$4.99
Nutcracker
by Warren Chappell
First Edition Thus from Schocken
for 2nd-5th grade
in Christmas & Advent (Location: HOLIDAY)
Nutcracker
by E. T. A. Hoffmann
from Crown Publishers
for 2nd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
On Christmas Eve
by Margaret Wise Brown
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
On the Mayflower
by Kate Waters
from Scholastic Inc.
Non-fiction for 1st-3rd grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pilgrims
by B.G. Hennessy
1st ptg thus from Puffin Books
for 1st-3rd grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
Our America... The Pilgrim Adventure
by Susan Kilbride
for 3rd-5th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland
by Tomie dePaola
from Holiday House
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$8.99
Phoebe the Spy
by Judith Berry Griffin
from Puffin Books
Historical Fiction for 3rd-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$6.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Phoebe the Spy
by Judith Berry Griffin
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Pilgrim Stories
by Margaret Pumphrey
from Beautiful Feet Books
for 2nd-6th grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$11.95
Pilgrims of Plimoth
by Marcia Sewall
from Aladdin Paperbacks
History Reference/Picture Book for 1st-4th grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$8.99
Pioneer Thanksgiving
by Barbara Greenwood
from Kids Can Press
for 2nd-6th grade
in Holidays (Location: HOLIDAY)
Pocahontas and the Strangers
by Clyde Robert Bulla
from Sonlight Curriculum, Ltd.
Biographies for 3rd-5th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Quomodo Invidiosulus Nomine Grinchus Christi Natalem Abrogaverit
by Dr. Seuss
from Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers
Christmas Stories (in Latin) for 3rd-6th grade
in Latin Resources & Reference (Location: FL-LATREF)
Revolutionary John Adams
by Cheryl Harness
Reprint from National Geographic
for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$7.95
Revolutionary War Days
American Kids in History
by David C. King & Cheryl Kirk Noll
1st edition from Jossey-Bass
for 3rd-6th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
Sailing to America
Adventures in Colonial America
by James Knight
from Troll Publishing
Non-fiction for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
Seventh and Walnut
Adventures in Colonial America
by James Knight
from Troll Publishing
Non-fiction for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
Seventh and Walnut
Adventures in Colonial America
by James Knight
from Troll Publishing
Non-fiction for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
Shield of the Maccabees
by Eric A. Kimmel, illustrated by Dov Smiley
from Apples and Honey Press
for 1st-4th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
Sophia's War
by Avi
from Beach Lane Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$8.99
Squanto's Journey
by Joseph Bruchac
Reprint from HMH Books for Young Readers
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans
by Edward Eggleston
2nd edition from Memoria Press
Narrative History for 1st-4th grade
in Biography Anthologies (Location: BIO-ANTH)
$14.65
Stories of the Pilgrims
by Margaret Pumphrey
2nd edition from Christian Liberty Press
for 2nd-4th grade
in CLP Phonics & Reading (Location: REA-CLP)
$14.50 $8.00 (2 in stock)
Stories of the Pilgrims (old)
by Margaret Pumphrey
Revised Edition from Christian Liberty Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Old Edition Reading (Location: OREAD)
$3.50 (2 in stock)
Thanksgiving Story
by Alice Dalgliesh
from Simon and Schuster
Historical Fiction for 1st-3rd grade
1955 Caldecott Honor Book
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$8.99 $5.50 (2 in stock)
Three Young Pilgrims
by Cheryl Harness
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Biography for 1st-4th grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$7.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Tonight Is Carnaval
by Arthur Dorros
from Puffin Books
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Turkeys, Pilgrims, and Indian Corn
by Edna Barth
from Sandpiper Books
for 3rd-4th grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
United States History: Puritans & Pilgrims
The Time Traveler Series
by Jane Pofahl
Activity from T.S. Denison & Company
for 3rd-6th grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Very First Easter
by Paul L. Maier
from Concordia Publishing House
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Easter & Lent (Location: HOLIDAY)
$9.99
Voice of Her Own
by Kathryn Lasky, Illustrated by Paul Lee
from Candlewick Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$6.99
Warrior's Challenge
TrailBlazer Books
by Dave and Neta Jackson
from Bethany House
for 3rd-7th grade
in Trailblazer Books (Location: SER-TRAIL)
Warrior's Challenge
TrailBlazer Books
by Dave and Neta Jackson
from Castle Rock Creative
for 3rd-7th grade
in Trailblazer Books (Location: SER-TRAIL)
$8.99
What is the Declaration of Independence?
What Was?
1st edition from Grosset & Dunlap
for 3rd-6th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$5.99
What Was the First Thanksgiving?
What Was?
by Joan Holub, illustrated by Lauren Mortimer
1st edition from Grosset & Dunlap
for 3rd-6th grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Who Was Paul Revere?
Who Was? Biographies
1st edition from Grosset & Dunlap
in Who Was? biographies (Location: BIO-WHO)
$6.99
Who's That Stepping on Plymouth Rock?
from PaperStar Books
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$6.99
William Bradford, Pilgrim Boy
by Bradford Smith
from Beautiful Feet Books
Biography for 3rd-5th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$10.95 $6.00 (1 in stock)
Winter at Valley Forge
Adventures in Colonial America
by James Knight
from Beautiful Feet Books
Non-fiction for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$6.95 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Winter at Valley Forge
Adventures in Colonial America
by James Knight
from Troll Publishing
Non-fiction for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
Sign Up!

Shop

Support

Hours & Directions

Learn more about our store location and hours

Connect

503.655.1951

hello@exodusbooks.com

19146 Molalla Ave,
Oregon City, OR 97045