Questions and Answers About the Biblical Holidays of Yom Teruah, Yom Kippur, and Tabernacles

These are questions I frequently am asked about the Biblical holidays of the Feast of Trumpets, Yom Kippur, and the Feast of Tabernacles. These are also known as the fall feasts because they happen in early autumn in the northern parts of the world. I am a believer in Messiah and do my best to answer questions based on what the Bible says and not man's traditions.

I'm getting a good understanding of Yom Teruah, but Sukkot still confuses me a bit.Keep learning! During Sukkot/Tabernacles we set up tents or traditional sukkahs as a reminder that one day the Messiah will return and tabernacle with us once again!See this post about what Sukkot is and why we should celebrate it.

Simple beginner ways to acknowledge and celebrate?

Start with putting these holidays on your calendar. Host a dinner party or Bible study to discuss and celebrate these special times. Don't worry about man's traditions - read through Scripture and see what it says.

How do I start? I have never done this and the rest of my family celebrates traditional holidays.

Start with what's doable for you. How about making a plan for a special dinner on the feast days? Make it festive with decorations and music. Light candles or get out your fancy dishes. Talk about the significance of these holidays and what they mean.

What do we eat?

Make things that you enjoy and will look forward to. If there's a time to pull out the stops, and make great food it's during YHWH's feasts!

Apples and honey are traditionally eaten at Yom Teruah and stuffed foods at Sukkot. But these are just traditional and are completely optional. I find myself eating a lot of campfire foods and grilled things during Sukkot. It also makes sense to take advantage of what's in season for you as Sukkot is a harvest festival. Garden vegetables like tomatoes, squash, aubergines, and peppers are great at this time of year.

When you first started celebrating the feasts did you make it grandiose?

Not at all. The first time I celebrated each I felt like I was struggling to get through the basics. I didn't know a single person who kept these holidays and couldn't find so much as a picture online of what these days were supposed to look like. So if that's where you're at know that you aren't alone and that it really does become sooo much easier each year!

What are the traditional fast days?

Yom Kippur is the set apart time where believers traditionally fast.

If you have never fasted before, set yourself up for success with a little practice beforehand. Skip breakfast and see how that goes. Try it a few times to get used to it. It will be significantly easier to fast for a day if you're used to fasting a meal here and there!

What does Yom Kippur look like with three young kids?

Get them involved! Read Bible stories and do crafts together. Talk about the special times and what they mean. Kids are not expected to fast. If you're fasting plan a special meal with them to break your fast with. They will see what you're doing and learn from your example.

How do you celebrate this day in your church?

My church has a potluck dinner for most of the feast days.

During Sukkot we rent a campsite at a state park, etc. We have a message, share a meal, and hangout around the campfire. There's also swimming, hiking, and playgrounds for anyone who wants to enjoy those!

How can I keep them when my husband isn't on board?

Do what YOU can. Take the no-work days off and go somewhere you can pray, worship, and study. See if a friend wants to join in. Look over the instructions for each holiday and incorporate what you can.

Tips for keeping the feast when living at home and parents don't agree?

Invite them to participate with you but don't make it your job to convince them of this. Continue to honor them and be respectful as you set an example of keeping the feasts. Maybe they don't want the living room decorated but can you still decorate in your room? Maybe they wouldn't appreciate a shofar blasting all day long, but can you put on some worship music they like? Focus on what you can do! If you want to invite them to do something with you make sure you are in charge of it (make the food, lead the study, etc.). Make plans for worship, study, and joy during these times. Get out of the house if need be.

Praying they are drawn to more of his truth as they see you honor the Creator in this way!

What's your family doing this year?

Excited for a congregational Yom Teruah celebration at a lake this year! There will be a potluck, message, time to enjoy creation, and discussion of how YHWH is working in everyone's lives right now.

How should I celebrate them if I am alone in my faith?

Find joy in these special times even if it's private. Maybe see about going to a lovely lake or park area for quiet time with YHWH. Have a dance party to worship music by yourself! Make a special meal or dessert. Rest and enjoy this time.

