The Beginner's Guide to First Fruits (Celebrating the Savior's Resurrection the Biblical Way)

In this post we examine the basics of First Fruits, which is a Biblical holiday that happens shortly after Passover within another Biblical holiday, the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This is the day that Jesus rose from the grave! By learning more about this holiday we can worship the Messiah in deeper ways and celebrate his resurrection at the Scripturally appropriate time. We will talk about what this holiday means and share practical ideas for celebrating and taking part in such a joyous occasion!

What is First Fruits? 

First Fruits is one of the Biblical holidays and it happens within another Biblical holiday, the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It is a special part of Unleavened Bread. In Levitical times, it was the day when the priests presented a wave offering of the 'first fruits' of the harvest that year - barley. It's also the day that the Messiah rose from the dead and presented himself to his Father!

Where is First Fruits in the Bible?

Details on First Fruits are seen in Leviticus 23:9-14 (usually spelled Firstfruits).

What Bible verses relate to First Fruits?

Leviticus 23:9-14
Deuteronomy 26
Matthew 28
Mark 16
Luke 24
John 20
1 Corinthians 15:20-28

Biblical events have taken place on First Fruits:

-The resurrection of Jesus the Messiah. (Matthew 28)

-Israel crossed over the Red Sea after leaving Egypt in the Exodus story. (Exodus 3:18, 5:3)

-Israel ate the first fruits of the Promised Land. (Joshua 5:10-12)

-The Temple was cleansed and sacrifices were reinstated under the reign of King Hezekiah. (1 Chronicles 29:17-18)
-Queen Esther foiled the plot of Haman. (Esther 3:12, 5:1)
-Noah's ark possibly came to rest on Mount Ararat after the flood on First Fruits.

-The walk to Emmaus, where the Savior "expounded on all things concerning himself" from Scripture to a couple of his followers. (Luke 24:13-15)

Why celebrate First Fruits?

This is the day that Jesus rose from the dead! If that's not worth our attention and celebration, what is? When he rose from the dead, no one called the day Easter. First Fruits is about doing our best to worship the Messiah in ways consistent with what the Bible teaches.

Who should celebrate First Fruits?

First Fruits should be celebrated by all Bible believers. If you want to celebrate the Savior defeating the grave and coming back to life, the Biblically correct day to do so would be on the day of First Fruits. 

The Bible holidays were given to all of God's people and all Bible believers may take part in them, regardless of ethnicity, spiritual background, ancestry, etc.

How is First Fruits different than Easter?

When it comes to the idea of celebrating that the Savior is risen, the Bible holiday First Fruits is very similar to Christian intentions behind Easter. The difference is that while First Fruits is Biblical, Easter is manmade. They happen at similar times of year (sometimes the same day), but First Fruits does not involve Easter bunnies, egg hunts, or ham.

Is First Fruits the same as Unleavened Bread?

First Fruits is part of Unleavened Bread. While Unleavened Bread is weeklong holiday, First Fruits is one day during that. It happens the Sunday after the Sabbath during the week of Unleavened Bread. The stipulation of not eating leaven still applies during this time, and we still remember and celebrate the spiritual significance of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. We remember how God parted the Red Sea and lead his people to freedom, but on First Fruits especially we also remember and celebrate that the Messiah is no longer in the grave and he lives!

How to observe First Fruits:

First Fruits is a joyful day! Praise God for the resurrection of Jesus and have fun! 

Gatherings are not Scripturally required, but you could certainly arrange to get together with friends or attend a service at a congregation that celebrates this.

Note that First Fruits is not considered a Sabbath day, unless it happens to fall on the last day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. 

What should I do to celebrate First Fruits?

-Read the Gospel stories of the empty tomb! This is truly the best part of the Good News - that the Messiah lives - and there's no better time to revisit that. Read Bible passages aloud, revisit the tale in children's books and movies, or do a dramatized version.

