Why I Started Celebrating the Biblical Feasts

Why do I celebrate the Biblical holidays?

This was a slower process than the decision to honor the Sabbath day. Growing up, my mom had the wisdom to recognize the many problems with Easter being celebrated in the Christian church, so we turned to celebrating Passover in my early teens. It seems obvious in hindsight but it took us several years before we figured out we should keep the rest of the Biblical holidays as well. So what led to the change?

For me that spark came when I started seriously reading and studying Scripture. While I have consistently read my Bible since I was a preteen, I wasn't studying or being taught all of it. If you cherry-pick the popular Christian passages of Scripture, you are going to miss a lot.* Realizing that all Scripture is breathed by YHWH and intended to instruct us (1 Timothy 3:16), I knew I needed to study the whole book to see its instructions for me. Upon reading the Bible in a year I could see that not only are these holidays mentioned, but that their thread can be seen from Genesis through Revelation. (My personal learning and conviction was compounded by my small congregation that was also studying this - surround yourself with those seeking truth and working to be obedient to the word and your life will change.) And when I saw that the thought of celebrating YHWH's set apart times was exciting! To enumerate a few reasons...

I wanted to start celebrating the Biblical feasts because:

-Scripture commands us to. Once I checked out Leviticus 23, Deuteronomy 16, and the many other verses on the feasts this was loud and clear! "This is a festival to YHWH throughout all your generations." (Exodus 12:14) I mean, really no reason beyond this is needed, right? Scripture says throw a party, so that is just cause to celebrate. If the word says to do something then it is in our best interest to do that. You don't have to be a scholar to realize that following Scripture's instructions is the wise choice to make.

-Paul exhorts believers (even non Jewish ones) to keep these feasts. Many people have told met that the Biblical holidays are strictly an Old Testament thing and not needed after the Messiah came. Apostle Paul didn't think so and expressly told believers to keep the feasts (1 Corinthians 5:8). Both the Old and New Testaments tell us to do this. Think you're not invited because you don't come from the right gene pool? Nope, this instruction is for everyone. When Paul wrote this, he was actually addressing a Greek group of believers from Corinth. His target audience wasn't Jewish people or those living in Israel, and you don't have to meet those descriptions to celebrate.

-The Messiah and his disciples kept the set apart times. Remember those WWJD bracelets? Well one of the answers to that question is, "He would keep the feasts!" We see him doing this at the last supper for Passover, traveling to Jerusalem for a feast as a boy, and in John 7 at Sukkot. The cycle of the seven set apart times would have been foundational to his life, marking the seasons and the calendar. Just as we know that fall means back-to-school, leaves changing colors, and pumpkins and apples, he would have associated fall with getting ready for the fall feasts. I love how this gives us such an idea of what his days were like...picture him putting together a sukkah before the Feast of Tabernacles or counting the omer in the spring time, and making plans to celebrate the feasts.

-There is both historic and prophetic significance to each of these times. The Biblical holidays are action packed to say the least, from the Israelite exodus from slavery to the resurrection of the Messiah; the giving of the Torah to baptism in the Holy Spirit at Shavuot. Each set apart time is so rich because it symbolizes not only what YHWH wants us to remember regarding the past, but what is to come at those times in the future. Did you know when Yahusha said that no one knew the day or the hour of his return he used an idiom for the Feast of Trumpets? We can learn so much from the feasts.

-Wanting to honor YHWH. We host birthday celebrations and engagement parties, and award ceremonies because we want to honor people. What about a few days to honor the Creator? While we can do that through other means as well, we shouldn't neglect that he asked us to observe these times.

-Conviction. I've had no problem celebrating cultural holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, workplace/career milestones, high school homecoming, the Ohio State versus Michigan football game, and even completely made up days like 'National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day'...is it too much to ask to give YHWH's days a little attention? In fact, I'd willingly jumped into all of those other days because they sounded fun and (mostly) they held some significance. What am I saying when I reject the feasts of YHWH because I don't think they have meaning or could be celebrated with joy?

-Sincerely wanting to be a doer of the word. I don't know about you, but for me there came a time when I just got sick of letting myself off the hook with excuse after excuse for why we don't actually need to keep Scripture's instructions. Life is too short to live in half-hearted compromise. And if abundant life comes through the Messiah, shouldn't I align myself with his lifestyle and value system, at least to the best of my ability? YHWH deserves more than just my verbal praise, he desires that we show our faith by our actions. Celebrating a few times a year is a doable and joy filled way to do that.

