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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. 

 

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Active Filters: 7th grade (Ages 12-13), Trade Paperback
Ashes
Seeds of America #3
by Laurie Halse Anderson
from Atheneum
for 4th-8th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
At Seneca Castle
by William W. Canfield
from Salem Ridge Press
for 7th-10th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
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
Biography of Benjamin Franklin
Sons of Liberty Series
by William M. Thayer
from A Beka Books
for 5th-9th grade
in A Beka Book Report books (Location: REA-ABK)
Biography of George Washington
Sons of Liberty Series
by William M. Thayer
from A Beka Books
for 5th-9th grade
in A Beka Book Report books (Location: REA-ABK)
Birds' Christmas Carol
by Kate Douglas Wiggin
from Yearling
for 4th-7th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Black Heroes of the American Revolution
by Burke Davis
1992 Odyssey Classics edition from Clarion Books
for 5th-8th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$7.64
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch
by Jean Lee Latham
from Houghton Mifflin
Biography for 5th-9th grade
1956 Newbery Medal winner
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$13.59
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch
by Jean Lee Latham
from Scholastic Inc.
Biography for 5th-9th grade
1956 Newbery Medal winner
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
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)
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)
Faith and Freedom Trilogy
Faith and Freedom
by Douglas Bond
from P&R Publishing
for 5th-9th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$33.97
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)
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
Fiddler's Gun
Fin's Revolution #1
by A. S. Peterson
1st edition from Rabbit Room Press
for 7th-10th 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)
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 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
Sowers Series
by Norma Cournow Camp
from Mott Media
Biography for 6th-8th grade
in Sowers Biographies (Location: BIO-SOW)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
George Washington's World
by Genevieve Foster, expanded by Joanna Foster
from Beautiful Feet Books
History Reference/Biography for 7th-10th grade
1942 Newbery Honor Book
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$15.00 (2 in stock)
George Washington's World
by Genevieve Foster, expanded by Joanna Foster and edited by Rea Berg
from Beautiful Feet Books
History Reference/Biography for 7th-10th grade
1942 Newbery Honor Book
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$19.95
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)
Hero Tales from American History
by Theodore Roosevelt & Henry Cabot Lodge
Paperback, First Printing from Tolle Lege Press
Biography for 7th-10th grade
in Biography Anthologies (Location: BIO-ANTH)
History News: Revolution
by Christopher Maynard
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-7th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
History of US Book 3
History of US Book 3
by Joy Hakim
3rd Revised Edition from Oxford University
American History Reference for 5th-9th grade
in Joy Hakim's A History of US (Location: HISA-HAKIM)
$16.13 $8.80 (1 in stock)
Homes in the Wilderness
by William Bradford
from Purple House Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$8.49
Iron Peacock
by Mary Stetson Clark
from Avyx, Inc.
for 4th-7th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
John Paul Jones
Sterling Point Books
by Armstrong Sperry
from Sterling Publishing Co.
