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Days To Observe Shabbat Rosh Hashanah Yamim Noraim Yom Kippur Sukkot	Days To Observe Shemini Atzeret Simchat Torah Chanukah Tu B'Shevat Purim	Days To Observe Pesach Lag B'Omer Shavu'ot Tisha B'Av Rosh Chodesh Our Calendar		Days To Avoid Christmas Imbolc Valentine's Day Easter May Day Summer Solstice:	Days To Avoid Lughnasadh: Michaelmas Halloween		Days Of Pause Birthdays New Years day 4th of July Thanksgiving Day Superbowl Sunday

Holidays to Observe

Shabbat: (Shabbos, The Sabbath, The Seventh Day):

When:

Each Friday sunset to Saturday sunset (18 minutes prior to 40 minutes after).

Biblical:

Instituted for everyone at:

Genesis 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
2:3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified [qadash means to "appoint for observance" compare Strong's H6942] it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

Reinstituted with specific instructions for Jews at:

Exodus 31:12 And Adonai spake unto Moses, saying,
31:13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily [above all] my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am Adonai that doth sanctify you.
31:14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
31:15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to Adonai: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.

Shabbat is the weekly day of rest and giving of thanks to HaShem as Creator (for everyone) and for the Exodus from Egypt (for Jews). First commanded at Genesis 2:1-3 (above) for all of creation. Reaffirmed in both versions of the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20:2–17 and Deuteronomy 5:6–21) and at numerous places in the Tanakh for Jews. Non-Jews are not required to observe the Jewish Laws governing proper Shabbat observance. Jews differ on what these are and on how Shabbat should be observed.
Shabbat is the only weekly observance set apart in Scripture and it is the most important appointment of all those established by HaShem. All other days are numbered in Hebrew (day one, day two, etc) but Shabbat has a proper name. The other days dance around this central pillar. The Sabbath is unique.





For more information on Shabbat see my series of studies beginning Here:





Greetings: Shabbat Shalom, Good Sabbath, Good Shabbos.

May be observed by: All who honor in HaShem. Jews are given a special requirements/obligations.

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Note: * The following dates are (mainly) from the Hebrew lunar calendar. To determine the dates for the present year on your calendar go Here (to Chabad.org).

Rosh Hashanah: New Year:

When:

Tishri 1,2 *.

Biblical:

Biblical names: Yom Ha-Zikkaron (the day of remembrance) and Yom Teruah (the day of the sounding of the shofar: usually a ram's horn).

Instituted at:

Leviticus 23:23 ADONAI said to Moshe,
24 "Tell the people of Isra'el, 'In the seventh month, the first of the month is to be for you a day of complete rest for remembering, a holy convocation announced with blasts on the shofar.
25 Do not do any kind of ordinary work, and bring an offering made by fire to ADONAI.'"

Greetings:

L'shanah tovah ("Have a good year") or "L'shanah tovah tikatev v'taihatem" ("May you be inscribed and sealed [in the Book of Life] for a good year.")

May be observed by:

All who trust in HaShem. Required for Jews.


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Yamim Noraim: Days of Awe or Days of Repentance:

When:

The 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur *.

Extra-biblical, Tradition:

During this period one should do serious introspection and repentance in preparation for Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement, see below). One should especially practice the following kinds of actions to demonstrate ones repentance to HaShem as He prepares the "books" of our lives:

Teshuvah: repentance
Tefilah: prayer
Tzedakah: good deeds (usually, charity but any act of kindness).

The "books" metaphorically kept by HaShem are sealed on Yom Kippur for the following year. Sins that have not been repented of may have negative impacts in the upcoming year (II Chronicles 7:14).

May be observed by:

All who trust in HaShem. Required for Jews.


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Yom Kippur: Day of Atonement:

When:

Tishri 10 *.