Is the tent on Sukkot optional?

Leviticus 23:42 says that we should dwell in temporary shelters. People handle this verse in a variety of ways. Some go tent camping or stay in an RV or cabin. Others put up some sort of sukkah outside and just eat meals in it.

Pray and see what the Creator is calling you to!

I've always wondered about staying in a camper/RV. It seems a tent may be more appropriate.

I mean a tent is definitely going to be closer to how the Israelites lived in the desert. But I applaud anyone making an effort at a temporary shelter during the Feast of Tabernacles!

Should we still offer sacrifices?

If you are a believer in the Messiah then no animal sacrifice is needed! More on that in this post.

Minimalist supplies on a budget - what can we make or thrift?

Pretty much anything! Greenery from your yard is festive and free. Decorates with apples, pumpkins, etc. and enjoy them later. Thrifted curtains are an inexpensive way to make an unconventional sukkah. Use pretty dishes, candles, and tablecloths that you already have. Inexpensive balloons and streamers add a lot of festivity to a space.

If you have a menorah the feasts are the perfect time to light it up!

Also check out free printables from my blog and Torah Sisters.

Where can I find feast printables?

We fall for the fall feasts.

Happy Yom Teruah!

Yom Teruah printable card.

Ephesians 1:7 Printable for Yom Kippur.

Palm Frond, Myrtle, Citron, and Willow.

Any books you'd recommend for perspectives on how to begin?

Edward Chumney's The Seven Festivals of the Messiah was so eye-opening to me when I was learning about these set apart times. He shares historic and prophetic significance of each feast as well as practical ideas for your celebrations.

Books for kids?

Definitely would recommend The Special Days by Danielle Kerr!

Favorite Messianic resources to teach/involve young kids?

Bible Pathway Adventures has some great stuff for kids!

Do you do traditional prayers and blessings?

I do not. Unfortunately many of the traditional blessings contain Biblical untruths (such as YHWH commanding candles to be lit on the Sabbath and Yom Kippur, no such instruction is found in Scripture). Traditional blessings and prayers can be lovely guidelines, but make sure what you're saying fits with your best understanding of what Scripture says!

I know it's not a feast but do you observe Hanukkah as well?

I personally do not. It's easier for my family and friends to accept that I don't do Christmas because it's not in the Bible, if I'm not doing other holidays that aren't in Scripture. More on that in this post.

How do you share with others about the Biblical holidays?

I find that sharing my experiences with the set apart times and how many faith has grown because of them puts people at ease.

Most people are receptive to the historic and prophetic significance of the feasts, and these topics tend to spark interest rather than debate or offense.

Try starting from these angles, rather than a message of "you're doing faith wrong," or cultural holidays being pagan. Sharing the facts and personal joys offers opportunity for them to learn more, rather than just hearing they are doing something else wrong.

Related posts:
The Beginner's Guide to the Biblical Holidays
Honoring Yom Kippur as a Believer in Messiah
8 Things Scripture Says About the Feast of Tabernacles

What C.S. Lewis Was Wrong About

I want to preface this by saying that I have tremendous respect for the writings of C.S. Lewis. He is an excellent teacher of faith. He explains complex truths simply, and I pray that my own generation will produce works that help children understand the truth of the Gospel the way that The Chronicles of Narnia have done. That said, his teachings are not flawless, and I want to address one particular thing today.

Are you familiar with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe? It is the most well-known and probably most beloved book in The Chronicles of Narnia series. The premise is that the Pevensie siblings enter a land called Narnia through a wardrobe, where they discover that this wonderful place is under a curse where it is "always winter and never Christmas." There is an act of betrayal when one of the siblings aligns with the witch who has cursed this place, and Aslan - the Lion who created Narnia - must die in order to redeem the people and animals from the curse. Even if you're not familiar with this book, I'm sure just from this you can see the parallels to the story of the Messiah's redemption of Israel.

