Early Christian Beliefs About Christian Holidays
Early Christians rejected pagan holidays and treated the Lord’s Day and Paschal feasts as joyful Christian observances. Tertullian, Justin, Ignatius, Origen, and later church writings all speak to this pattern in different ways. The strongest evidence is about refusing idol feasts and honoring Christ’s resurrection, while some texts allow different day-keeping among believers.
143 early-church witnesses · 232 source quotations · compared with Scripture
What did early Christians believe about christian Holidays?
Early Christians did not all treat holy days the same way. Tertullian and Minucius Felix show strong pushback against pagan holidays and public feasts, while Justin, Ignatius, and later church writings point to Christians keeping the Lord’s Day, Easter/Passover, and other church feasts with joy. Origen and Tertullian also warn that Christians should not join idol feasts or use days in a way that leads back to pagan worship.
At the same time, Romans 14:5-6 leaves room for believers to honor days differently, so the evidence is broad but not uniform. The clearest pattern is that early Christians rejected pagan holidays, honored the Lord’s Day and Paschal celebrations, and argued over how fixed holy days should be kept. Many more early Christian quotations, Bible passages, and source links are gathered below so you can study the evidence for yourself.
Key Takeaways
- Early Christians strongly رفض pagan feasts and idol festivals.
- Many early writers honored the Lord’s Day as a day of joy for the resurrection.
- Church writings also show Christian feasts like Easter/Passover and fasting rules.
- Romans 14:5-6 leaves room for believers who honor days differently.
Questions Answered by the Sources
Did early Christians reject pagan and imperial holiday observances?
Several early Christian writers say Christians did not join pagan, imperial, or idol-based festivities and criticized their moral character. These texts frame such holidays as incompatible with Christian discipline and worship.
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Tertullian, Apology Direct teaching
... day of joy, do we neither cover our doorposts with laurel branches nor crowd the day with lamps? Clearly, when a public festival is announced, the proper thing is to decorate your house like some new brothel. However, in this matter of showing honor to a lesser majesty, the matter in which we are accused of a lesser sacrilege because we do not celebrate the holidays of the Caesars with you in a way forbidden by modesty, decency, and purity — and in truth, these holidays were set up more as opportunities for immoral behavior than for any worthy reason — in this matter I want to show how loyal and truthful you are. Otherwise, perhaps those who refuse to count us as Romans, and call us enemies of Rome's chief rulers, may themselves be found worse than we wicked Christians. I appeal to the people of Rome themselves, to the native people of the seven hills. Does their Roman common speech ever spare a Caesar? The Tiber and the schools of the wild beasts bear witness. Now suppose nature had covered our hearts with something transparent, so that light could pass through it. Whose hearts, covered all over with engravings, would not reveal the picture of one Caesar after another presidin
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Tertullian, On Idolatry Direct teaching
In this place must be handled the subject of holidays and other extraordinary solemnities, which we accord sometimes to our wantonness, sometimes to our timidity, in opposition to the common faith and Discipline.
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Tertullian, Ad Martyras Direct teaching
you have no part in heathen holidays, even by mere bodily mingling in them;
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Origen, Against Celsus Direct teaching
...What, then, is there to hinder those who are most devoted to His service from taking part in public feasts?" I cannot see the connection he imagines between God's being good, independent, and free from jealousy, and His devoted servants taking part in public feasts. I confess, indeed, that from the fact that God is good, stands in need of nothing, and is free from jealousy, it would follow as a consequence that we might take part in public feasts, if it were proved that there was nothing wrong in the public feasts, and that they were grounded on true views of the character of God, so that they resulted naturally from a devout service of God. If, however, the so-called public festivals can in no way be shown to accord with the service of God, but on the contrary can be proved to have been devised by men when occasion offered to commemorate some human events, or to set forth certain qualities of water or earth, or the fruits of the earth, then it is clear that those who wish to offer enlightened worship to the Divine Being will act according to sound reason and not take part in the public feasts. For to keep a feast, as one of the wise men of Greece has well said, is nothing else
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Origen, Against Celsus Supporting witness
...hat never ends. Again, compare the festivals observed among us, as described above, with the public feasts of Celsus and the heathen, and say whether the former are not far more sacred observances than those feasts in which the lust of the flesh runs wild and leads to drunkenness and debauchery. It would take too long at present to explain why the law of God requires us to keep its festivals by eating the bread of affliction, or unleavened bread with bitter herbs, or why it says, "Humble your souls," and other similar things. For it is impossible for a man, who is a composite being, in whom the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, to keep the feast with his whole nature. Either he keeps the feast with his spirit and afflicts the body, which because of the lust of the flesh is unfit to keep it together with the spirit, or else he keeps it with the body, and the spirit is unable to share in it. But for now we have said enough about feasts.