Biblical:

Instituted at:

Leviticus 23:26 ADONAI said to Moshe,
27 "The tenth day of this seventh month is Yom-Kippur; you are to have a holy convocation, you are to deny yourselves, and you are to bring an offering made by fire to ADONAI.
28 You are not to do any kind of work on that day, because it is Yom-Kippur, to make atonement for you before ADONAI your God.
29 Anyone who does not deny himself on that day is to be cut off from his people;
30 and anyone who does any kind of work on that day, I will destroy from among his people.
31 You are not to do any kind of work; it is a permanent regulation through all your generations, no matter where you live.
32 It will be for you a Shabbat of complete rest, and you are to deny yourselves; you are to rest on your Shabbat from evening the ninth day of the month until the following evening."

This is considered to be the most important day of the year (excluding Shabbat). One should refrain from all work and all pleasures. One should do a full fast (health permitting), seek forgiveness for wrongs done concluding the repentance of Yamim Noraim.


Greeting:

G'mar Hatimah Tovah or "May You Be Sealed for a Good Year (in the Book of Life).

May be observed by:

All who trust in HaShem.


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Sukkot (Festival of Tabernacles, Festival of Booths):

When:

Tishri 15 *

Biblical:

Instituted at:

Leviticus 23:33 ADONAI said to Moshe,
34 "Tell the people of Isra'el, 'On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the feast of Sukkot for seven days to ADONAI.
35 On the first day there is to be a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work.
36 For seven days you are to bring an offering made by fire to ADONAI; on the eighth day you are to have a holy convocation and bring an offering made by fire to ADONAI; it is a day of public assembly; do not do any kind of ordinary work.
37 "'These are the designated times of ADONAI that you are to proclaim as holy convocations and bring an offering made by fire to ADONAI -a burnt offering, a grain offering, a sacrifice and drink offerings, each on its own day
38 besides the Shabbats of ADONAI, your gifts, all your vows and all your voluntary offerings that you give to ADONAI.
39 "'But on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered the produce of the land, you are to observe the festival of ADONAI seven days; the first day is to be a complete rest and the eighth day is to be a complete rest.
40 On the first day you are to take choice fruit, palm fronds, thick branches and river-willows, and celebrate in the presence of ADONAI your God for seven days.
41 You are to observe it as a feast to ADONAI seven days in the year; it is a permanent regulation, generation after generation; keep it in the seventh month.
42 You are to live in sukkot for seven days; every citizen of Isra'el is to live in a sukkah,
43 so that generation after generation of you will know that I made the people of Isra'el live in sukkot when I brought them out of the land of Egypt; I am ADONAI your God.'"
44 Thus Moshe announced to the people of Isra'el the designated times of ADONAI.

Greeting:

Chag Sameach: joyous festival

May be observed by:

Jews. Sharing Sukkot with ushpizin (Sukkot guests) is a wonderful mitzvot. Anyone can take part in this way.


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Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah:

When:

Tishri 22 * (the eighth day after entering the sukkah).

Extra-biblical, tradition:

Completion of the annual cycle of Torah readings. beginning of the annual cycle of Torah readings (we begin reading at Genesis 1:1). A day of celebration and dancing with the Torah scrolls. Often viewed as part of Sukkot, but technically occurs on the day after.

Greetings:

Chag Sameach: joyous festival

May be observed by:

All who trust in HaShem, especially those who regularly read the parsha (the traditional weekly Torah readings) and who have dwelt in a sukkah during Sukkot.


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Chanukah: Festival of lights:

When:

Eight days beginning on Kislev 25 *

Biblical, Apocryphal, with added tradition:

Remembers the re-dedication of the Temple after it was defiled by the Greek Antiochus IV Epiphanes (who sacrificed a pig on the alter!). Two groups opposed Antiochus, the (Hasmonean) Maccabees and a group known as the Chassidim (no relation to the present Chassidim movements) from whom the P'rushim (Pharisees and modern Rabbis) emerged. Chanukah (Hanukkah) recalls their re-dedication of the Holy Temple (I Maccabees 4:56–59).


