Holiday Celebration

Although surveys have shown that as many as 85 percent of citizens consider themselves Christian, people can be offended by the display of something Christian. We don’t like the public display of crosses, but the Easter eggs and the Easter bunny are okay. To satisfy political correctness, businesses may choose not to allow nativity scenes. Santa Claus is fine, and so is a Christmas tree as long as we call it a holiday tree.
I’m wondering what Easter and Christmas actually mean to the average American. Time off from work, perhaps. A chance for the family to gather for a big meal. A fun time for kids. Presents. A photo with Santa or the Easter bunny. For the CEO (Christmas and Easter Only) Christians, it’s the one time they attend church.
My, how times have changed since the age when these days were first called “holidays,” which is a word that developed over the centuries from the old English haligdæg, meaning “holy days.” Now the word simply refers to a religious festival or days of recreation.
The apostle Paul seems to be saying in Galatians 4:10 and Colossians 2:16 that our relationship with Christ is what makes all days important. We need to maintain a close connection with the Lord each day, not just on special times of celebration. That’s not to say special days are not important to us. Certainly, they can be if they remind us of our need for the Lord and lift our hearts in gratitude for what he has done for us.
What does it take—or what do we need to do—to make any day a “holy day”?