I grew up in a Christian home and I loved celebrating Christmas, so "always winter and never Christmas" did indeed seem like a curse to me. However, there was one thing that never quite made sense to me about this story. When the spell begins to break it is signified by the winter thawing, and Aslan (the savior of Narnia) is said to be on the move. The weather turns to spring and Father Christmas arrives and then the spring flowers are coming up. I always found that disconcerting because who associates Christmas with spring weather? In fact, that kind of weather would have been a disappointment to myself, siblings, cousins, and peers growing up. So why did he tell the story like this?

I can see the logical sense of it. Springtime exemplifies like no other season the Creator making all things new. There is tangible joy when the earth thaws and flowers and food crops make their first appearances. Lewis's transition from the land being stuck in the darkness of Winter finally into the warmth of Spring is a superb analogy of what accepting the Messiah is like. We know this is the parallel Lewis intended because once it is Spring Aslan willingly allows the witch to kill him because of humanity's betrayal.

Lewis painted this analogy beautifully and was correct about this in every way except one: he was wrong about the holiday.

Christmas doesn't happen in the springtime, but there is a holiday that does. Unlike Christmas, it wasn't a creation of man, but an ancient set apart time made by the Creator himself.

The holiday that happens in the spring when the winter freeze has been lifted is Passover. Passover is first described in the book of Exodus when the Living God freed his people from slavery. It is perhaps better known as the day the Messiah was killed for the sins of mankind. At the end of winter we celebrate this set apart time, remembering the Savior who was killed to redeem the curse against us and those who aligned themselves with the witch of our world. Like Yahusha, Aslan was resurrected from the dead and returned to help his people destroy the works of the enemy. We would indeed be under a curse if there was no Passover sacrifice of the Messiah.

I believe that C.S. Lewis used the example of Christmas because it was all he knew at the time. Now that we know better we are called to remember and celebrate the amazing significance of the death and resurrection of the Messiah when he was killed and resurrected - on the Biblical holidays of Passover and First Fruits. These are not just for those with Jewish ancestry - they are for all of us who would align ourselves with the Savior. These holy days are placed in Scripture for a reason, and we can rejoice that we are made able by the blood of the Messiah to truly rejoice in what he did for us at these times.

Related posts:
The Beginner's Guide to the Biblical Holidays
Five Reasons Believers Should Keep Passover
Why I Stopped Celebrating Christmas
Preparing for Passover
Why I Started Celebrating the Biblical Holidays

Questions and Answers about Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits

Recently I took some questions about the upcoming Biblical holiday of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits. I wanted to share them here for others wondering the same things!

What can I do to start preparing?

Get the dates put on your calendar and free yourself up from work! Be intentional about how you want to spend this time.

Make plans to celebrate with others if you can. Look into gatherings that are a doable distance for you to travel to or start making plans to host something yourself.

Check out these posts on what you can do to start preparing now, and how to host a Passover Seder.

Why should Christians keep Jewish holidays?

These holidays are Biblical! They were given to ALL the tribes of Israel (not just Judah, or the Jews) and everyone who chooses to follow YHWH and to be grafted into his people. There is absolutely nothing in Scripture about Passover and the rest of the set apart times being only for Jewish people.

The Messiah kept the Biblical feasts, and they were a significant part of his life. New Testament believers kept them and Apostle Paul expressly told us to keep them!

So Can one take part in the feasts without the ceremony or do you have to have a Haggadah? 

A Haggadah or formal ceremony is not at all necessary to participate in Passover! Most of the elements of a traditional Passover Seder are man-made. While those can be meaningful, they are not Biblical requirements. If you want to keep it simple you could do foot washing, communion, and Scripture reading.

My husband is not familiar with the Biblical feasts...would it be the right thing to do to celebrate for the first time this year?

This year is a great time to start! Keep it simple and focus on doing what you can without worrying about man-made traditions or getting everything "right." You will learn so much by studying the feasts and participating in them!

When do you begin the process of getting leaven out of your home?