The Christian Book of John records the following Chanukah account:

John 10:22 Then came Chanukah in Yerushalayim. It was winter,
23 and Yeshua [Jesus] was walking around inside the Temple area, in Shlomo's Colonnade.

According to tradition (recorded in the Babylonian Talmud: Shabbat 21b) at the time of Temple's re-dedication there was not enough oil left to keep the Temple menorah lit as required. There was only enough oil to burn for one day. Miraculously the oil lasted for eight days (the time needed to prepare a fresh supply). To remember this miracle an eight day festival was declared known as the Festival of Lights. This account does not appear in the Book of Maccabees. Each night a flame is lit in memory following a traditional lighting pattern.

Should be observed by:

Jews.


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Tu B'Shevat:

When:

Shevat 15 *

Biblical

Instituted at:

Leviticus 19:23 When you enter the land and plant various kinds of fruit trees, you are to regard its fruit as forbidden - for three years it will be forbidden to you and not eaten.
24 In the fourth year all its fruit will be holy, for praising ADONAI.
25 But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit, so that it will produce even more for you; I am ADONAI your God.

The "new year" for calculating the age of trees

May be observed by:

Everyone who loves Eretz Israel. Planting trees in Israel is a great mitzvot!


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Purim:

When:

Adar 14 *

Biblical

Instituted at:

Esther 9:20 Mordekhai recorded these events and sent letters to all the Jews in all the provinces of King Achashverosh, both near and far,
21 instructing them to observe the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and the fifteenth day, every year

Remembers the defeat of a plot to exterminate the Jews. In a greater sense it refers to all attempts to destroy us and reminds us of HaShem's constant protection. Its a day of great joy and has been called the Jewish Halloween due to the costumes and public celebrations.

May be observed by:

Jews. However all who stand with Klal Israel can participate in solidarity with us and in repentance for the harm their ancestors have done, and for the harm currently being done).

For more see my piece here.

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Pesach (Passover), Feast of Unleavened Bread::

When:

8 days beginning on Abib/Nisan 15 (sunset 14th) *
Feast day (Exodus 13:6)
"Why is this night different from all other nights?"

Biblical

Instituted at:

Exodus 12:14 "'This will be a day for you to remember and celebrate as a festival to ADONAI; from generation to generation you are to celebrate it by a perpetual regulation.
15 "'For seven days you are to eat matzah - on the first day remove the leaven from your houses. For whoever eats hametz [leavened bread] from the first to the seventh day is to be cut off from Isra'el.
16 On the first and seventh days, you are to have an assembly set aside for God. On these days no work is to be done, except what each must do to prepare his food; you may do only that.
17 You are to observe the festival of matzah, for on this very day I brought your divisions out of the land of Egypt. Therefore, you are to observe this day from generation to generation by a perpetual regulation.

Celebrates the beginning of the harvest season in Israel, however much more importantly Pesach remembers (reminds us of) the Exodus from Egypt.

The Passover history is recorded in Exodus Chapters 1-15. Many of the specific Pesach observances are instituted in Chapters 12-15, other aspects come from diverse Jewish tradition.
During Pesach all chametz (leaven: anything made from the five major grains -- wheat, rye, barley, oats and spelt) -- are removed from the home and strictly avoided. Ashkenazi Orthodox Jews also consider rice, corn, peanuts, and legumes (beans) to be of this category by their tradition. Everything regarded as chametz is removed from the home in memory of the fact that the Israelites fled Egypt in a hurry -- not leaving time to even let their bread rise. This tradition is also symbolic of our desire to remove the puffiness of arrogance and pride from our souls. This is a time to take stock of what really matters in life realizing that in a moment our lives could be drastically overturned by circumstances beyond our control. Our only hope is in HaShem alone. In His alone we place our emunah (active faith).

