CCA Holidays
The question before us is how, and to what degree, ought CCA participate in annual holidays that have potentially unchristian origins or traditions. The two particular holidays that may be most pressing are Christmas and Halloween. While Christmas historically traces its roots to the birth of Christ, our culture’s traditions include a variety of additional non-biblical ideas that can very easily detract from the Christian story. Likewise, Halloween, while popular with many families and children, is deeply connected with the occult. How might CCA navigate holidays like these?
As a general principle for the school, we recognize that our aim is to glorify Christ, and that we do not want to adopt anything into the life of the school that would hinder children from a pure worship. Throughout history, Christians have meaningfully engaged with cultural questions like these, using three categories: receive, redeem, reject.
● Received: Elements of culture that can be received are those that pose no hindrance or barrier to a Christian’s devotion to Christ. Jesus, as an example, likely wore the clothing common to the people of his time and place.
● Redeemed: Elements of culture that can be redeemed are those that can be adopted only with some modification and reorientation. Just as the Israelites were able to redeem temple designs and sacrificial rhythms from surrounding nations when they were instructed to build their own tabernacle, so can modern Christians redeem some cultural practices for the purposes of worshiping God properly.
● Rejected: Lastly, some cultural ideas and practices must simply be rejected altogether for lack of any potential redeeming qualities. Jesus, as an example, drove the money changers from the temple; he did not simply modify their behavior.
Navigating these three categories in relation to holidays and Christian worship takes meaningful thought and reflection.
Christmas, as an example, has both elements that are redeemable as well as elements worthy of rejection. At the center of Christmas, is the celebration of the birth of Christ. While the date of December 25th is likely historically inaccurate, and while the Bible does not prescribe this annual celebration, there is nothing inherently inconsistent with receiving this holiday. Some cultural traditions surrounding Christmas may need to be redeemed or rejected however. Santa Clause and his works-based narrative may be wise to reject. But Nicholas of Bari, of whom the myth of Santa Claus is based, and who was a devout Christian who participated in the Council of Nicea and defended the church against heresies, might be a redeemable historic narrative.
Halloween is another example that will take careful thought. Many aspects of Halloween, such as dressing up as witches and evil spirits, may be most wisely outright rejected. But Halloween may offer families opportunities for faithful Christian reflection on the reality of the spiritual
forces at work in our world. With careful thought, Halloween could be redeemed into a moment to educate on Christ’s teachings on his victory of sin, Satan, and death, as well as his gift of spiritual armor provided to every Christian to live in the spiritual world around us.
Where appropriate, and where helpful, many of the secular traditions of the world around us, may in fact provide redeemable teaching moments for the school.