I am so thankful to be able to honor and celebrate YHWH's set apart times. It is a great joy to have the seasons of my life revolve around Scripture. I wish I could adequately tell you how celebrating the feasts has enriched my faith and understanding of Scripture, but it has been so much more than I ever imagined. 2 Peter 3:18 tells us that we are to continually grow in the favor and knowledge of the Messiah, if you're feeling like you've been stuck or stagnant, keeping the feasts is an amazing opportunity to grow! All are invited.


*That really bad habit of skipping over large portions of Scripture leaves believers in the dark on many topics, and most live in complete ignorance that there are times of year that are set apart by the Creator for specific celebrations. This is compounded by bad translations (like Shavuot's misnomer Pentecost, or heaven forbid, calling Passover "Easter," or how a mention of it being "already after Yom Kippur" in Acts gets changed to "we had lost a lot of time"). If you have a poor translation of Scripture that you don't read all of or study, you are going to miss important blocks of Scripture, including these ancient festivals we are commanded to keep.

More on the Biblical Holidays:
The Beginner's Guide to the Biblical Holidays

The Feast of Tabernacles: What it Means and Why You Should Celebrate

Fresh Perspective on the Biblical Feasts

What are the Differences Between Passover and Easter?

A Peek at the New Torah Sisters Magazine - Passover Special Edition

Have you seen the latest issue of Torah Sisters Magazine? It is just beautiful and stuffed full of ideas for Passover and the Spring feasts! It is 56 pages of tangible encouragement, ideas, and inspiration - not just for the feasts, but for daily life as a follower of YHWH.

Even though it's called Torah Sisters, I think Hebrew men would also enjoy its content, and there are even a few activity pages for children. With more than fifteen contributors, topics in this issue include: recipes for Passover, spiritual housecleaning, DIY tzitzit holder, 10 Scripture verses on gardening, Torah portions list, Passover bucket list, Scripture poster for Passover, how to make kombucha, plans for deep cleaning your home, saving a bad homeschool day, Passover coloring pages and lots more.

I loved this piece from Kayte Abaffy about spring cleaning your diet. It had practical and doable advice for healthier eating habits, and I especially enjoyed how she tied that into the process of cleaning the leaven out of our homes before the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

The Torah portions page is just beautiful, and you can easily remove it from the magazine to put on your fridge or bulletin board or in your Bible. In this issue there is another poster, coloring pages, and my Passover Bucket List that you can also remove for real life use!

Can I just add that I even like the advertising in the magazine? I know that sounds crazy - most of the time when an article title lures me on the front of a magazine, I turn page after page of ads and eventually give up without finding what I actually wanted to see. That is definitely not the case here: there are only a few ads (maybe six in this issue?), and they are actually pertinent to your life as a believer! Advertisements are from companies selling things like Hebrew apparel, tzitzits, and resources for teaching Scripture to children. Yay!

There are lots of pictures of different ideas for Passover tablescapes. You will hear from a number of believers about how they celebrate this feast. It's so nice to have something tangible that is an inspiration for keeping Torah and celebrating the feasts. I think that it's fun and lighthearted make it easier for others to approach the Hebrew faith when they see it sticking out of your bag or in the break room at work or on your coffee table. It's a great way to start a conversation about faith!

You can head to the Torah Sisters website to order your copy of the magazine in time for Passover. It is also available as a PDF if a digital version would better suit your needs. Amy and Crystal have done a wonderful job of putting together a beautiful magazine that you will certainly enjoy. It would also make a great Passover gift for a friend.

Open My Eyes - Psalm 119 Printable

"Open my eyes that I might see the wonders from your Torah." -Psalm 119:18

What an amazing statement! If you haven't read through the 119th psalm to see the author's reverence for the words and instructions of YHWH, it's definitely worth a look. The unknown author waxes quite poetically about the beauty of the word, the goodness of Torah's instructions, that it's worth more than millions in gold, how the word is a lamp to our lives. He or she has nothing but praises for the Torah, and this is the longest chapter in the whole of Scripture...nothing but praises.

And yet, still they are asking to see more.

There is so much more richness and depth to Scripture than what we realize. And the more I see, the more I am aware that there is more that I haven't yet understood. No matter where you are in your faith, you can have more. This printable is available to you for free in hopes that this reminder would stir in your heart to ask to see more of the beauty from YHWH's word.