-Gather for a festive meal, if you want. Again, this is not a requirement but you certainly can make a special meal and invite loved ones to join in. On First Fruits, the Bible says not to eat leavened bread, so make foods without leaven. I'll link to a list of unleavened recipes at the end of this post to get you inspired.

-Spread the good news. First Fruits is a wonderful day for sharing the joy and love of God with others. Send notes of Scripture and encouragement to loved ones, volunteer for a service project, gather donations to give to those in need, and challenge yourself to be extra gracious and kind to everyone you encounter this day.

-Have fun! Even though Easter egg hunts are not appropriate for First Fruits, games can still be played, treats enjoyed, and prizes given. How about making an obstacle course for kids where they have to cross the "Red Sea" and "escape from Egypt"? There are plenty of empty tomb and crucifixion related kids crafts you could make. Put together a scavenger hunt. Make and enjoy matzah toffee or a Red Sea crossing smoothie bowl. 

Related posts:
How to Celebrate First Fruits
Meal Ideas for the Feast of Unleavened Bread
Kids Crafts for Passover and First Fruits
Red Sea Crossing Smoothie Bowls

Here's When the Biblical Holidays Happen in 2025

This is when the Biblical holidays happen in 2025.

If you're looking for this year's dates for Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Shavuot, the Feast of Trumpets, Yom Kippur, and the Feast of Tabernacles you have come to the right place. These holidays have historic and prophetic meaning in Scripture and believers today can take part in that by adding these dates to their calendars!

While the Bible gives specific dates for each holiday, the Gregorian calendar doesn't match up with the Creator's calendar so the dates land a little bit differently each year on our modern calendar. There are also a few different ways to calculate the start of the year and because of that some groups will observe them at slightly different times. What I'm sharing here is the most commonly used set of dates. Whether you go by this calendar or another, mark your calendars for these set apart times!

When do the Biblical holidays happen in 2025?

Passover - April 12-13

Unleavened Bread - April 13-20

First Fruits - April 13-14

Shavuot - June 1-3

Feast of Trumpets - September 22-24

Yom Kippur - October 1-2

Feast of Tabernacles - October 6-13

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 April 12 and goes through the evening of the 13th. If you do not observe days as starting in the evening, then celebrating Passover the day of April 13th would be appropriate. 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...feel free to just celebrate the first day of those!

It's also important to note that while all of these are special times, some of these days are considered Sabbaths 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. This means that believers should request off from work or arrange to be away from their business on those days, as well as refrain from shopping, errands, and yard or household projects and chores. 

Sabbath days for 2025:

April 13-14
April 19-20
June 1-2
September 22-23
October 1-2
October 6-7
October 12-13

As well as all weekly Sabbaths, of course.

You have the opportunity to celebrate what God has done by joining in on the Biblical holidays this year!

Related posts:
The Beginner's Guide to the Biblical Holidays
Why the Biblical Holidays Are for All Believers
Six Reasons Believers Should Keep the Bible's Holidays Today

Here's When the Biblical Holidays Happen in 2024

This is when the Biblical holidays happen in 2024.

If you're looking for next year's dates for Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Shavuot, the Feast of Trumpets, Yom Kippur, and the Feast of Tabernacles you have come to the right place. These holidays have historic and prophetic meaning in Scripture and believers today can take part in that by adding these dates to their calendars!

While the Bible gives specific dates for each holiday, the Gregorian calendar doesn't match up with the Creator's calendar so the dates land a little bit differently each year on our modern calendar. There are also a few different ways to calculate the start of the year and because of that some groups will observe them at slightly different times. What I'm sharing here is the most commonly used set of dates. Whether you go by this calendar or another, mark your calendars for these set apart times!

When do the Biblical holidays happen in 2024?

Passover - April 22-23

Unleavened Bread - April 23-30

First Fruits - April 27-28

Shavuot - June 11-13

Feast of Trumpets - October 2-4

Yom Kippur - October 11-12

Feast of Tabernacles - October 16-24

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 April 22 and goes through the evening of the 23rd. If you do not observe days as starting in the evening, then celebrating Passover the day of April 23rd would be appropriate. 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...feel free to just celebrate the first day of those!