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Origen, Against Celsus Supporting witness
Again, compare the festivals, observed among us as these have been described above, with the public feasts of Celsus and the heathen, and say if the former are not much more sacred observances than those feasts in which the lust of the flesh runs riot, and leads to drunkenness and debauchery.
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Tertullian, On Idolatry Supporting witness
By us, to whom Sabbaths are strange, and the new moons and festivals formerly beloved by God, the Saturnalia and New-year's and Midwinter's festivals and Matronalia are frequented — presents come and go — New-year's gifts — games join their noise — banquets join their din!
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Origen, Against Celsus Supporting witness
If it be objected to us on this subject that we ourselves are accustomed to observe certain days, as for example the Lord's day, the Preparation, the Passover, or Pentecost, I have to answer, that to the perfect Christian, who is ever in his thoughts, words, and deeds serving his natural Lord, God the Word, all his days are the Lord's, and he is always keeping the Lord's day.
Did early Christians have their own feast days and fasts?
Other early sources show Christians observing distinct days, especially the Lord’s Day, the Paschal fast, and related festival customs. These cards indicate that Christian observance included both rejoicing and fasting, but not in the same way as pagan public festivals.
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Ignatius, Epistle to the Magnesians (Long Version) Direct teaching
And after the observance of the Sabbath, let every friend of Christ keep the Lord’s Day as a festival, the resurrection-day, the queen and chief of all the days [of the week].
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Peter of Alexandria, Canonical Epistle Direct teaching
and the reasons he subjoins. But on the Lord's day we ought not to fast, for it is a day of joy for the resurrection of the Lord, and on it, says he, we have received that we ought not even to bow the knee.
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Peter of Alexandria, Canonical Epistle Direct teaching
But the Lord's day we celebrate as a day of joy, because on it He rose again, on which day we have received it for a custom not even to bow the knee.
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Ignatius, Epistles of Ignatius Supporting witness
...stity or self-restraint, let him not be prideful, lest he lose his reward. Do not underestimate the festivals. Do not disregard the period of forty days, as it is an imitation of the conduct of the Lord. After the week of the passion, do not neglect to fast on the fourth and sixth days, while also giving from your abundance to the poor. If anyone fasts on the Lord’s Day or on the Sabbath, except on the paschal Sabbath only, he is a murderer of Christ.
What Bible verses were used about observing days and feasts?
The Bible cards include texts used for both freedom of conscience about special days and for appointed feasts in Israel. Romans 14 and Colossians 2 are the clearest direct Bible passages in this set, while the law passages list sacred assemblies and feast days.
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Irenaeus, Fragments from the Lost Writings of Irenæus Direct teaching
Now this custom took its rise from apostolic times, as the blessed Irenæus, the martyr and bishop of Lyons, declares in his treatise On Easter, in which he makes mention of Pentecost also;
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Cyprian, Epistles Supporting witness
any one may know also from the fact, that concerning the celebration of Easter, and concerning many other sacraments of divine matters, he may see that there are some diversities among them, and that all things are not observed among them alike, which are observed at Jerusalem, just as in very many other provinces also many things are varied because of the difference of the places and names.