About a month or so before the feast I start taking note of how many leavened products I have on hand to start using them up before Passover. I try to keep them in certain places in my kitchen and freezer to make it easier to gauge how much I have and to have fewer surprises later. Last year I used up/removed the last of my leavened products the day before Passover. You can do it sooner if you want to, but you don't get extra points for it!

What's the difference in celebrating Passover/First Fruits vs Easter?

This is such an important question!

We are commanded to keep Passover and told not even to utter the name of Easter.

The Messiah was killed on Passover and resurrected on First Fruits. Neither event happened on Easter.

Passover is in the Bible, Easter is not.

Many Easter traditions are expressly prohibited by Scripture.

See this post for more!

Can we eat rice during Unleavened Bread? No grains, right?

Unleavened Bread doesn't mean going grain free! Unleavened bread/matzah is made with grain. What you want to avoid is leaven, which is mainly taken to mean yeast and sourdough starter for bread.

Some people avoid mixing all grains with water (such as cooking rice), but I don't really see that in Scripture. Most people believe that rice is okay to eat during Unleavened Bread.

Do I need to remove never been opened yeast packets?

My understanding of the Scripture on this is that we should remove things that have been leavened, but are not required to remove leavening agents themselves.

The Israelites removed natural sourdough starter/leaven, but they would have kept their flour and water - which is what leaven is made from. In my opinion, if it's not something that's leavened and you won't be using it to leaven anything then it can stay.

Of course I always encourage people to study what Scripture says instead of focusing on man's traditions.

There are always debates about the dates every year - do you go by when the barley is harvested in Israel?

Personally I go off of Leviticus 23:11 which says First Fruits is the Sunday after Passover.

What are you supposed to do on First Fruits? I have never quite understood this.

First Fruits is the day the Messiah was resurrected so it is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate that! It is also when the counting of the fifty days to Shavuot begins.

Blessing your spiritual leaders, as well as foreigners, orphans, and widows is appropriate for this day. As is giving an offering, recognizing the provision of YHWH in your life, worship, and feasting!

See more on how to celebrate First Fruits in this post.

How do you make it fun and meaningful for the family?

Ask older kids what they think. Including them in the planning can help them to get on board. If they haven't celebrate before explain the significance of these times and ask what they think they can do to honor them.

Make it meaningful by talking about all the amazing ways YHWH has provided, and if you can, share ways that you have seen YHWH provide in your life as well as theirs to help them feel more connected to the exodus and the works of the Messiah.

Make this time memorable for kids- take time off from school and work to be together, travel to a group celebration, do a volunteer project, give gifts, have a formal meal, make lots of good food, invite others to join you, play games, read the pertinent Bible stories, and watch cinematic versions of them.

Maybe let each child pick a family activity to do during Unleavened Bread - it doesn't necessarily have to be spiritual, just something fun for them to look forward to!

What books do you recommend to learn more about these?

Edward Chumney's The Seven Festivals of the Messiah was very helpful when I was first learning about the set apart times.

How would you explain to a newbie in short what to do and how to honor this time?

Remember the awesome sacrifice of the Messiah as our Passover lamb, his resurrection, and the miracles YHWH performed when he freed his people from slavery.

Honor that with a Passover meal and/or communion. By removing the leaven from your home during Unleavened Bread, and bringing an offering on First Fruits. As well as remembering and sharing the work YHWH has done in your life.

Related posts:
A Beginner's Guide to the Biblical Holidays
How to Celebrate First Fruits
Preparing for Passover
Six Things You Can Do Now to Get Ready for the Spring Feasts

Here's When the Biblical Holidays Happen in 2021

The Biblical holidays are significant times for believers. The Creator set these times apart and throughout history he has used these feasts and holidays in big ways, from the Messiah being killed at Passover to the Holy Spirit being given at Shavuot, and we should expect him to continue that trend. Let's pay attention to when these special times are and take part in them like Scripture says we should!