See my A Pesach Tale video


Greetings:

Chag Sameach: joyous festival

May be observed by:

Jews


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Lag B'Omer:

When:

Connects Pesach (Exodus from slavery) to Shavu'ot (freedom by the giving of Torah).

Biblical

Instituted at:

Leviticus 23:15 "'From the day after the day of rest -that is, from the day you bring the sheaf for waving -you are to count seven full weeks,
16 until the day after the seventh week; you are to count fifty days; and then you are to present a new grain offering to ADONAI.

The Torah commands counting the days from Pesach to Shavu'ot. This period is known as the Counting of the Omer. The Orthodox Union has a chart showing how this is done Here. There are several traditions surrounding this period of partial mourning (weddings, celebrations, parties etc. are forbidden as are haircuts and other optional elements of grooming.

For more SEE HERE

May be observed by:

All who worship HaShem.


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Shavu'ot: Pentecost: (the Festival of Weeks, Hag ha-Bikkurim -- the Festival of First Fruits), Hag Matan Torateinu -- Festival of the Giving of Torah).

When:

2 days beginning with the conclusion of 49 days or 7 full weeks, as calculated from the second day of Pesach (Passover) until the day before Shavu'ot according to the Lag B'Omer (the Counting of the Omer). Pesach reminds us of the slavery the Jews left with the Exodus and Shavu'ot reminds us of the freedom received by the giving of Torah.

It is an ancient tradition to stay up all night on the first night of Shavu'ot and give oneself to Torah and Talmud study. As the morning dawns one should be engaged in Torah and prayer. It is also a tradition to read the Book of Ruth during the night. Dairy meals are also part of the traditional observance. Work is not permitted on Shavu'ot.

Biblical

Instituted at:

Leviticus 23:15 From the day after the day of rest -that is, from the day you bring the sheaf for waving -you are to count seven full weeks,
16 until the day after the seventh week; you are to count fifty days; and then you are to present a new grain offering to ADONAI
21 On the same day, you are to call a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work; this is a permanent regulation through all your generations, no matter where you live.

For more SEE HERE


Greetings:

Chag Sameach: joyous festival.

May be observed by:

Jews.


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Tisha B'Av: the Fast of the Ninth of Av

When:

Av 9 *, for 25 hours

Biblical

Instituted at:

Zechariah 7:3, II Kings 25:8-9, Mishnah Ta'anit 4:6, etc.

A day for remembering diverse major Israelite tragedies. Tisha B'Av primarily (especially) commemorates the destruction of the first and second Temples (both were destroyed on the ninth of Av: the first by the Babylonians in 586 B.C.E.; the second by the Romans in 70 C.E.). On this day the Torah cabinets are draped in black cloth.
Begins with the fast of the 17th of Tammuz (commemorating the first breach in the walls of Jerusalem, before the First Temple was destroyed. During this period worldly pleasures are increasingly avoided, parties, cutting of the hair etc are not permitted. From the first to the ninth of Av tradition says to refrain from eating meat or drinking wine (except on Shabbat) and from wearing new clothing.

May be observed by:
Jews. However all who stand with Klal Israel can participate in solidarity with us and in repentance for the harm their ancestors have done, and for the harm currently being done).

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Rosh Chodesh: "Head of the Month"

When:

Monthly on sighting the New Moon

Biblical

Instituted at:

Exodus 12:1,2, Numbers 10:10, Psalm 81:3, etc.

Rosh Chodesh marks the first day of any new month.
In biblical times this was a significant holiday that included the sounding of the shofar (ram's horn). Today observance mainly consists of slight changes in the daily prayer recitations such as the recitation of the birkat ha-hodesh (a special prayer for the month to come, from peace and prosperity to success in business, good health, and piety). One should not fast on Rosh Chodesh
It is good to eat well (with bread) on this day. No cutting of hair, nails etc.
Some Jewish women still take the day off in memory of their refusal to participate in the incident of the Golden Calf:


"And Aaron said: Take the earrings from your wives, sons and daughters, and bring them to me" (Exodus 32:2). The women heard and refused to give their jewelry to their husbands, but said: "You want to make a calf with no power to save? We will not listen to you." God gave them reward in this world that they keep Rosh Chodesh more than men, and in the next world they merit to renew themselves like Rosh Chodesh. (Pirkei d'Rabbi Eliezer, 45)

May be observed by:
Jews as its significance pertains only to the Jewish calendar.