Click here to download this printable. It is free for your personal use and easy to print off on a regular printer. Enjoy!

The No Stress Guide to Sabbath Day Meal Prep

Food prep for Shabbat. This seems to be one of the biggest struggles with honoring the Sabbath day. While it's an adjustment to learn to prepare or plan ahead to have meals that don't require work on Shabbat, it is totally doable! Even if you have a busy schedule. You don't need to have every Friday afternoon set aside for cooking three extra meals for your family. I'm going to walk you through how to set yourself up for success with some extremely low prep/low stress ideas for Sabbath day meals and snacks, that will actually fit into your life. You can do this!

First thing, I want you to consider what your limitations are. Do you restrict yourself to cold foods only or are you okay using a slow cooker? How about reheating meals in the oven? I personally use my oven to reheat food on Shabbat, but if you think that's going to far, no worries. Just stick with the ideas below that work for you.

And then take the pressure off yourself to have formal/fancy/extra special meals for the Sabbath. If you want to do this then sure, go for it. But if that is making for a streeeessssssed Friday or a cranky you, then why? Especially remember that having challah bread is not a commandment, it's tradition. It's tasty, but consider if scratch baking each week is a reasonable expectation for yourself in this season. As long as you're serving things not forbidden by Scripture then you're good.

Start off on the right foot by making an easy Friday night dinner. There is absolutely no reason to overwhelm yourself and head into the Sabbath exhausted or in a bad mood. It's also so much more enjoyable to look forward to the Sabbath when I don't place lots of hurdles before myself to get there.

Easy Friday night meal ideas include:
Grilling chicken, hamburgers, veggie kabobs, etc. (So much less clean up!)
Soup (comforting, low maintenance, forgiving...I'm there)
Baked Pasta that doesn't require boiling the noodles
Sheet pan meal or one dish dinner
Slow cooker meals
Pizza or takeout

Then make a grocery list (or take inventory of the pantry) to stock up on things that are ready to eat and slow to perish. You can see a complete post I did on this here. The idea here is that even if you put zero thought into Sabbath lunch or snacks, you have things on hand that you can just open up and eat. Things like this are also good to have in case of emergency or a power outage.

Pantry items to have on hand:
Tortilla chips
Salsa
Cheese
Refried beans
Carrots
Apples
Nut butters
Crackers
Dried fruits
Canned grape leafs
Olives
Pickles
Nuts

How about having some breakfasts in your back pocket that require zero prep work? No prep time, no problem.

No prep Shabbat breakfasts:
Bagels with cream cheese, maybe even smoked salmon (you can freeze bagels and smoked salmon, and cream cheese can last for months unopened in the fridge)
Sabbath-Friendly Oatmeal or instant oatmeal (just add hot water)
Yogurt with fruit
Toast with peanut butter
Cereal or granola with milk
Frozen breakfast burritos

How about stopping for a picnic on the way home from congregation? Or what if you find yourself out of town for the Sabbath? Here is a Sabbath day lunch for away from home. You can pack up just about everything in a basket before Shabbat if you'd like.

No prep Shabbat lunch to go:
Loaf of bread
Sandwich fixings (anything from PB&J to gourmet cheeses and jarred tapenade)
Pickles
Carrots and/or other low maintenance veggies
Hummus or other dip
Apples, pears, peaches or any fresh or dried fruit

Let's say it's the Sabbath and there's nothing made for lunch. No need to fast or cook up a storm. Here are a few simple meals that are tasty and super easy to throw together.

Favorite no work Shabbat meals:

Green salad - if you have greens on hand (kale lasts an especially long time for me), raid the the fridge and pantry for some salad toppings. Open a can of beans, add some salsa, extra veggies, and a sprinkle of cheese. Or add tomatoes, canned olives, and leftover lentils or quinoa. Cooked or raw veggies, nuts, leftover chicken or taco meat, hard-boiled eggs, canned chickpeas or beans, canned tuna, leftover cooked grains, are all great in a hassle free salad.

Veggie or grain bowls - these are made with similar ingredients to salads but grains or legumes are emphasized over lettuce. Start with a base of cooked rice, lentils, or quinoa, add fresh and/or roasted veggies (leftovers from fajita night? a jar of roasted peppers? corn or green beans thawed from the freezer with a rinse of warm water?), and plenty of toppings...chickpeas, chicken, a scoop of hummus, kimchi, boiled eggs, sunflower seeds, anything leftover or handy. Add extra flavor with a splash of vinaigrette, salsa, tzatziki, chutney, pesto, or salad dressing.

