Traditions of men

As we approach these last two months in the Gregorian calendar two things always become the most important topics to our culture: Thanksgiving and Christmas. What blows my mind is that often times many people and even public radio stations blow right past Thanksgiving and begin celebrating the "Christmas Season" on by the first of November.

I am personally very fond of thanksgiving since it is the first documented history we have in this country where our ancestors actually made friends with the natives and gave thanks to God. Without that friendship and the generosity of the natives the pilgrims would have died of hunger. God showed his mercy by allowing the hearts of the natives to be soft for the pilgrims and teach them how to farm.

Christmas is a holiday I spent most of my life celebrating proudly because I thought I was honoring our savior. In adolescence, I enjoyed the whole Santa Claus and reindeer belief and lost sleep the entire week before 12/25 in anticipation of receiving my presents. There are many problems with this tradition of men that so many celebrate with a proud countenance. Here are some of the fallacies:

1) Our Savior Jesus Christ (Mashiach Yeshua) was NOT born on 12/25 and definitely not even in December. 
2) If you have to lie to your children to get them to believe something should it really be done?
3) Would you feel honored if I chose a day of one of my friends and said from now on I am celebrating your birthday on my other friend's birthday?
4) The whole Christmas holiday has become mostly about presents and receiving gifts (especially to children who need to learn the spirit of giving the most).
5) We put aside the feasts of our Lord explained in the Bible (which we claim to follow) to celebrate a tradition made up by men.
6) There have been "gods" who had their "birthdays" celebrated on 12/25 but they were not the God of Israel. One of them was Mithras. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/news/2000/dec08.html.
7)The three wise men coming to give birth to "baby jesus" never happened. Our savior was a boy before the wise men came.


In conclusion, I am not condemning anyone who celebrates Christmas. I celebrated it many years even defending the "keep Christ in Christmas" campaign. Many people that celebrate the holiday do so with passion and extreme joy. Some parents are even amazing at teaching the spirit of giving and volunteering at homeless shelters on Dec 25. I commend anyone who chooses to love our Lord and has a passion for serving Him. We all get things wrong sometimes, and I learn new things every single day. I pray that our heart and minds will be opened to anything we practice that does not honor God. I have chosen not to follow any tradition that cannot be fully supported by God's word because that is what I feel is right. Everyone has their own path and I will love my neighbor despite the choices they make that may differ from my own. I posted this to help my brother and intended not to make any stumbling block. I encourage anyone who reads this to pray and ask God for your direction. Don't take my word for it, but read your Bible and find out for yourself.