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The Calendar HaShem Gave The World

HaShem's Day	Day of the Week	Pagan Days
Yom Rishon	First Day	Sunday: Day to worship Sol Invictus (sun gods)
Yom Sheini	Second Day	Monday: Day to worship the Moon (moon gods)
Yom Shlishi	Third Day	Tuesday: Day to worship Tiew (Mars)
Yom R'vi'i	Fourth Day	Wednesday: Day to worship Wodan (Mercury)
Yom Chamishi	Fifth Day	Thursday: Day to worship Thor (Jupiter)
Yom Shishi	Sixth Day	Friday: Day to worship Fria (Venus)
Yom Shabbat	Sabbath Day	Saturday: Day of Saturn:

HaShem's Months	Month Number	Month Length	Pagan Months
Nissan	1	30 days	March-April: Months to honor of Mars and Aphrodite, goddess of love, beauty and sexuality.
Iyar	2	29 days	April-May: Months to honor Aphrodite and Maia, Italic goddess of spring
Sivan	3	30 days	May-June: Months to honor Maia and Juno, Roman goddess of marriage and queen of the gods
Tammuz	4	29 days	June-July: Months to honor Juno and Julius Caesar
Av	5	30 days	July-August: Months to honor Julius and Augustus Caesar
Elul	6	29 days	August-September: Months to honor Augustus Caesar / Septem: seventh
Tishri	7	30 days	September-October: September: seventh and Octor: eighth
Cheshvan	8	29 or 30 days	October-November: Octo: eighth and Novem: ninth
Kislev	9	30 or 29 days	November-December: Novem: nine and Decem: ten
Tevet	10	29 days	December-January: Decem: ten and Janus, Roman god of beginnings
Shevat	11	30 days	January-February: Months to honor Janus and Februus, an old-Italian god
Adar I (leap years only)	12	30 days	February-March: Months to honor Februus and Mars, Roman god of war
Adar (called Adar Beit in leap years)	12 (13 in leap years)	29 days	February-March: Months to honor Februus and Mars, Roman god of war

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Holidays To Avoid

Note: As our desire is to harmonize our will with HaShem's Will with emunah (active faith) and to honor Him alone, holidays that are not scripturally based and/or that bring glory to other gods or creatures are best avoided.
Modern culture is filled with Pagan religious and secular customs. It is often difficult to avoid them all completely. Most Christian holidays are based directly on earlier Pagan and/or Heathen holidays. Cloaking a Pagan practice with Christian symbolism does not make it holy! The dates of the following holidays are not always the same as their original Pagan dates however the symbols and traditions of the holidays confirm their Pagan connections. Each of us must decide how we will deal with invitations to Yule/Christmas parties etc. We should however at the very least understand where these observances come from so we can make informed decisions. This is the purpose of the following list. For information on various holidays see my studies here.

Holidays of the Winter Solstice: December

• Saint Nicholas Day: In honor of Nicholas of Myra (December 6)
• Immaculate Conception of Mary (December 8)
• Feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12)
• Yule for Wicca (December 21)
• Saturnalia (introduced around 217 BCE. Originally one day, December 17, then expanded into a week-long extravaganza, ending on the 23rd).
• Juleaftensdag ("Yule Eve Day"): December 24.
• Christmas (December 25)
• Yule (Now December 25: previously late December to early January based on lunar Germanic calendar and Pagan traditions)
• Feast of the Holy Family (December 26)
• Holy Innocents (December 28)
• Feast of Mary, Mother of God (January 1)
• Feast of St Basil: Orthodox Christian (January 1)

See my six part study of Christmas Here.

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Imbolc: Cross-quarter day: February 2

• Imbolc the Pagan fertility and weather divination day
• Oimelc (February 1)
• Saint Brigid’s Day (February 1)
• Groundhog Day (February 2)
• Candlemas (February 2)
• Galatin's Day ("lover of women")
• La Fheile Bride: Ireland (February 2)
• Gwyl y Canhwyllau: Wales: "Mary's Festival of the Candles" (February 2)
• Lupercalia: Pagan Roman purification ritual (February 13 - 15)
• Presentation of Christ in the Temple: Anglican (February 2)
• Ash Wednesday: first day of Lent: forty-six days (forty days not counting Sundays) before Easter.
• Saint Valentine's Day (February 14): established by Pope Gelasius I in 500 CE (origin: Lupercalia)
• Transfiguration Sunday (February 14)
• Feast of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple

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Vernal Equinox: March 20/21

• Maundy (Holy) Thursday (Thursday before Easter)
• Saint Patrick's Day (March 17)
• Day of goddess Ostara (March 20)
• Norouz: Zoroastrian New Year (March 21)
• Naw Ruz: Bahai (March 21)
• Annunciation of the Virgin Mary (March 25)
• Lazarus Saturday: Orthodox Christian (March 27)
• Palm Sunday (March 28)
• Easter is observed by the churches of the West on the first Sunday following the full moon that occurs on or following the spring equinox (March 21). Easter is a "movable" feast which can occur as early as March 22 or as late as April 25.
• Khordad Sal: Birth of Prophet Zaranhushtra: Zoroastrian (March 28)

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Arbor intrat: April

• Arbor Day: Last Friday in April in US (Friday is in honor of goddess Freia). This arises from the Pagan worship of trees. Dates vary. See list of dates here.

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Beltane: Cross-quarter day: May 1

• May Day
• Ascension of Christ (May 13)

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Summer Solstice: June 21

• Feast of John the Baptist: June 24th.
• Feast Day of Saints Peter and Paul

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Lughnasadh: Cross-quarter day: August 1

• Lammas (August 1)
• Fast in honor of Holy Mother of Lord Jesus: Orthodox Christian (August 1)
• Transfiguration of the Lord: Orthodox Christian (August 1)

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Autumn Equinox: September 21

• Elevation of the Life Giving Cross: Holy Cross Day (September 14)
• Saint Michaelmas (September 29): AKA: Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, the Feast of the Archangels, or the Feast of Michael and All Angels.
• Mabon: Pagan (September 23)

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Samhain: Cross-quarter day; October 31/ November 1:

• Reformation Day (October 27)
• Halloween/All Hallows Eve (October 31)
• Devil Night (October 31)
• Reformation Day: Protestant Christian (October 31)
• All Saint's Day (November 1)
• All Souls' Day (November 2)

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Days of Pause

Note: As our desire is to harmonize our will with HaShem's Will with emunah (active faith) and to honor Him alone, holidays that are not scripturally based and/or that bring glory to other gods or creatures are best avoided. Modern culture is filled with Pagan religious and secular customs. It is often difficult to avoid them all completely. The Days of Pause are observances that are not religious in nature nor specifically forbidden, but that for one reason or another some religious people decide to avoid. Each of us must decide how we will deal with the occasions. We should however at the very least pause to understand where these observances come from so we can make informed decisions. This is the purpose of the following list. For information on various holidays see my studies here or see above. How to deal with these Days of Pause are your decision to make. The following therefore are offered as food for thought.

Birthdays:

The Bible neither specifically forbids nor condones the recognition/celebration of birthdays however consider the following accounts of birthday parties recorded in the Bible:

Genesis 40:18 Yosef answered, "Here is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days.
19 Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head from off of you -he will hang you on a tree, and the birds will eat your flesh off you."
20 On the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, he gave a party for all his officials, and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his officials.
21 He restored the chief cupbearer back to his position, so that he again gave Pharaoh his cup.
22 But he hanged the chief baker, as Yosef had interpreted to them.

And from the Christian New Testament:

Matthew 14:6 However, at Herod's birthday celebration, Herodias' daughter danced before the company and pleased Herod
7 so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked.
8 Prompted by her mother, she said, "Give me here on a platter the head of Yochanan the Immerser."
9 The king became deeply upset; but out of regard for the oaths he had sworn before his dinner guests, he ordered that her wish be granted,
10 and sent and had Yochanan beheaded in prison.

Nothing good ever comes from birthday parties in the Bible!

Another strike against birthday observances as practiced today is that we are commanded to avoid greed and gifts of flattery (Proverbs 15:27). Birthdays are the second most greed-based, gift receiving holiday we have after Christmas.

Also consider the origin of Birthday Cakes. The first known birthday cakes were religious cakes used by the ancient Greeks. These ancient Pagans made moon shaped (round) honey cakes or breads and took them to the temple of Artemis (goddess of Moon: lunar deities are the most commonly condemned in the Bible). The candles on the cake are clearly blown out as acts of prayer that our wishes will be fulfilled. These prayers are generally made to some non-specified birthday wish granter.

For these reasons and others many godly people do not celebrate nor acknowledge birthdays at all. As in so many cases balance may be determined the wisest course to follow: for instance remembering the day with a modest meal of favorite foods and some special treat while avoiding birthday cakes and the giving of so many gifts can be a wonderful way to demonstrate our love for one another while avoiding non-Torah traditions. Birthdays can be joyful events, especially for children, however we should pause and consider how and if we should observe them.

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Secular New Year's: December 31/January 1:

HaShem has given us a calendar. The world today uses a Pagan based calendar devoted to gods that we are not to worship. Celebrating the annual passage of such a calendar from one year to the next is therefore questionable (for balance on this see the introductory note to this section).

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4th of July and Similar National Observances:

Recognition of the various national holidays may determined according to present realities. Does ones country stand with Israel? Does it promote godly values? If so, celebrating might be appropriate. Does ones country work against the best interests of Israel? Does it abuse the weak and poor? Then what is there to celebrate? We are ambassadors of another kingdom. While we should respect and obey the governments under which we live, as long as doing so does not violate Torah, we are not commanded to take part in their celebrations (for balance on this see the introductory note to this section). You must decide.

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Thanksgiving Day:

While we are always to give thanks to HaShem for His goodness, nationally sponsored religious days of Thanks giving usually have other motives. They are often ways in which political leaders, who advocate policies that are in opposition to HaShem and detrimental to His people, seek to make their subjects believe the country is godly. In the case of the US Thanksgiving Day there are direct ties with the founder's celebrating atrocities they did against the native population. Americans need to bear this in mind. But then again, that's not what the celebrants today are thinking about (although many Native Americans are!).

The bottom line is that our allegiance is to HaShem alone, not to human governments. Yet without governments our lives be miserable and Torah establishes that there should be just human governments. Each of us must decide such issues. For balance on this see the introductory note to this section)

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Superbowl Sunday etc.:

There is nothing wrong with sports nor with 'rooting for the home team.' Superbowl Sunday and other sporting events can promote much good. Watching such events with friends and family can be enjoyable and help solidify relationships between individuals, cities and even nations. The modern Olympic Games are another example. Clearly however the extremism that sometimes accompanies victory (or defeats) on the sporting fields are out of balance biblically speaking. The glorification of the players and sometimes obsessiveness about body building/sculpting can bring in other concerns. We need to keep our enthusiasm in perspective (for balance on this see the introductory note to this section) while enjoying these sorts of events.

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Be the Blessing you were created to be
And
Don't let the perfect defeat the good

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