Sandwiches - keep sandwich supplies on hand (most freeze well). It's almost no work to put together a peanut butter and jelly (or turkey or veggie sandwich), and it certainly beats violating the Sabbath or stressing yourself out. 

Nachos - spread some tortilla chips on a pan, dollop with canned beans (refried or whole), some cheese and salsa and pop it in the oven for the cheese to melt and you've got nachos! You could swap out the chips for tortillas and make a tostada or quesadilla with the same ingredients. Roasted sweet potatoes or squash, chopped tomatoes or peppers, pickled onions, leftover rice or quinoa could all be added.

Canned soup - things couldn't be much easier or faster than opening a can or jar of soup and heating it up. If you need to stretch it, add some frozen vegetables to the soup or serve it with bread, cheese, crackers, pickles, or fresh veggies.

Stock your freezer with with meals to bake. That way if you're busy, no worries, you've got dinner. I'm talking about things that you just stick in the oven and bake, no thawing or extra ingredients or steps required. You can of course purchase these already made or make your own version.

Freezer meals to have on hand:
Stuffed peppers
Lasagna
Pizza
Twice baked potatoes
Burritos
Falafel
French fries
Veggie burgers
Casserole

It's the end of a busy week and you're low on food at home. What do you grab at the store? Anything that we've talked about works well here, sandwich or salad supplies, frozen burritos, bagels or oatmeal for breakfast.

Favorite last minute Sabbath snacks to grab at the store:
Baby carrots, snap peas, lunchbox peppers, cherry tomatoes, or any veggie that is ready-to-eat or just needs washed
Hummus, guacamole, or other veggie dip
Apples, clementines, berries, or other low maintenance fruit
Bread, bagels, croissants or other bakery items
Cheese
Yogurt
Popcorn
Pickles or pickled vegetables
Olives
Nut butters
Crackers

You've got some time but not a lot to get some food made for Shabbat. What can you do?

Quick and easy snacks to make ahead:
Chop veggies and fruit so they're ready to eat
Thaw frozen fruit (put some frozen peaches or berries into the fridge to thaw and you've got an instant dessert or snack the next day)
Bake something sweet (may I suggest Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, Raspberry Crumble Bars, Healthy Pumpkin Ginger Bread, or brownies?)
Make whole fruit popsicles or frozen yogurt bars (blend yogurt and fruit, pour into a popsicle mold, and freeze)
Roast a sheet pan of veggies (try adding a squeeze of lemon along with salt and pepper) for snacking or to add to salads or a sandwich the next day
Cook lentils or quinoa for salads or grain bowls
Whip up a batch of hummus
Hard-boil eggs
Make granola
Pop a batch of popcorn (freeze the extra and it is ready to eat straight from the freezer, it tastes fresh and isn't at all cold)

No prep Shabbat meal plan examples:

Friday dinner: Tomato soup with grilled cheese
Saturday breakfast: Sabbath-Friendly Oatmeal
Saturday lunch: Grape leafs, hummus, pita bread, raw veggies, feta cheese, and olives
Snacks: Popcorn
Saturday dinner: Baked stuffed peppers from the freezer with green salad

Friday dinner: Grilled hamburgers or veggie burgers with corn on the cob
Saturday breakfast: Yogurt with strawberries
Saturday lunch: Make-your-own salads
Snacks: Frozen yogurt bars and fresh peaches
Saturday dinner: Tostadas with refried beans and lots of toppings

Friday dinner: Sheet pan chicken dinner
Saturday breakfast: Granola or cereal with milk
Saturday lunch: Bagel sandwiches with cream cheese, smoked salmon, and cucumber slices. Red pepper slices and broccoli florets with dip or vinaigrette.
Snacks: Apples with nut butter
Saturday dinner: Bake frozen pizza and french fries

As you can see, you can have a Sabbath's days worth of food without spending a whole extra day preparing it! Keep it simple and remember that the point of the day is not the food. The Israelites ate manna every single day, so have some go-to recipes that you turn to often if that helps. Don't compare your peanut butter bagel or frozen pizza to someone else's social media glamour shot. Embrace simplicity that allows you to rest on the Sabbath.

Want more recipes? 
Here are slow cooker meal ideas you can make for the Sabbath.
There are so many great salads or healthy make ahead meals to try.
And here are casseroles to make ahead for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert.