My Account Wish List Shopping Cart Log In
Store Location

Holidays / Church Calendar

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 / Church Calendar
Subcategories
119 Items found Print
Filter
Active Filters: 4th grade (Ages 9-10), 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)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Adventures of the American Revolution
by Susan Olasky
from P&R Publishing
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
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)
$7.64 $4.00 (3 in stock)
America's Paul Revere
by Esther Forbes
from Sandpiper Books
Biography for 2nd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$11.04
American Revolution
America at War Series
by Alden Carter
from Grolier Publishing
Historical Non-fiction for 4th-6th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$5.91 $4.00 (1 in stock)
American Revolution for Kids
by Janis Herbert
1st edition from Chicago Review Press
for 2nd-6th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
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
Annie Henry and the Secret Mission
Adventures of the American Revolution
by Susan Olasky
from Crossway Books
for 3rd-5th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Ashes
Seeds of America #3
by Laurie Halse Anderson
from Atheneum
for 4th-8th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
Bartholomew's Passage
by Arnold Ytreeide
from Kregel Publications
for 4th-6th grade
in Christmas & Advent (Location: HOLIDAY)
$18.99
Benjamin Franklin
by Edgar & Ingri D'Aulaire
from Beautiful Feet Books
Picture Book Biography for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$15.26
Benjamin Franklin
Heroes of History
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from Emerald Books
Biography for 4th-7th grade
in Heroes of History (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$10.19
Benjamin Franklin, American Genius
by Brandon Marie Miller
from Chicago Review Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
Birds' Christmas Carol
by Kate Douglas Wiggin
from Yearling
for 4th-7th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Boston Tea Party
by James E. Knight
Other Printing from Troll Associates
for 4th-6th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
Boston Tea Party
from Troll Communications
for 2nd-5th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
Chains
Seeds of America #1
by Laurie Halse Anderson
from Atheneum
for 4th-8th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Chains
Seeds of America #1
by Laurie Halse Anderson
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-8th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
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)
Christmas Rat
by Avi
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
Colonial Kids
by Laurie Carlson
1st edition from Chicago Review Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
$5.60 (2 in stock)
Coloring Book of the American Revolution
by Harry Knill
from Bellerophon Books
for 4th-6th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
Daughter of Liberty
by Robert Quackenbush
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
Declaration of Independence in Translation
by Amie J, Leavitt
from Capstone Press
for 2nd-6th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Down Ryton Water
by E.R. Gaggin
from Sonlight Curriculum, Ltd.
for 4th-6th grade
1942 Newbery Honor
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$3.60 (2 in stock)
Early Thunder
by Jean Fritz
from Puffin Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$6.79 $3.20 (3 in stock)
Eating the Plates
by Lucille Recht Penner
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 4th-9th grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Encounter at Easton
by Avi
from Beech Tree Books
for 4th-6th grade
in Clearance: Fiction (Location: ZCLE-FIC)
Eve of Revolution
by Barbara Burt
from National Geographic
for 4th-6th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$5.50 (1 in stock)
Faith Unfurled
from History Compass
for 4th-8th grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$6.76 $3.20 (1 in stock)
Family Treasury of Jewish Holidays
by Malka Drucker
from Little, Brown & Company
for 4th-7th grade
in Jewish Holidays & Traditions (Location: HOLIDAY)
Famous Figures of the American Revolution
from Figures in Motion
for Kindergarten-6th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$9.60 (2 in stock)
Fiddler's Green
Fin's Revolution #2
by A. S. Peterson
from Rabbit Room Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$14.44
Forge
Seeds of America #2
by Laurie Halse Anderson
from Atheneum
for 4th-8th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
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)
$7.64
Francis Asbury
by Geoff Benge, Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biographies for 4th-7th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$10.19 $4.80 (1 in stock)
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)
$15.26
George Washington
by James Giblin & Michael Dooling
from Scholastic Inc.
Biography for 2nd-5th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$2.80 (1 in stock)
George Washington
Heroes of History
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from Emerald Books
Biography for 4th-7th grade
in Heroes of History (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$10.19
George Washington
by Cheryl Harness
from National Geographic
for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$7.64
George Washington's Breakfast
by Jean Fritz
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-4th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Give Me Liberty
by L. M. Elliott
from HarperCollins
for 4th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
Give Me Liberty!
by Russell Freedman
Reprint from Holiday House
for 4th-9th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
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)
$5.94
History News: Revolution
by Christopher Maynard
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-7th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
History Pockets: American Revolution
from Evan-Moor Educational Publishers
for 4th-6th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
Homes in the Wilderness
by William Bradford
from Purple House Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$8.49
How Many Days to America?
