- Etymology:
- Middle English, from Old English hāligdæg, from hālig holy + dægday
- Date:
- before 12th century
1: holy day2: a day on which one is exempt from work; specifically : a day marked by a general suspension of work in commemoration of an event--
so really, what makes a holiday? what changed? we have moved from celebrating feast days in the Catholic tradition and simply enjoying the days when we don't have to do work (homework excepted, of course)...to something else entirely? why do we now have these fanciful ideals of what the holidays should look like, even though we know that the reality never lives up to it?I don't have a real answer necessarily. What I do know, however, is that the Lord made days like the Sabbath for us to enjoy for His glory ...and not our own. My thought is that the American tradition (dream, fantasy, ideal, what have you) has taken this notion and changed its purpose. Rather than look back on what the Lord has done for us and see how He has worked in our lives, we are encouraged to look back and see what we have done, what we have come through. This cultural vision is difficult to overcome, even by Christian families. It is difficult to not build our castles on the sand and then feel disappointment when they wash away--as they inevitably do. I confess to struggling with this every time a holiday rolls around. Somehow I am unable to keep my head on straight when I come home; oh, I might leave school with every intention of keeping Christ at the centre of all my doings and sayings. But let's face it--I am a sinner. I am inadequate, even for this task. So after every holiday I return to my respective home humbled at my woeful imperfections and in full awareness of my dependence on Jehovah Nissi. Thank Goodness I have Him for my Banner, my rallying point. He is much more worthy of thanks than I or anyone I know of is. He alone has the word that can truly encourage and inspire...and He is the one who righty receives all the credit.
so really, what makes a holiday? what changed? we have moved from celebrating feast days in the Catholic tradition and simply enjoying the days when we don't have to do work (homework excepted, of course)...to something else entirely? why do we now have these fanciful ideals of what the holidays should look like, even though we know that the reality never lives up to it?I don't have a real answer necessarily. What I do know, however, is that the Lord made days like the Sabbath for us to enjoy for His glory ...and not our own. My thought is that the American tradition (dream, fantasy, ideal, what have you) has taken this notion and changed its purpose. Rather than look back on what the Lord has done for us and see how He has worked in our lives, we are encouraged to look back and see what we have done, what we have come through. This cultural vision is difficult to overcome, even by Christian families. It is difficult to not build our castles on the sand and then feel disappointment when they wash away--as they inevitably do. I confess to struggling with this every time a holiday rolls around. Somehow I am unable to keep my head on straight when I come home; oh, I might leave school with every intention of keeping Christ at the centre of all my doings and sayings. But let's face it--I am a sinner. I am inadequate, even for this task. So after every holiday I return to my respective home humbled at my woeful imperfections and in full awareness of my dependence on Jehovah Nissi. Thank Goodness I have Him for my Banner, my rallying point. He is much more worthy of thanks than I or anyone I know of is. He alone has the word that can truly encourage and inspire...and He is the one who righty receives all the credit.
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