Leviticus 23 tells us when these happen, but since the Gregorian calendar doesn't match up with the Creator's calendar the dates land a little bit differently each year. There are also a few different ways to calculate the start of the year and because of that there are several different calendars that believers go by. What I'm sharing here is the one that is mostly commonly used. Mark your calendars for these set apart times!

When do the Biblical holidays happen in 2021?

Passover - March 27-28
Feast of Unleavened Bread - March 28 - April 4
First Fruits - March 28-29
Shavuot - May 16-18
Feast of Trumpets - September 6-8
Yom Kippur - September 15-16
Feast of Tabernacles - September 20-27

A couple of things about this. According to this calendar, days start in the evening at sundown. This means that Passover starts on the evening of March 27 and goes through the evening of the 28th. This calendar also gives an extra day to both the Feast of Trumpets and Shavuot, even though in the Bible they are both just one day events.

It's also important to note that while all of these are special times, some of these are also considered Sabbath days which means we shouldn't work on them. These Sabbath days are the first and last days of Unleavened Bread, Shavuot, the Feast of Trumpets, Yom Kippur, and the first and last days of Tabernacles.

More on the Biblical holidays:
Reasons Why Believers Should Keep the Biblical Holidays
The Beginner's Guide to the Biblical Holidays
Biblical Holidays 2021 Dates Printable

Sharing Your Faith When Someone Wishes You Merry Christmas

When you don't celebrate Christmas it can be more than a little awkward to get "Merry Christmas" wishes multiple times a day. How can we best handle these sentiments? What are ways we can speak truth in a brief exchange at the checkout counter? How can we share our faith with coworkers and neighbors without jumping on the soapbox and having their defenses go up?

Many of you asked how I respond when someone says this to me. This is certainly not an exhaustive list of ideas, just a few things I find myself repeating at this time of year. Remind yourself that if someone wishes you a merry Christmas, or asks about your plans for the holiday, they probably sincerely mean well. You can respond with kindness without reverting to their words or even a "you too!" as you slip out the door. 

Simple phrases to respond with:

"Have a good day/weekend/vacation!" 

"Thank you for your kind wishes."

"I hope you have a nice time with your family."

"That's so kind of you to say! I actually don't celebrate Christmas but I appreciate the thought."

"I haven't celebrated Christmas for a few years now, so I don't really have any plans for the day. It's nice to not have the stress of shopping for gifts!"

"We decided to start celebrating the Biblical holidays in place of the cultural, so we haven't participated in Christmas activities for several years."

"I have felt God calling me to step back from the manmade holiday of Christmas. It's been an interesting journey and I'd love to tell you more about it sometime if you're interested."

"I don't celebrate Christmas anymore. I used to and totally get why you do. It's been quite a change but I feel like my faith has really grown because of it."

Of course, these are just ideas and phrases I use and you can customize them to fit your circumstances. It's not uncommon for me to use a couple at a time either. Usually I try to keep the tone of the conversation pretty upbeat. That's one reason I like to mention something that I enjoy about not celebrating Christmas - that my faith has grown or that I'm free from the stress of the holiday season. 

I'd also encourage you to be honest and real with whoever you're talking to. Admitting that stepping away from Christmas was difficult can go a long way with the people who put their tree up in October and don't take it down until February. Hearing that you had conviction - and acted on that past the point of convenience and comfort - definitely gives the people in your life something to think about. It's nice to have a little more time to talk when you delve into this perspective, but that said you can certainly quickly convey the idea of "It has been hard, but it's really been worth it!"

Sharing sentiments like these is an invitation for the hearer to evaluate their own actions, and the concept of Christmas in general. Many people truly do not realize that Christmas is not a Biblical holiday, and won't unless someone can give them a gentle nudge. Remember that it's not your job to explain all the details or to convince someone that Christmas isn't YHWH's best for them. It's our job to plant seeds, and sharing our faith like this is one way we can do that.

More on Christmas:
Five Things Every Believer Should Know About Christmas
Quitting Christmas
The Christmas Question
The Hebrew's Guide to Getting Through December