by Eve Bunting
for 1st-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
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 (2 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)
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)
$3.20 (2 in stock)
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)
Iron Peacock
by Mary Stetson Clark
from Avyx, Inc.
for 4th-7th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
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)
$19.99 $10.50 (1 in stock)
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)
King George: What Was His Problem?
by Steve Sheinkin, illustrated by Tim Robinson
2015th edition from Square Fish Publishing
for 4th-7th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Liberty!
by Lucille Recht Penner
from Random House
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$7.64 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Life of Washington
by Josephine Pollard
from Beautiful Feet Books
Biography for 3rd-8th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$9.31 $6.00 (2 in stock)
Little Drummer Boy
by Ezra Jack Keats
from Puffin Books
for Preschool-6th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Little Maid of Ticonderoga
by Alice Curtis
from Applewood Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
Lydia the Patriot
Sisters in Time
by Susan Martins Miller
from Barbour Publishing
for 4th-6th grade
in Sisters in Time (Location: SER-SIS)
Mary of Plymouth
by James Otis
from A Beka Books
for 4th-6th grade
in A Beka Book Report books (Location: REA-ABK)
$3.40 (16 in stock)
Mayflower Secret
Trailblazer Books
by Dave Jackson, Neta Jackson
from Castle Rock Creative
for 3rd-7th grade
in Trailblazer Books (Location: SER-TRAIL)
$9.99
Menorahs, Mezuzas, and Other Jewish Symbols
by Miriam Chaikin
from Houghton Mifflin
for 4th-6th grade
in Jewish Holidays & Traditions (Location: HOLIDAY)
$7.95
Midnight Clear
by Katherine Paterson
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
Midnight Ride of Paul Revere
by Henry W. Longfellow
Reprint from National Geographic
for 1st-4th grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
Morgan the Jersey Spy
Adventures in History Series
by James Otis
from A Beka Books
for 4th-8th grade
in A Beka Book Report books (Location: REA-ABK)
Mr. Revere and I
by Robert Lawson
from Little, Brown & Company
Humor/historical fiction for 2nd-5th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.64 $3.60 (1 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)
$4.24
Noah Webster: Father of the American Dictionary
by Isabel Proudfit, illustrated by I.B. Hazelton
from Bradford Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$10.40 (1 in stock)
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)
Patriots in Petticoats
by Shirley Raye Redmond
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 4th-6th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
Peter and the Pilgrims
by Louise A. Vernon
from Herald Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$13.59 $6.40 (2 in stock)
Phoebe the Spy
by Judith Berry Griffin
from Puffin Books
Historical Fiction for 3rd-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$6.79 $3.60 (2 in stock)
Pilgrim Stories
by Margaret Pumphrey
from Beautiful Feet Books
for 2nd-6th grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$10.16 $6.40 (1 in stock)
Pilgrim Voices
by Connie Roop, Peter Roop, eds.
from Walker and Company
for 2nd-5th grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Pilgrims of Plimoth
by Marcia Sewall
from Aladdin Paperbacks
History Reference/Picture Book for 1st-4th grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$7.64
Pioneer Thanksgiving
by Barbara Greenwood
from Kids Can Press
for 2nd-6th grade
in Holidays / Church Calendar (Location: HOLIDAY)
Pocahontas and the Strangers
by Clyde Robert Bulla
from Avyx, Inc.
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)
$10.40 (1 in stock)
Revolutionary John Adams
by Cheryl Harness
Reprint from National Geographic
for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$7.95 $5.50 (1 in stock)
Revolutionary War
by John and Patty Carratello
Workbook from Teacher Created Materials, Inc.
for 4th-8th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$1.60 (3 in stock)
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
by James E. Knight
from Troll Associates
for 4th-6th grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
Sarah's New World
Sisters in Time
by Colleen L. Reece
from Barbour Publishing
for 4th-6th grasde
in Sisters in Time (Location: SER-SIS)
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)
$7.64 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Squanto, Friend of the Pilgrims
by Clyde Robert Bulla
from Purple House Press
for 3rd-5th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
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)
$12.84
Stories of the Pilgrims
by Margaret Pumphrey
2nd edition from Christian Liberty Press
for 2nd-4th grade
in CLP Phonics & Reading (Location: REA-CLP)
$12.33
Tabitha's Travels
by Arnold Ytreeide
from Servant Publications
for 4th-6th grade
in Christmas & Advent (Location: HOLIDAY)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Tabitha's Travels
by Arnold Ytreeide
from Kregel Publications
for 4th-6th grade
in Christmas & Advent (Location: HOLIDAY)
$19.99
Three Gold Doubloons
Level 7
by Edith Thacher Hurd, illustrated by Clement Hurd
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 3rd-6th grade
in GATB Language Arts & Reading (Location: CUR-GABELA)
$3.20 (2 in stock)
12
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