Biography for 5th-9th grade
in War of 1812 (Location: HISA-19WET)
$3.60 (2 in stock)
John Treegate's Musket
Treegate Series Book 1
by Leonard Wibberly
from Bethlehem Books
Historical fiction for 7th-10th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
John Wesley
Men of Faith
by Basil Miller
from Bethany House
Biography for 6th-10th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Journeyman
by Elizabeth Yates
from Bob Jones University Press
Realistic Fiction for 6th-9th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$7.64
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)
Life & Legacy of Saint Patrick
by Michael McHugh
from Great Light Publications
Biography for 7th-10th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Life of George Washington
by Mary Williamson
from Christian Liberty Press
Biography for 7th-10th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$9.99 $4.80 (2 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 Maid of Ticonderoga
by Alice Curtis
from Applewood Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
Lives of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence
by Benson J. Lossing
3rd Printing from WallBuilder Press
Biography for 7th-10th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
Mayflower Pilgrims
by Edmund J. Carpenter
2nd edition from Christian Liberty Press
Biography for 7th-10th grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$9.99
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
Medieval Celebrations
by Daniel Diehl & Mark Donnelly
from Stackpole Books
for 6th-Adult
in Middle Ages (Location: HISW-MID)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Miracle On 34th Street
by Valentine Davies
from Clarion Books
Realistic Fairy Tale for 6th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.99
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)
Peter Treegate's War
by Leonard Wibberley
from Bethlehem Books
for 7th-10th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
Poor Richard
by James Daugherty
from Beautiful Feet Books
Biography for 6th-9th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$15.26 $9.60 (1 in stock)
Profiles of Integrity #1: 1775-1781
by Marilyn Boyer and Grace Tumas Ehrman
from Master Books
for 6th-9th grade
in Biography Anthologies (Location: BIO-ANTH)
$9.34
Profiles of Valor #1: July 9, 1755–June 17, 1775
by Marilyn Boyer and Grace Tumas Ehrman
from Master Books
for 6th-9th grade
in Biography Anthologies (Location: BIO-ANTH)
$9.34
Profiles of Valor #2: December 11775–December 1777
by Marilyn Boyer and Grace Tumas Ehrman
from Master Books
for 6th-9th grade
in Biography Anthologies (Location: BIO-ANTH)
$9.34
Profiles of Valor #3: December 1777–October 1780
by Marilyn Boyer and Grace Tumas Ehrman
from Master Books
for 6th-9th grade
in Biography Anthologies (Location: BIO-ANTH)
$9.34
Profiles of Valor #4: January 1781–February 1832
by Marilyn Boyer and Grace Tumas Ehrman
from Master Books
for 6th-9th grade
in Biography Anthologies (Location: BIO-ANTH)
$9.34
Rabble in Arms
by Kenneth Roberts
from Down East Books
for 7th-Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$18.95
Reb and the Redcoats
Bethlehem Books Living History Library
by Constance Savery
from Bethlehem Books
Historical fiction for 5th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$12.71
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)
Saint Patrick
by Jonathan Rogers
from Thomas Nelson Publishers
for 7th-Adult
in Clearance: Biographies (Location: ZCLE-BIO)
$8.40
Shot Heard 'Round the World
Perspectives on History Series
by Jeanne Munn Bracken, editor
from History Compass
Historical Non-fiction for 6th-9th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
Squalls Before War
by Ned Bustard
from Veritas Press
Nautical Fiction for 7th-10th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$15.00 $8.00 (2 in stock)
Swamp Fox of the Revolution
Sterling Point Books
by Stewart H. Holbrook
from Sterling Publishing Co.
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
Treegate's Raiders
Treegate Series Book 4
by Leonard Wibberly
from Bethlehem Books
Historical fiction for 7th-10th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
True to the Old Flag
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
in G. A. Henty Books (Location: FIC-HEN)
Valley Forge
by Richard Ammon
from Holiday House
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
Voyage to Freedom
by David Gay
from Banner of Truth Trust
Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$10.20
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)
$9.99
We Were There at the Boston Tea Party
by Robert N. Webb
from Dover Publications
for 5th-9th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$8.49
Who Was Paul Revere?
Who Was? Biographies
1st edition from Grosset & Dunlap
in Who Was? biographies (Location: BIO-WHO)
$5.94
Wild Hope
by Gayle Boss, Illustrated by David G. Klein
from Paraclete Press
for 6th-Adult
in Easter & Lent (Location: HOLIDAY)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
William Bradford
by Gary D. Schmidt
from Eerdmans
Biography for 7th-10th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$10.20
William Bradford
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
for 4th-8th grade
in Heroes of History (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$10.19
Wives of the Signers
by Harry & Mary Green
from WallBuilder Press
Biography for 7th-10th grade
in New Nation (1783-1801) (Location: HISA-18NN)
Woods Runner
by Gary Paulsen
from Ember
for 4th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Yankee Doodle Boy
by Joseph Martin
from Holiday House
Historical Non-Fiction for 5th-8th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$9.99
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