It's also important to note that while all of these are special times, some of these days are considered Sabbaths 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. This means that believers should request off from work or arrange to be away from their business on those days, as well as refrain from shopping, errands, and yard or household projects and chores. 

Sabbath days for 2024:

April 23-24
April 29-30
June 11-12
October 2-3
October 11-12
October 16-17
October 23-24

As well as all weekly Sabbaths, of course. 

This is your year to celebrate the Bible holidays!

Related posts:
The Beginner's Guide to the Biblical Holidays
Why the Biblical Holidays Are for All Believers
Six Reasons Believers Should Keep the Bible's Holidays Today

Here's When the Biblical Holidays Happen in 2023

This is when the Biblical holidays happen in 2023.

What are the Bible holidays? Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Shavuot, the Feast of Trumpets, Yom Kippur, and the Feast of Tabernacles are all days we are told to observe and celebrate in Scripture. They are listed in Leviticus 23, Deuteronomy 16, and elaborated on elsewhere in Scripture. Each of these has historic and prophetic significance for Bible believers!

The Bible gives specific dates for each holiday, but since the Gregorian calendar doesn't match up with the Creator's calendar the dates land a little bit differently each year on our modern calendar. There are also a few different ways to calculate the start of the year and because of that some groups will observe them at slightly different times. What I'm sharing here is the most commonly used set of dates. Whether you go by this calendar or another, mark your calendars for these set apart times!

When do the Biblical holidays happen in 2023?

Passover - April 5-6

Unleavened Bread - April 6-13

First Fruits - April 8-9

Shavuot - May 25-27

Feast of Trumpets - September 15-17

Yom Kippur - September 24-25

Feast of Tabernacles - September 29 - October 7

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 April 5 and goes through the evening of the 6th. 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:
Why I Started Celebrating the Biblical Feasts
Why the Biblical Holidays are for All Believers
The Beginner's Guide to the Biblical Holidays

Things the Messiah Said on First Fruits

First Fruits is probably the Biblical holiday that gets the least amount of attention. Which is surprising because significantly this is the day the Messiah was resurrected on! What better holiday to rejoice in and learn more of? The Messiah himself had a lot to say on this particular holiday and I want to draw attention to some of what he said on First Fruits.

Things the Messiah Said at the Festival of First Fruits:

"Tell my Israelite brothers that they shall see me in Galilee." -Matthew 28:10
The Messiah wants you to know this promise today: you shall see him.

"O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Did not the Messiah have to suffer all these things, in order to enter into his glory?" -Luke 24:25-26
Did you know the famous walk to Emmaus happened on First Fruits? Wouldn't you love to get to listen in on this full discussion of the Messiah explaining how the writings of Moses and the prophets speak of him?! I imagine every question they listeners had was answered beautifully. And isn't it funny that even 2,000 years ago people were slow to believe what Scripture had to say?

"Peace be upon you. Do not be afraid." -Luke 24:36
The Messiah spoke fearlessness and complete peace over his followers. Don't miss that this happened to those who showed up to celebrate First Fruits. Talk about benefit and blessing from keeping the Biblical holidays!

"Why are you troubled? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and understand and see, for a spirit has no flesh and bones, and you can see that I do." -Luke 24:39
Whatever is troubling us today, we know he is alive and will care for us. Give your worries to him.

"Have you any food?" -Luke 24:41
I love that he would ask his. This is First Fruits, right after Passover, and in the middle of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This is feast time. And our Messiah? "Hey guys, can I get a snack over here?" I think it so humble of him to ask. I'm sure he knew that if they saw him eat they wouldn't wonder if he was a vision or whatever. But I think he also just wanted to take part in the set apart times and, perhaps, gently remind his followers what they should be doing at these times as well. Let's not make him ask. Let's keep the feasts.

"All things must be fulfilled which are in the Torah of Moses, and in the Prophets and Psalms, concerning me." -Luke 24:44

Calling attention to the importance of Scripture, he didn't write off the Torah or its commandments. He could have taken this opportunity to start fresh or begin a new church like many people say...but he didn't. When we celebrate his resurrection we need to remember the great weight the Messiah believed the Old Testament proclaimed.

"So it is written, and it was necessary that the Messiah suffer, and rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations." -Luke 24:46-47
May we never forget this great charge we have, to proclaim the forgiveness of sins to all those who repent. The hope of this promise is indeed something to celebrate on this glorious holiday of First Fruits!

"Madam, why do you weep?" -John 20:15
The first words we know of Yahusha speaking after the resurrection are to offer comfort to a woman mourning. Isn't that beautiful and so like him? He had things to do that day; he certainly could have spoken about weightier matters. But he stopped to comfort someone who was hurting. I hope that we never forget that he is there to comfort us when we mourn.

"Miriam." -John 20:16
When he spoke her name Miriam instantly realized it was the Messiah. Have you ever had one of those moments where you hear something from YHWH and even if it's simple it sheds so much light?

"Shalom alecheim: as my Father has sent me, even so I send you." -John 20:21
Peace be upon you. He speaks so much of comfort and courage during these set apart times. The Biblical holidays are a chance for us to have our capacities for peace and bravery fortified, so that we would be prepared for wherever he is sending us to spread his good news. Real empowerment and encouragement happen when we take part in these set apart times!

"Receive the Holy Spirit." -John 20:22 
And then he literally breaths the Holy Spirit onto his followers that were there with him, taking part in First Fruits! Isn't that amazing? Who doesn't want more of the Holy Spirit's wisdom and joy and comfort in their life? You have an opportunity during First Fruits and the Feast of Unleavened Bread to receive more of the Holy Spirit in your life!

"If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven." -John 20:23
What a testament that our actions are so powerful. Never forget that what you choose to do truly does matter, and impacts those in your life. You are not the only one that benefits when you are obedient to the Scriptures that tell us to keep First Fruits and the other feasts of YHWH.

More on First Fruits:
How To Celebrate First Fruits
First Fruits Celebration Photos

Kids Crafts for Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits

Here are kids crafts and activities for the Biblical holidays of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits. Since I am a believer in the Messiah, many of these crafts relate to his death and resurrection, which happened on Passover and First Fruits. Others teach children about the Exodus story when YHWH brought his people out of slavery. Making crafts like these can be fun and memorable ways for kids to learn about these times and celebrate the Biblical feasts!

Please note that I am recommending the craft, and not necessarily every detail of the lesson that goes with it. The crafts are great starting points, and I'm sure we can come up with appropriate Biblical lessons to go with them if you wish. If you're not sure what that lesson could be - please reach out!

Spring feast kids crafts:

Paper Plate Sheep from Crafting the Word of God

Burning Bush Craft from Mrs. Jones' Creation Station

Ten Plagues Against Egypt Wheel from Crafting the Word of God

Red Sea Crossing Craft from Jesus Without Language

The Last Supper Craft from Crafting the Word of God

DIY Toilet Paper Roll Frog from I Am Creative

Resurrection Empty Tomb Craft from Meaningful Mama

Ten Plagues Story Craft from Torah Sisters

Blood on the Doorpost Craft from Crafting the Word of God

DIY Clay Matzah Jewelry from Land of Honey

Red Sea Parting Craft from Meaningful Mama

10 Plagues Dominoes from Jesus Without Language

Plague of Hail Mobile from Crafting the Word of God

He is Risen from Crafting the Word of God

If you're struggling to come up with a lesson regarding a certain craft, please comment below and we can all share ideas to encourage each other!

Other resources:
Spring Feast Gift Ideas for Kids
Tips to Help Kids Get the Most from Passover Seder
Feast Activity and Coloring Pages from Bible Pathway Adventures

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