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Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Direct teaching
Therefore, you should fast on the days of the Passover, beginning from the second day of the week until the Preparation, and the Sabbath, for six days. During this time, use only bread, salt, herbs, and water for your drink. But on these days abstain from wine and meat, because they are days of mourning and not of feasting. Those of you who are able should fast completely on the day of the Preparation and on the Sabbath day, tasting nothing until the cock-crowing in the night. But if anyone is not able to keep both together, then at least let him observe the Sabbath day. For the Lord says somewhere, speaking about Himself: "When the bridegroom is taken away from them, in those days they will fast." Therefore, in these days He was taken from us by the Jews, falsely so called, fastened to the cross, and numbered among the transgressors. Isaiah 53:12
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Dionysius of Alexandria, Miscellaneous Fragments Supporting witness
...ht at once to begin their festival joy and gladness. But in what you wrote to me, you showed very clearly, and with an intelligent understanding of the Holy Scriptures, that they do not seem to give any exact statement of the hour when He rose. For the Evangelists describe differently the people who came one after another to the tomb, and all declare that they found the Lord already risen. Matthew says it was at the end of the Sabbath. John writes that it was early, while it was still dark. Luke says it was very early in the morning. Mark tells us it was very early in the morning, at the rising of the sun. So no one has shown us clearly the exact time when He rose. It is admitted, however, that those who came to the tomb at the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, found that He was no longer lying in it. And let us not suppose that the Evangelists disagree or contradict one another. Even if there seems to be some small difficulty in the matter we are asking about, they all agree that the Light of the world, our Lord, rose on that one night, though they differ about the hour. So we may rightly try, with a wise and faithful mind, to bring their
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Ignatius, Epistle to the Magnesians (Long Version) Supporting witness
...ribed space, nor finding delight in dancing and applause which have no sense in them. And after the observance of the Sabbath, let every friend of Christ keep the Lord’s Day as a festival, the resurrection day, the queen and chief of all the days [of the week]. Looking forward to this, the prophet declared, "To the end, for the eighth day," on which our life both sprang up again, and the victory over death was obtained in Christ, whom the children of perdition, the enemies of the Saviour, deny, "whose god is their belly, who mind earthly things," who are "lovers of pleasure, and not lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof." These make merchandise of Christ, corrupting His word, and selling Jesus: they are corrupters of women, and covetous of other men’s possessions, swallowing up wealth insatiably; from whom may you be delivered by the mercy of God through our Lord Jesus Christ!
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Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Supporting witness
Luke 22:19 and thenceforward leave off your fasting, and rejoice, and keep a festival, because Jesus Christ, the pledge of our resurrection, is risen from the dead.
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Victorinus, On the Creation of the World Background
Deuteronomy 8:3 Hence, too, that saying of Christ: My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish His work.
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Julius Africanus, Extant Writings Background
Narrative of Events Happening in Persia on the Birth of Christ
Did early Christians think some days mattered more than others?
Yes. Romans 14:5-6 says one person may honor one day while another treats all days alike, as long as each does it for the Lord. That fits the early church picture of both fixed feast days and freedom in how some believers handled days.
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Romans 14:6 Direct teaching
The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.
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Romans 14:5 Supporting witness
One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.
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Colossians 2:16 Supporting witness
Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.
Common Questions
Did early Christians celebrate holidays?
Yes, but not pagan ones. Early Christian writings support honoring the Lord’s Day and Paschal feasts, while rejecting idol festivals and immoral public feasts.
Did early Christians keep the Lord’s Day?
Yes. Ignatius, Peter of Alexandria, and later church writings call the Lord’s Day a day of joy because of the resurrection.
Did early Christians reject pagan holidays?
Yes. Tertullian, Minucius Felix, and Origen speak against public feasts tied to idols, kings, and pagan worship.
Source Index for Christian Holidays
The guided sections above show the strongest quotations. This compact index highlights 160 ranked source links from 232 compiled sources for deeper study.
Source index 160 ranked links shown
Early Christian Writings 80 shown of 143
Primary-source quotations from early Christian writers and church documents.
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Clement of Rome, Connection to Galatians 4:10
Bible Passages 80 shown of 89
Related Bible passages saved for comparison with the early Christian quotations.